"Discovery of 240 Million-Year-Old 'Chinese Dragon' Fossil"

Paleontologists have discovered a 240-million-year-old fossil of an aquatic reptile, Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, resembling a "Chinese dragon" with a snake-like appearance and an elongated neck. The complete 16-foot-long fossil, found in southern China, has 32 separate vertebrae in its neck, longer than its body and tail combined, and is believed to have been adapted to the ocean. The international team of researchers hopes to further understand the evolution of this prehistoric creature and the function of its remarkably long neck.