"240-Million-Year-Old 'Chinese Dragon' Fossil Unveiled by Scientists"
Scientists have unveiled a remarkably well-preserved 16ft (5m)-long fossil of a 240 million year-old aquatic reptile from the Triassic period, named Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, due to its exceptionally long neck. This discovery has provided researchers with the first complete view of the creature's anatomy, revealing its flipper-like limbs and an unusually long, flexible neck with 32 separate vertebrae. The fossil, found in southern China, suggests that the creature may have used its unique neck to hunt for food in underwater crevices, adding to the peculiarities of the Triassic period.