Gliding squamate from the Yixian Fm

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

I am told (http://www.wissenschaft.de/wissenschaft/news/276176.html; in 
German) that PNAS has just prepublished *Xianglong zhaoi*, which looks like 
*Draco* or for that matter *Icarosaurus* but is not closely related to 
either, and is very well preserved, with strengthening fibers in the gliding 
membrane spanned between 8 lengthened ribs. The specimen is a 15 cm long 
juvenile. The wings have "aerodynamic values" that resemble those of active 
fliers. Claws for climbing trees were unsurprisingly present. The name means 
"flying dragon" (...the usual word for "flying" apparently being preoccupied 
by the pterosaur *Feilongus*).