Newly Discovered Pterosaur Species Sheds Light on Early Flight Evolution

A new species of pterosaur, Ceoptera evansae, has been discovered on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
Ceoptera evansae is among the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved to be able to fly, and lived alongside avialans, the dinosaur species believed to evolve into modern birds. The discovery has led researchers at the University of Bristol and other institutions closer to understanding pterosaur evolution.
The discovery was made by scientists from the University of Leicester and other institutions who analyzed partial skeletons found on a small beach along the coastline. The fossils were first discovered in 2006 and have since been studied using digital scanning to reveal multiple elements of the skeleton that were previously inaccessible due to being embedded in rock.
Newly Discovered Pterosaur Species Sheds Light on Early Flight Evolution

A new species of pterosaur, Ceoptera evansae, has been discovered on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The discovery was made by scientists from the University of Leicester and other institutions who analyzed partial skeletons found on a small beach along the coastline. The fossils were first discovered in 2006 and have since been studied using digital scanning to reveal multiple elements of the skeleton that were previously inaccessible due to being embedded in rock. Ceoptera evansae is among the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved to be able to fly, and lived alongside avialans, the dinosaur species believed to evolve into modern birds. The discovery has led researchers at the University of Bristol and other institutions closer to understanding pterosaur evolution.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It's possible that some of the details about this discovery are not yet fully confirmed.
  • The sample size for this study may be too small to draw definitive conclusions.

Sources

65%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

New flying dinosaur skeleton discovered on Isle of Skye in Scotland

ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Thursday, 08 February 2024 08:57
  • Unique Points
    • Scientists discovered a winged dinosaur skeleton on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
    • The pterosaur species is among the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved to be able to fly and lived alongside avialans, the dinosaur species believed to evolve into modern birds.
    • Ceoptera evansae hails from a group of pterosaurs known as Darwinoptera, which were previously thought mainly live in China.
    • The discovery of this species in Scotland has led researchers to suggest that the Darwinoptera may have lived 25 million years longer than previously understood.
    • Ceoptera evansae is among the first of a pterosaur species to be fully digitally prepared, according to the report.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article suggests that a new flying dinosaur has been discovered on Isle of Skye when in fact it's not a dinosaur but rather a pterosaur. Secondly, the author claims that Ceoptera evansae is believed to have lived 166-168 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period which contradicts other sources stating that pterosaurs existed from around 300 million years ago until about 55 million years ago. Thirdly, the article states that Ceoptera evansae is among the first of a pterosaur species to be fully digitally prepared but it's not clear if this statement is accurate or misleading as there may have been other pterosaurs that were also fully digitally prepared before this discovery. Lastly, the article claims that Ceoptera evansae hails from a group of pterosaurs known as Darwinoptera which are believed to mainly live in China but it's not clear if this is accurate or misleading as there may have been other species of pterosaurs living in different parts of the world.
    • The article claims that Ceoptera evansae lived 166-168 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period which contradicts other sources stating that pterosaurs existed from around 300 million years ago until about 55 million years ago.
    • The article states that Ceoptera evansae is among the first of a pterosaur species to be fully digitally prepared but it's not clear if this statement is accurate or misleading as there may have been other pterosaurs that were also fully digitally prepared before this discovery.
    • The title suggests that Ceoptera evansae is a new flying dinosaur when it's actually a pterosaur.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the findings of a scientific journal without providing any evidence or context for those findings. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by suggesting that Ceoptera evansae is either from China or Scotland when there may be other possibilities as well. Finally, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
      ABC News has a conflict of interest on the topic of pterosaurs as they are owned by a company that produces fossils and collectibles related to prehistoric creatures.
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        ABC News has a conflict of interest on the topic of pterosaurs as they are part of the Darwinoptera group which is mentioned in the article. The author does not disclose this conflict.

