BRAZIL: A flying lizard that lived in Brazil 100 million years ago used to "skim for its supper" as it soared over lakes and coastlines, scientists said yesterday.
The newly-discovered species of pterosaur (pronounced ter-o-soar), Thalassodromeus sethi, was a bizarre looking beast with scissor-like jaws and an enormous sail-crest projecting above and behind its head.
A detailed study of the creature's skull has revealed intriguing clues about its feeding habits.
Scientists believe it hunted fish by gliding low over the lake or sea surface and dipping its pointed jaws into the water to snatch prey.
The structure of the pterosaur's streamlined skull is very like that of modern skimmers from the family Rynchops - birds which fish in the same way.
Mr Alexander Kellner and Mr Diogenes de Almeida Campos, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, wrote in the journal Science: "The morphology of the specimen supports the hypothesis that T. sethi was also a skimmer.
"As in Rynchops, the specialised scissors-like bill almost precludes any other method of capturing prey, such as swooping towards the water."
The total length of the skull was 1.4 metres, including the bony crest which was covered in a network of grooves. The scientists said this represented an extensive blood vessel system that may have helped the pterosaur regulate its body temperature. It was also possible that the crest was brightly coloured and helped it recognise others of its kin.