A fossil found nearly three decades ago in southwestern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture has been identified to be a previously unclassified genus and species of pterosaur, or prehistoric flying reptile, a local dinosaur museum said Tuesday.Nipponopterus mifunensis is the first pterosaur to be formally named as a distinct species based on the fossil. Because it is the first known member of a new genus group of closely related species, the fossil is expected to offer important clues for studying the evolutionary process of pterosaurs.The research was the result of work between institutions includ…READ FULL ARTICLE
