Bones dating back to some 100 million years ago unearthed in north-eastern Australia have been identified as a new species of pterosaur, according to newly published research.
The bones, discovered in 2021 in western Queensland by Kronosaurus Korner museum curator Kevin Petersen, have been found to belong to a new genus and species of anhanguerian pterosaur, the Haliskia peterseni, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports/Springer Nature on Wednesday.
The genus epithet Haliskia, derived from Ancient Greek, describes a flying creature that cast a shadow on the sea, while the species epithet honours Petersen.
"With a wingspan of approximately 4.6 metres, Haliskia would have been a fearsome predator around 100 million years ago when much of central western Queensland was underwater, covered by a vast inland sea," said research team leader Adele Pentland, from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Pentland said that about 22% of the specimen from the late Early Cretaceous was recovered, making it the most complete pterosaur discovered in Australia to date.
"The specimen includes complete lower jaws, the tip of the upper jaw, 43 teeth, vertebrae, ribs, bones from both wings and part of a leg," Pentland said. "Also present are very thin and delicate throat bones, indicating a muscular tongue, which helped during feeding on fish and cephalopods."
Petersen said the discovery was a boost for both science and regional tourism.
"I'm thrilled that my discovery is a new species, as my passion lies in helping shape our modern knowledge of prehistoric species," Petersen said.