A fossilized jawbone discovered in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park has led scientists to identify a new species of pterosaur a flying reptile that lived approximately 209 million years ago, making it the oldest known pterosaur in North America.
Named Eotephradactylus mcintireae, meaning “ash-winged dawn goddess,” the species was preserved in volcanic ash and sediment from the late Triassic period. The fossil was first unearthed in 2011 by Smithsonian volunteer Suzanne McIntire, whose contribution is honored in the species name.
“What was exciting about uncovering this specimen was that the teeth were still in the bone, so I knew the animal would be much easier to identify,” McIntire said.
The creature, roughly the size of a modern seagull, likely fed on armored fish, as suggested by the heavy wear on its tooth tips. Its wingspan is estimated at about one meter, and its skull measured nearly 10 centimeters long, according to The BBC.
Lead researcher Dr. Ben Kligman of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History emphasized the rarity of such finds:
“Triassic pterosaur bones are small, thin, and often hollow — they’re usually destroyed before fossilization. This discovery fills a major gap in the fossil record and opens the door to finding similar specimens worldwide.”
The fossil site has yielded over 1,200 individual specimens, including bones, teeth, fish scales, and even coprolites (fossilized feces), offering a vivid snapshot of a transitional ecosystem. The region, once part of the supercontinent Pangaea, was located near the equator and prone to seasonal floods that helped preserve these remains.
North America's Oldest Pterosaur Discovered in Arizona
Scientists have identified North America's oldest known pterosaur, a 209-million-year-old winged reptile discovered in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park. The seagull-sized flying reptile, named Eotephradactylus… pic.twitter.com/GO0FxrE00T
— Xtagrams (@xtagrams) July 8, 2025
“We see groups that thrived later living alongside older animals that didn’t make it past the Triassic,” Kligman added. “Fossil beds like these enable us to establish that all of these animals actually lived together.”
The discovery not only sheds light on the early evolution of powered flight but also highlights the importance of underexplored fossil beds in revealing Earth’s ancient biodiversity.
