Punnett's Square: Skiphosoura bavarica: The Genetic Evolution of Flying Reptiles

A new discovery in the pterosaur family has recently been reported in a paper from the Queen Mary University of London. The pterosaurs are known as a close relative of dinosaurs, and are extinct flying reptiles. Additionally, this species is now known as the first vertebrate to achieve powered flight.

A three-dimensional fossil of a new species has been found in Bavaria, Germany, which has been named Skiphosoura bavarica. With a distinctly unusual short and pointy tail, the Skiphosoura bavarica finally fills in an evolutionary gap in our understanding of the evolutionary genome of reptiles. For hundreds of years, we could not completely connect the bridge between the darwinopteran and the pterodactyloid species. This new discovery gives us an insight into the genetic variation that reptiles showed and illustrates how they evolved to a modern species.

The discovery of this species is a prime example of Darwin's idea of natural selection, a founding mechanism in the field of genetics, and opens the door into discovering what advantageous genetic traits the Skiphosoura bavarica developed. At this time, the short and stiff tail is seeming to be the most important variation they had. Because this is a very new discovery, we do not know much about the Skiphosoura bavarica; however, I look forward to learning more about them and reading about how their genetic differences have led us to the reptiles we know today.