▁g uts ▁of ▁the ▁foss il ▁some ▁half - dig ested ▁me als ▁are ▁still ▁present , ▁indicating ▁Sci p iony x ▁a te ▁l iz ards ▁and ▁fish . ▁Perhaps ▁these ▁had ▁been ▁fed ▁to ▁the ▁young ▁animal ▁by ▁its ▁parents . ▁Several ▁scient ists ▁have ▁tried ▁to ▁learn ▁from ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁internal ▁org ans ▁how ▁Sci p iony x ▁bre athed , ▁but ▁their ▁conclus ions ▁often ▁disag ree . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁discovery ▁and ▁naming ▁▁ ▁Sci p iony x ▁was ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁by ▁Giovanni ▁T odes co , ▁an ▁amateur ▁pale ont ologist , ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁Le ▁Ca vere ▁quar ry ▁at ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Piet r aro ja , ▁approximately ▁sevent y ▁kilom eters ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Nap les . ▁The ▁spec imen ▁was ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁marine ▁Piet r aro ja ▁Form ation , ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁unus ually ▁well - con ser ved ▁foss ils . ▁T odes co ▁thought ▁the ▁remains ▁belonged ▁to ▁an ▁ext inct ▁bird . ▁He ▁prepared ▁the ▁strange ▁discovery ▁in ▁the ▁bas ement ▁of ▁his ▁house ▁in ▁San ▁Giovanni ▁Il ar ione ▁near ▁Ver ona , ▁removing , ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁any ▁optical ▁instrument , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ch alk ▁matrix ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁b ones ▁and ▁covering ▁them ▁with ▁vin yl ▁gl ue . ▁He ▁strength ened ▁the ▁stone ▁plate ▁by ▁adding ▁pieces ▁to ▁its ▁rim ▁and ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁he ▁added