Palaeontologists have found a tiny flying reptile that, with a wingspan of less than 10 inches, is the smallest relative of the largest flying creature ever. Pterosaurs, the first creatures with backbones to take to the air, ruled the skies during the days of the dinosaurs and died out with them some 65 million years ago.

They came in a huge range of sizes: there were gull-sized creatures, such as Anurognathus, giants such as Anhanguera (“Old Devil”) and Tupuxuara with wing spans of about four metres, and massive flyers like Quetzalcoatlus, with wingspans of more than 10 metres. Now a miniature version is described by Xiaolin Wang
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The remains were found in the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation (120 million years ago), western Liaoning, China, and suggest it probably weighed between 30 and 50 grams. “This small pterosaur looked like a sparrow or swallow in size,” adds Dr Wang.” The creature is the smallest toothless pterosaur and the smallest to live during the Cretaceous period.”