Meredraco

Meredraco elmwoodia (meaning Lake Dragon of Elmwood Island) was a dracian species of dragon that caused great debate within the paleontological community. It is the earliest known dragon to exist but not the first. Meredraco is thought to be the most primitive Sea Serpent if it can be even considered that, and is technically a dinosaur.
== Biology ==
The biology of Meredraco is not well known due to only a 12-meter section of it's ribcage being found deep underground. Physiology suggests it to be serpentine in structure but not a snake, most resembling a primitive Lûn which it likely is closely related to. Geologic and geographic evidence suggests the Meredraco lived in coastal regions of Dracian Najer.
One theory on the creature's ecology is that it lived in waterlogged caves. It would have evolved it's limbs away or into very small ones to go on land for brief periods of time if slithering was not sufficient. It is highly unlikely to have possessed wings as draconic wings evolved on a completely different evolutionary branch. Eating fish is the most sufficient food source in Meredraco's environment. The head, although not yet found, would still have the same structure as Ceratosaurians with a longer snout, only later to become serpentine like the rest of it's body. This theory is supported by Dir. Elquagero.
The other supported theory states that Meredraco is a nothosaur sauropterygian (Sauropterygia is the clade that includes turtle like placodonts, nothosaurs, and plesiosaurs) which is also possible for all other sea serpents to be nothosaurs as well. This theory which uses the anatomical features of it and other sea serpents and compares them with nothosaurs and plesiosaurs is supported by Sir Indo Raptorex.
== Paleontological History ==
Meredraco was discovered by salesman Jack DePack while mining under Elmwood. The REPS soon sent paleontologists to investigate who concluded it was in fact semi-aquatic or aquatic. Dir. Pablito Elquagero believed it to be an ancestor to sea serpents, while other paleontologists Indo Raptorex and Dr. Tara Sauranis believed it to be some sort of ichthyosaur. Debates raged on for entire nights until a consensus was reached by paleontologists. Many junior scientists still believe it to be a non-dinosaur marine reptile. Raptorix still supports the Nothosaur Theory which is not without evidence taken from modern Sea Serpents.
The discovery has somewhat discredited back the previously accepted theory of dragons evolving from a hexapod glider, and instead from a more therapod-wingless crown-group ancestor. Geologic dating suggests that it is much older than thought possible. However, there is still a large possibility of this all being wrong that must be considered.
Category:Dinosaur
Category:Prehistory
Category:Najer
Category:Fauna
Category:Biota
Category:Extinct
Category:Dragon
Category:Marine reptiles
Category:Traveler's Era