Smithsonian paleontologists confirmed a 209-million-year-old pterosaur at Petrified Forest National Park, clarifying early powered flight in North America. The find, named Eotephradactylus mcintireae, emerged from PFV 393 after FossiLab volunteer Suzanne McIntire isolated a tiny jaw fragment, a notable pterosaur discovery. Radiometric dating of volcanic ash and stratigraphy place the fossil in the Late Triassic Norian. Micro-CT scans and anatomical comparison by Ben Kligman identified classic pterosaur traits, including membrane wings, hollow bones, and a heterodont jaw. Seagull-sized and adapted for launch, glide, and perch, it occupied freshwater food webs. The bone bed preserves at least 16 vertebrates, capturing ecosystem change before the 201-million-year extinction.
