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  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571026_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, teacher-researcher and palaeontologist, photographed in front of the display cases containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
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    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanityís origins.
    DUKAS_185571031_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanityís origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, palaeontologist and teacher-researcher, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the palaeontology department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571030_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Franck Guy, palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual. .
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571022_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Franck Guy, palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571027_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Franck Guy, palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual. .
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571033_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Franck Guy, palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571024_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, teacher-researcher and palaeontologist, photographed in front of the display cases containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. He is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571028_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, research professor and palaeontologist, and Franck Guy, also a palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. Guillaume Daver is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found Toumaï's skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571029_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, research professor and palaeontologist, and Franck Guy, also a palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. Guillaume Daver is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found Toumaï's skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    DUKAS_185571025_EYE
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.
    The curse of Toumai: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins.

    When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced - and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since.

    Guillaume Daver, research professor and palaeontologist, and Franck Guy, also a palaeontologist and CNRS research fellow, photographed in front of the display cases of the reserves containing the fossils of the Palaeontology Department. Franck Guy is holding the femur discovered near where Michel Brunet found the Toumaï skull. For some scientists, this femur calls into question Toumaï's bipedalism, but today there is nothing to indicate that this bone belonged to the same individual.
    University of Poitiers, France, 2025-04-10.

    Jean Francois Fort / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859386_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859388_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859383_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire.
    Pictures shows the fossil with the other shark teeth as Smith discovered it at the museum.
    ***************************************
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859389_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859387_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire.
    Picture shows a close-up through a microscope.
    ***************************************
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859381_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859382_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859385_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    DUKAS_119859384_EYE
    Remains of new flying reptile species spotted in UK museum drawer. Student finds mislabelled fragment of pterosaur, which flew over eastern England up to 66m years ago.
    Phd student Roy Smith 26, pictured at his home in Portsmouth with a tiny fragment of fossilised bone which he believes is a new sort of dinosaur.
    The flying lizard kind of animal must have once flown over the Fens in Cambridgeshire, UK.
    Palaeontologists have made a surprising discovery while searching through 100-year-old fossil collections from the UK a new mystery species of pterosaur, unlike anything seen before.
    Lead author of the project, University of Portsmouth PhD student Roy Smith, discovered the mystery creature amongst fossil collections housed in the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton that were assembled when phosphate mining was at its peak in the English Fens between 1851 and 1900. These fossils found while workmen were digging phosphate nodules were frequently sold to earn a little bit of extra money.
    It was while Smith was examining the fossils of shark spines that he made the amazing discovery. The fossils were actually fragments of jaws of toothless pterosaurs, which do indeed resemble shark fin spines, but there are many subtle differences that allow them to be distinguished.

    © Christopher Ison / Guardian / eyevine

    Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
    T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
    E: info@eyevine.com
    http://www.eyevine.com
    (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)

    © Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved.