In the enchanted realms of fantasy fiction, dragons reign supreme as mythical beings, yet the true wonders of Earth’s history reveal that flying lizards did exist—albeit in miniature form. A captivating example emerges from the depths of time, some 200 million years ago, in the form of the Kuehneosaur. This diminutive flying reptile defied expectations with a membrane of skin stretching along remarkably elongated rib bones, enabling it to gracefully glide from tree to tree.
The revelation unfolded under the keen gaze of Mike Cawthorne, a master’s student at the University of Bristol, who immersed himself in the study of reptile fossils from limestone quarries forming the Mendip Palaeo-island. This island, a colossal sub-tropical haven during the Triassic-Jurassic boundary eon, spanned 18 miles and played host to a menagerie of petite reptiles indulging in herbivorous diets of plants and insects.
Mike recounted, “All the beasts were small. I had hoped to find some dinosaur bones, or even their isolated teeth, but in fact I found everything else but dinosaurs.” Amidst the treasure trove, the Kuehneosaurus stood out—an Archosaur more akin to crocodiles than true lizards, with its skin-stretched wings evoking the magic of ancient flight.
Professor Mike Benton, co-author of Cawthorne’s revelatory paper, shared, “It took a lot of work identifying the fossil bones, most of which were separate and not in a skeleton.” Alongside the gliding marvel, Cawthorne unearthed the teeth of a Trilophosaurus, named Variodens inopinatus, a robust plant-eater rivaling the size of today’s large monitor lizards. Additionally, the aquatic lizard Pachystropheus, an adept shrimp hunter, added to the prehistoric tapestry.
Beneath the winter’s cloak, with temperatures between 9° and 3°C (40° and 49°F), amidst clouds and scattered showers, it may seem surreal for the present-day residents of Great Britain to fathom their island’s ancient existence. Once, it basked in the subtropical embrace of a sea studded with islets, where an array of lizards ascended trees in lush, steamy forests—an otherworldly chapter in the island’s ever-evolving tale.