ScienceDaily (Oct. 13, 2011) — New research from the Universities of Portsmouth and Leicester has identified a small fossil fragment at the Natural History Museum, London as being part of a giant pterosaur -- setting a new upper limit for the size of winged and toothed animals.
Dr David Martill from the University of Portsmouth and Dr David Unwin from the University of Leicester examined the fossil -- which consisted of the tip of a pterosaur snout that had been in the Museum collections since 1884.
Their identification of the fossil as being part of the world's largest toothed pterosaur has been published in Cretaceous Research.
Dr Unwin, from the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, said: "Our study showed that the fossil represented a huge individual with a wingspan that might have reached 7 metres. This is far larger than, for example, any modern bird, although some extinct birds may have reached 6 metres in wingspan.
"What this research shows is that some toothed pterosaurs reached truly spectacular sizes and, for now, it allows us to put a likely upper limit on that size -- around 7 metres in wingspan."
Dr Martill, from the University of Portsmouth, added: "It's an ugly looking specimen, but with a bit of skill you can work out just exactly what it was. All we have is the tip of the upper jaws -- bones called the premaxillae, and a broken tooth preserved in one socket.
"Although the crown of the tooth has broken off, its diameter is 13mm. This is huge for a pterosaur. Once you do the calculations you realise that the scrap in your hand is a very exciting discovery.
"The specimen was placed in the collections of London's Natural History Museum by Sir Richard Owen, perhaps the world's greatest vertebrate palaeontologist. In his day, Owen reconstructed a giant New Zealand Moa from a single bone. We might never achieve Owen's calibre, but it is nice to think that we are following in his footsteps."
Pterosaurs are flying reptiles, famously seen in Jurassic Park, that lived in the Mesozoic Era alongside dinosaurs between 210 and 65 million years ago.
There are six or seven major groups of toothed pterosaurs, but in this study the researchers focused on just one: the ornithocheirids. Unlike other toothed groups, all of which were of relatively modest size (wingspans at most of 2 or 3 metres), they are known to have achieved very large and possibly even giant sizes with wingspans of 6 meters or more. Ornithocheirids were specialised fish-feeding pterosaurs that used a fiercesome set of teeth in the tips of the jaws, to grab their prey as they flew low and slow over the surface of the water.
Dr Unwin said: "We found that, generally speaking, large ornithocheirids reached wingspans of 5 or 6 metres which was consistent with previous ideas about this group. However, we also came across one fossil, collected in the mid-19th century from a deposit in Cambridgeshire called the Cambridge Greensand that seemed to be unusually large.
"This fossil, now in the collections of the Natural History Museum, London, consisted of the tip of a pterosaur snout. The shape of the snout and the broken-off tooth that it contained allowed us to identify the new find as belonging to Coloborhynchus capito, a very rare ornithocheirid represented only by a few fossil fragments from the Cambridge Greensand. Calculating the original size of the animal based on just a fragment is difficult, but we were able to take advantage of some recent finds in Brazil of almost complete skeletons of ornithocheirids that are closely related to the Cambridge Greensand jaw fragment."
"Our study showed that the fossil did indeed represent a very large individual with a wingspan that might have reached 7 metres."
Significantly, though, this is still far short of the giant size achieved by some toothless pterosaurs. Several species of a group called azhdarchids achieved wingspans of around 10 metres.
The challenge for the researchers now is to try to understand why some groups, such as azhdarchids, reached these giant sizes, while toothed forms, such as the ornithocheirids, did not. Teeth are heavy, so part of the explanation may lie in weight reduction by losing these.
Dr Unwin said: "This research is important because it helps us to better understand patterns of evolution over millions of years, and in groups that are now extinct. At a more general level, it feeds into TV documentaries such as the current series 'Dinosaur Planet' on BBC1, ensuring that they have the 'ring of authenticity' that ensures successful reception, by experts and the lay public alike. Indeed, these programs are enormously popular, as viewing figures show, allowing us to comfort ourselves with the thought that the research we carry out is helping to satisfy the interests of a not insignificant portion of the viewing public.
