x
Breaking News
More () »

A foot-long dinosaur with bat-like wings has been found in China

It initially confused the paleontologist who made the discovery.
Credit: AP
Fossil file photo (AP Photo/Ruaridh Stewart)

Editor's Note: The above photo is a file image of a fossilized whale. Scroll down to see a rendering of what researchers believe the new dinosaur looked like.

A tiny dinosaur with bat-like wings once glided through the forests in what's now China, new reports say.

According to National Geographic, the feathered creature, Ambopteryx longibrachium, lived more than 160 million years ago.

CNN says the little dinosaur would have been roughly a foot long and weighed approximately 10 ounces. And, it doesn't appear to have been able to flap its wings.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, the fossilized remains of one were found in 2017 in northeast China, but they originally confused the paleontologist who published a study about the dinosaur this week.

“It was nothing like a bird. Nothing like a dinosaur,” paleontologist Min Wang reportedly said.

As Wang studied the creature, it was revealed the dinosaur had membranous wings, according to CNN. The cable network says it's only the second fossil of a dinosaur with bat-like wings. Previously, the feature had only been seen in flying squirrels, bats and flying reptiles.

Having trouble seeing the image below? Click here.

What other people are reading right now:

Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Before You Leave, Check This Out