JURASSIC FOSSIL FOUND

A fossil jawbone peeking out from the Scottish shore has led scientists to discover a pterosaur* skeleton that shows these remarkable flying reptiles grew big tens of millions of years earlier than previously known.

Researchers said on Tuesday this pterosaur, named Dearc sgiathanach (pronounced “jark ski-an-ach”), lived roughly 170 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, soaring over lagoons in a subtropical* landscape and catching fish and squid with crisscrossing teeth perfect for snaring* slippery prey.

Its scientific name means “winged reptile” in Gaelic.