Fossilized remains from a giant flying reptile the size of a bus have been discovered in Argentina, the BBC reports.
The Dragon of Death, as scientists have dubbed the new species, hunted prey from Earth’s skies around 86 million years ago.
When fully extended, its wings measured a massive nine meters from one tip to the other.
The sheer size of the predator paints a “terrifying vision”, the scientist behind the find told the BBC.
“This species had a height similar to that of a giraffe,” project leader Leonardo Ortiz said, with a wingspan that “defies the limits of our biological understanding.”
Its remains had been preserved in rocks in the Andes mountains for 86 million years, which means the flying creature lived alongside dinosaurs.
The reptile is believed to be one of the first predators to use their wings to hunt prey – flying through Earth’s prehistoric skies before the evolution of birds.
