Researchers have discovered the oldest known pterodactyl in China, a game-changing find that means the flying reptile likely appeared earlier than previously thought.

According to the new study published in the journal Current Biology, the pterodactyl fossil first found in 2001 but misidentified until now pushes back the creature's evolution by around five million years, National Geographic reported.

With a wingspan of 4.5 feet, the Kryptodrakon progenitor is believed to have lived in the Jurassic era, soaring through the skies of around 163 million years ago.

This particular fossil was found 13 years ago in China's Shishiugou Formation, a site called a "dinosaur death pit" due to the ancient quicksand that trapped many creatures in the area.

For several years, the pterodactyl was thought to be the two-legged theropod dinosaur until it was assembled into a skeleton.

"I looked at it and said, 'That's not a theropod, that's a pterosaur.' And the rest is history," said James Clark of George Washington University's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C., as quoted by National Geographic.

The fossil also offers new insight because it was discovered inland, hinting that some species of pterodactyl may have lived in forested areas. Fossils left by the pterodactyl, a flying reptile related to the pterosaur, are usually discovered near oceans.

"It's long been thought that a lot of pterosaur evolution occurred in inland settings, but actual evidence for this has been lacking until the last few years," Mark Witton, author of the 2013 book Pterosaurs, who was not involved in the study, told National Geographic by email. "It's nice to not only see these predictions being met, but also pleasing that we're now actually able to observe how this important group of flying reptiles took shape."

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