In the field of paleontology, an exciting piece of news has spread throughout the scientific and academic circles of our country: a new pterosaur species called the Friendly and Beautiful Wyvern has recently been officially named, which has become a new chapter in the joint research between China and Brazil. This is not only a leap forward in the understanding of the species, but also a symbol of the deep and lasting friendship between the two countries in the academic field, which has crossed time and space like an ancient pterosaur spreading its wings.
In the Jiufotang Formation in the western part of Hebei Province, the geological age can be traced back to about 1200 million years ago, in the Early Cretaceous, researchers discovered the fossils of the beautiful Friendly Wyvern. Pterodactyls were one of the main creatures that ruled the skies in ancient times, and the Friendly and Beautiful Wyvern is characterized by its magnificent wingspan, which is more than 2 meters wide, with a pointed toothless mouth and a protruding large, streamlined crown. Let them soar freely through ancient forests or vast sci-fi wetlands.
The precision of this discovery meets the strictest standards of scientific research. The orthotyped specimen (IVPP V 16059) is quite well preserved, with the genus name "Meilifeilong" of the beautiful wyvern taken from its beauty and unique morphology, and the species name "Youhao" taken from the 20-year good bilateral cooperation between the scientific communities of the two countries. In addition to the Friendly Wyvern, the Sanya Wyvern also belongs to this genus, and the previously known Sanya "Shenzhoupterus Sanyainus" has been re-identified as the second member of the genus Sanyainus.
Some of the unique characteristics of the friendly and beautiful wyvern, such as its large head, long crown, and strong neck, show that it is a member of the order Pterodactyls and has excellent flight abilities. Pterodactyls are known to fly mostly in the skies of China's geological history, especially for the Rehe biota in Liaoning Province. This community exhibits the remarkable diversity of a variety of pterosaurs and other paleontology.
In paleontology, the friendly and beautiful wyver belongs to the order Pterodactyl - Azhdarchoidea - Chaoyangopteridae. When the family was proposed in 2003, Wang Xiaolin and Zhou Zhonghe discovered that the model belonged to Chaoyangopterus. Today, the family has expanded to include the Chaoyang pterosaur, Jidapterus, Eoazhdarcho, Shenzhoupterus, and most recently, the beautiful wyvern, while the Brazilian lacusovagus may also belong to the family Chaoyangpterosauridae.
This study not only enriches the diversity of the Chaoyang pterosauridae, but also continues to support the view that the origin center of pterosaurs was in northeastern China, especially in the early Mesozoic. The Xiaotaizi area of Lamadong Town, Liaoning Province, where the first pterosaur fossil was discovered, has become an important site for the study of this taxonomy.
The close cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani paleontologists has deepened the understanding of this taxon. The collaboration began in 2003 and involves several scientific institutions such as the Institute of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Museum of Brazil. In the past 20 years, scientists have published more than 20 academic papers** and named at least 17 new genera and species of pterosaurs and dinosaurs. Research has also extended to areas such as pterosaur physiology, ecology, and embryonic development.
As a leader in the field of pterosaur research, Wang Xiaolin has far-reaching significance for the discovery of this new species. In 2013, he was not only elected as a Corresponding Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, but also became the first Chinese scholar to receive this honor, which is a testament to the close cooperation between China and Brazil in the field of scientific research. The discovery of the Friendship Beauty Wyvern is not only a paleontological milestone, but also a symbol of the triumph of science diplomacy, and deserves to be celebrated in both China and Brazil.
As the name suggests, the friendly and beautiful flying dragon has become a soaring messenger of international scientific exchanges and cooperation and friendship, a winged miracle, spreading its wings in the ancient sky hundreds of millions of years ago, and also flying into the present era, supporting a new sky for future scientific research cooperation. This story not only gives us a glimpse into the mysteries of life from time immemorial, but also gives us a sense of the borderless beauty of scientific collaboration, which fosters awe-inspiring scientific discoveries and a profound exchange of ideas and emotions between experts across borders. Just as the beautiful dragon of friendship spreads its broad wings and brings friendship and knowledge to a higher blue sky, we also look forward to more win-win chapters between China and Pakistan in a wider range of fields.