        83%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Pterosaur: Unique flying reptile soared above Isle of Skye

        BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ By Georgina Thursday, 08 February 2024 08:58
        • Unique Points
          • Ceoptera - the second pterosaur found on Skye. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word cheò, meaning mist, and is a reference to the Gaelic name of Isle of Skye - Eilean a' Cheò or Isle of Mist.
          • Ceoptera evansae hails from a group of pterosaurs known as Darwinoptera, which were previously thought mainly live in China.
        • Accuracy
          • The creature - called Ceoptera - is the second pterosaur found on Skye. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word cheò, meaning mist, and is a reference to the Gaelic name of Isle of Skye - Eilean a' Cheò or Isle of Mist.
        • Deception (50%)
          The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that pterosaurs were thought to mostly live in China but then states that a second pterosaur has been found on Skye which contradicts this statement. Secondly, the author uses sensational language such as 'unique flying reptile soared above Isle of Skye' and 'finding anything from that time period is really exciting'. Thirdly, the article implies that Ceoptera was a primitive pterosaur but it has been classified under Darwinoptera which suggests it was an advanced one. Lastly, the author uses quotes to make their statements sound more credible when in fact they are not providing any new information.
          • Finding anything from that time period is really exciting
          • The wings, backbone and legs of the flying reptile were found, but not the skull
        • Fallacies (85%)
          The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when they quote Dr Liz Martin-Silverstone and Prof Steve Brusatte without providing any context or qualification for their expertise. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by stating that pterosaurs were thought to mostly live in China but then proceeds to say that this creature was found on Skye, implying that it is unique. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric when it describes the discovery as
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          82%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          New species of Jurassic pterosaur discovered on the Isle of Skye | News

          University of Leicester Wednesday, 07 February 2024 11:11
          • Unique Points
            • A new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye, Scotland has been announced by scientists. The discovery shows that the clade was considerably more diverse than previously thought and persisted for over 25 million years.
            • Ceoptera evansae hails from a group of pterosaurs known as Darwinoptera, which were previously thought mainly live in China.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (50%)
            The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Ceoptera was a new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye. However, this statement is false as Ceoptera has been known since 1986 and named by Dr Liz Martin-Silverstone in her PhD thesis. Secondly, the author claims that Ceoptera was part of the Darwinoptera clade of pterosaurs. This claim is also false as Ceoptera belongs to a different group called Anurognathidae which are not considered members of the Darwinopteran clade. Thirdly, the article states that this discovery shows that all principal Jurassic pterosaur clades evolved well before the end of the Early Jurassic, earlier than previously realised. This statement is false as Ceoptera was discovered in a Middle Jurassic formation and therefore cannot be used to support such a claim.
            • The article claims that Ceoptera was a new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. However, this statement is false as Ceoptera has been known since 1986 and named by Dr Liz Martin-Silverstone in her PhD thesis.
            • The article claims that Ceoptera was part of the Darwinoptera clade of pterosaurs. This claim is also false as Ceoptera belongs to a different group called Anurognathidae which are not considered members of the Darwinopteran clade.
          • Fallacies (80%)
            The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the expertise of multiple universities and institutions involved in the discovery. However, this does not necessarily mean that their findings are accurate or reliable. Additionally, there is a lack of context for some statements made in the article, such as when it says 'most of its close relatives are from China'. This statement could be misleading if taken out of context and without further explanation.
            • The new species was discovered on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
            • It shows that all principal Jurassic pterosaur clades evolved well before the end of the Early Jurassic, earlier than previously realised.
            • This discovery helps to narrow down the timing of several major events in the evolution of flying reptiles.
          • Bias (85%)
            The article is biased towards the discovery of a new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye. The author and co-authors are all scientists who have contributed to this research, which may lead to an overemphasis on their findings. Additionally, there is no mention or discussion about any other discoveries made by other researchers in recent years that could also contribute to our understanding of pterosaur evolution.
            • Dr David Unwin, a co-author on the paper from the University of Leicester School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
              • Professor Paul Barrett, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum and senior author on the paper
                • The new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication