Dragonkin Holotype
Basic Information
Anatomy
The dragonkin holotype, or the "first dragon" as it is better known, is a very small reptile-like animal that in the past, was confused as a fragmentary lizard fossil, fragmentary pterosaur, or hoax for much of its history due to its odd array of features. Unfortunately, the specimen is highly fragmented with much of it missing, but of its known features shares traits with all of its living dragonkin relatives. The fossil consists of the left wing, neck, left front leg, spine fragments, and parts of the upper back limbs along with a partial skull. The skull shows a highly derived venom system in the mandible and all other bones have shown to be hollow, suggesting the specimen may have been capable of powered flight. Many other features, such as the formation of the spine and neck are uniquely found in all dragons, and used as a marker for identifying its descendants through the family tree. Potential muscle attachments found in what is believed to be part of the shoulder girdle are also often used for classification.
Unfortunately, the specimen is highly damaged and due to its fragmentary nature, it is extremely difficult to identify if a whole specimen has been found. The original holotype specimen was broken into several pieces during its excavation, which has led to many debates and accusations of the fossil being a hoax in the past, though it is generally accepted that the original holotype is indeed a true fossil, though highly damaged.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The specimen is extremely valuable in determining the family tree of dragon species, especially extinct forms. It is invaluable to science, and many thousands of reproductions of the original fossil exist worldwide. Many groups of sentient dragons will use stylized images of the original fossil on their flags, territories' passports or identification, and it is considered a massive achievement that the original fossil still exists today, despite having originally been found in the human era.
EXTINCT
Genetic Descendants
Origin/Ancestry
Conservation Status
Extinct
