According to foreign media reports, scientists have discovered many strange extinct fish, dinosaurs, birds, and other creatures in recent years. Researchers have used artistic means to showcase the original appearance of these bizarre prehistoric creatures. Below is a list of the 25 most fascinating ancient creatures published by Live Science in the United States:
1. Plesiosaur
This is an artistic representation of what a plesiosaur, an ancient marine reptile, might have looked like. The plesiosaur lived in Antarctica. Researchers described the plesiosaur in the latest issue of the Journal of Paleontology; they had long necks and four flippers. However, the species of plesiosaur discussed in the report is different from the one shown in this image. Paleontologists recently found shark teeth on plesiosaur fossils, indicating that plesiosaurs may have been attacked by groups of sharks.
2. Aerosteon
This image vividly presents the ancient carnivorous dinosaur known as Aerosteon, which possibly lived 85 million years ago. In the image, red represents the lungs, while other colors represent air sacs. According to the latest analysis of Aerosteon fossils, this large carnivorous dinosaur's respiratory system has many similarities with those of today's birds, further strengthening the theory of an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern birds.