A 110-million-year-old dinosaur's vomit has yielded a groundbreaking fossil discovery – that of an extinct pterosaur species.
In what is being hailed as one of the most significant finds in paleontology, researchers have uncovered the remains of Bakiribu waridza, a hitherto unknown filter-feeding pterosaur, inside a rare and well-preserved fossilized vomit. This remarkable discovery has shed new light on the evolutionary trajectory of these ancient creatures.
According to Aline Ghilardi, a paleontologist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, who led the research team, the unique preservation conditions required for such an extraordinary find to occur are extremely rare. The fossilized vomit must be rapidly buried in a calm environment and retain its original binding properties over time.
In this instance, however, the remains were remarkably clear and identifiable, with Ghilardi's team able to immediately flag what strongly resembled the distinctive teeth of Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs. Despite initial doubts about the fossil's authenticity, further investigation revealed a highly unusual arrangement of bones that ultimately led to the discovery of Bakiribu waridza.
The newly unearthed pterosaur boasts elongated jaws densely populated with long, slender teeth – shedding new light on the feeding habits and evolutionary development of filter-feeding pterosaurs. According to Ghilardi, these creatures would have captured food in a manner similar to modern flamingos.
While researchers remain uncertain about whose vomit this ancient find is from, the discovery itself represents yet another example of how modern methods can uncover new information about previously excavated fossils. For Ghilardi and her team, it's moments like these that remind them why paleontology feels so magical – as they often stumble upon extraordinary discoveries hiding quietly in plain sight.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, marks a significant milestone in the field of paleontology and highlights the importance of continued research into the mysteries of our ancient past.
In what is being hailed as one of the most significant finds in paleontology, researchers have uncovered the remains of Bakiribu waridza, a hitherto unknown filter-feeding pterosaur, inside a rare and well-preserved fossilized vomit. This remarkable discovery has shed new light on the evolutionary trajectory of these ancient creatures.
According to Aline Ghilardi, a paleontologist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, who led the research team, the unique preservation conditions required for such an extraordinary find to occur are extremely rare. The fossilized vomit must be rapidly buried in a calm environment and retain its original binding properties over time.
In this instance, however, the remains were remarkably clear and identifiable, with Ghilardi's team able to immediately flag what strongly resembled the distinctive teeth of Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs. Despite initial doubts about the fossil's authenticity, further investigation revealed a highly unusual arrangement of bones that ultimately led to the discovery of Bakiribu waridza.
The newly unearthed pterosaur boasts elongated jaws densely populated with long, slender teeth – shedding new light on the feeding habits and evolutionary development of filter-feeding pterosaurs. According to Ghilardi, these creatures would have captured food in a manner similar to modern flamingos.
While researchers remain uncertain about whose vomit this ancient find is from, the discovery itself represents yet another example of how modern methods can uncover new information about previously excavated fossils. For Ghilardi and her team, it's moments like these that remind them why paleontology feels so magical – as they often stumble upon extraordinary discoveries hiding quietly in plain sight.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, marks a significant milestone in the field of paleontology and highlights the importance of continued research into the mysteries of our ancient past.
I'm like super stoked about this fossil discovery!!! It's mind-blowing to think that scientists were able to find an entire new species of pterosaur just from someone's vomit lol 
can you even imagine what it must've been like for the ancient dude who threw up in the first place? 
I mean, talk about a weird burial site. But seriously, this is a major breakthrough and it's awesome to see how modern methods are helping us uncover more secrets about our prehistoric friends. The fact that we can learn so much from something as seemingly insignificant as vomit is just wild 
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. And can you believe it was hidden in fossilized vomit for 110 million years?! That's just wild 
. The fact that the conditions had to be so perfect for this find to happen is crazy, and the team's patience paid off big time 
. I'm loving how they're able to learn more about these ancient creatures and their feeding habits 
. This just goes to show that there's still so much we can discover in our field of study 
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I mean, can you even imagine stumbling upon something like that? A 110-million-year-old pterosaur fossil just chillin' inside some dinosaur's vomit 
Anyway, it's always amazing what scientists can discover with modern methods. It feels like there's still so much we don't know about our planet's past, and this discovery is definitely a step in the right direction! 
I need to read up on it more before I get my mind blown (again) 
it's like whoa we're talkin fossilized poop but literally its a pterosaur species that wasnt known before bakiribu waridza is the name lol and it has these crazy long teeth and it eats filter food like modern flamingos 
anyway cant wait 2 c more paleontology discoveries like dis!!
And honestly, I'm not really buying into all the hype around this discovery. I mean, it's cool and all, but it's still just a fossil... right? 
It's like something out of a sci-fi movie, fam! 
The fact that it's a pterosaur species we never knew existed is just mind-blowing, tbh. 
Can't wait to see what other secrets these ancient creatures hold...
This is like something out of a sci-fi movie! I mean who wouldn't want to discover dinosaur poop that's 110 million years old? 
The fact that it was preserved so well is crazy. I love how the researchers were initially skeptical but then found out it was actually a real deal Bakiribu waridza fossil! 
It's wild to think about these creatures feeding like modern flamingos, with those long teeth and everything. Paleontology is seriously the coolest field ever 
the discovery process was crazy tho, gotta respect how the team pieced it together from that weird vomit 
the fact that it had filter-feeding teeth like flamingos is mind blown 
. Who knows what other secrets are hiding in plain sight? This discovery is definitely one for the books 
. Anyway, back to the dinosaurs... filter-feeding pterosaurs are so cool! I wonder if they would've made good pets... 
. Like, isn't it just a bunch of old bones stuck in some fossilized goo? And what's with all the fuss about it being "groundbreaking" – can't we just find some old stuff and be done with it already? 
. On the other hand, I guess it's kinda awesome that scientists were able to figure out who this ancient creature was and how it ate... but wouldn't a bird or something have worked for capturing food too? 
. Ugh, I'm just so confused about this whole thing 
! Can you believe what they found in that fossilized vomit? A whole new species of pterosaur just chillin' inside some ancient poop 
.