By Desiree Salas (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Aug 20, 2014 07:53 AM EDT

It's quite unexpected for the "Lords of the Ancient Skies," as National Geographic names them, to be toothless, which calls to mind that heroic reptilian character of the hit animated flick, "How to Train Your Dragon."

"Pterosaurs were just the coolest things that were ever in the air," said University of California paleontologist Keven Padian. "They were the first vertebrates to fly. They did it long before birds and bats. And it terms of size, they pushed the envelope as far as it could go for a flying animal."

"Until recently most paleontologists would not have put pterosaurs in the same league as birds in terms of flying ability," the science news source observed. "Because pterosaurs were reptiles, generations of scientists imagined that these creatures must have been cold-blooded, like modern snakes and lizards, making them awkward aerialists at best."

However, an increase in pterosaurs fossil discoveries have appeared to make researchers think twice about these dinosaurs' reputation. One of such discoveries gave scientists more clues, and a clearer picture, of how pterosaurs developed and thrived.

"Nearly 50 skeletons of a new species of ancient flying reptile have been unearthed in southern Brazil," NatGeo announced. "Varying ages of the newfound species, dubbed Caiuajara dobruskii, fill the rare boneyard, which was once part of a desert lake in the late Cretaceous period, about 100 million to 66 million years ago."

"With a wingspan of up to 7.7 feet (2.35 meters) C. dobruskii had a head that was shaped differently from those of other pterosaurs, including a bony protrusion in front of its eyes," the site added.

The said fossils, found in Cruzeiro do Oeste in Parana, are "the first to be found so far south in the country," The Telegraph noted. Also, this is the first time that resarchers have found remains of not just one pterosaur but many of the same species.

"Based on the available information, we conclude that Caiuajara dobruskii lived in colonies around an inland lake situated in a desert," the scientists, led by Dr. Alexander Kellner of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, wrote in online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

"The causes of death remain unknown, although similarities with dinosaur drought-related mortality are striking. However, it is also possible that desert storms could have been responsible for the occasional demise of these pterosaurs," they added.

Meanwhile, Russian Academy of Sciences' Alexander Averianov wrote that the "shift in dominance from toothed to toothless pterodactyloids apparently reflects some fundamental changes in Cretaceous ecosystems." He also said that this aspect still is poorly understood.

The said pterosaurs belonged to the Azhdarchidae family, which had no teeth, according to Fox News. "The name Azhdarchidae comes from the Persian word 'adarha,' which means dragon," the news source added.

Here's hoping this mother lode of fossils will help researchers learn more about this species.

© 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.