"For Dave Martill and I, this was to some extent the 'bread and butter' stuff that we do everyday. But it's this slow piling up of data and, critically, its connection into our general understanding, that leads to the really big discoveries. Dave likes to refer to the fossil as the ugliest fossil he ever studied, and I can see his point, but as I did my PhD on Cambridge Greensand pterosaurs they have a special place in my affections and, no matter how ugly, I still love them."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013085107.htm
Showing posts with label Pterosaurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pterosaurs. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Fossil female pterosaur found with preserved egg
21 January 2011
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg.
The egg indicates this ancient flying reptile was a female, and that realisation has allowed researchers to sex these creatures for the first time.
Writing in Science magazine, the palaeontologists make some broad statements about differences in pterosaurs, including the observation that only males sported a head-crest.
David Unwin, a palaeobiologist in the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, was part of the research team.
He told the BBC the discovery was astonishing: "If somebody had said to me a few years back that we would find this kind of association, I would just have laughed and said, 'yeah, maybe in a million years', because these sorts of things are incredibly rare."
Pterosaurs, also sometimes referred to as pterodactyls, dominated the skies in the Mesozoic Era, 220-65 million years ago. Although reptiles like the dinosaurs were plodding on the ground below them, they were not actually dinosaurs themselves - a common misconception.
This particular specimen has been dated to about 160 million years ago.
It was found by Junchang Lü and colleagues and excavated from sedimentary rocks in the famous fossil-hunting grounds of Liaoning Province in China. Liaoning has yielded many of the great finds in recent years, including a series of feathered dinos that have transformed thinking on bird evolution.
The new creature is from the Darwinopterus genus, or grouping, but has been dubbed simply as "Mrs T" (a contraction of "Mrs Pterodactyl") by the research team.
The state of the egg's shell suggests it was well developed and that Mrs T must have been very close to laying it when she died.
She appears to have had some sort of accident as her left forearm is broken. The researchers speculate she may have fallen from the sky during a storm or perhaps a volcanic eruption, sunk to the bottom of a lake and then been preserved in the sediments.
"The most important thing about this particular individual is that she has a relatively large pelvis compared to other individuals of the same pterosaur, Darwinopterus," explained Dr Unwin.
"This seems quite reasonable - females lay eggs, they probably need a slightly wider pelvis. And then the really exciting thing is that she has a skull which lacks any kind of adornment or decoration whatsoever. When we look at other individuals of Darwinopterus, we find quite a few individuals with a large crest on the skull.
"We're very confident now that we're dealing with two genders here - males with big crests and small hips, and females with no crest on the skull and large hips."
More at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12242596
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
For fossil hunters, it represents one of those breakthrough moments.
A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg.
The egg indicates this ancient flying reptile was a female, and that realisation has allowed researchers to sex these creatures for the first time.
Writing in Science magazine, the palaeontologists make some broad statements about differences in pterosaurs, including the observation that only males sported a head-crest.
David Unwin, a palaeobiologist in the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, was part of the research team.
He told the BBC the discovery was astonishing: "If somebody had said to me a few years back that we would find this kind of association, I would just have laughed and said, 'yeah, maybe in a million years', because these sorts of things are incredibly rare."
Pterosaurs, also sometimes referred to as pterodactyls, dominated the skies in the Mesozoic Era, 220-65 million years ago. Although reptiles like the dinosaurs were plodding on the ground below them, they were not actually dinosaurs themselves - a common misconception.
This particular specimen has been dated to about 160 million years ago.
It was found by Junchang Lü and colleagues and excavated from sedimentary rocks in the famous fossil-hunting grounds of Liaoning Province in China. Liaoning has yielded many of the great finds in recent years, including a series of feathered dinos that have transformed thinking on bird evolution.
The new creature is from the Darwinopterus genus, or grouping, but has been dubbed simply as "Mrs T" (a contraction of "Mrs Pterodactyl") by the research team.
The state of the egg's shell suggests it was well developed and that Mrs T must have been very close to laying it when she died.
She appears to have had some sort of accident as her left forearm is broken. The researchers speculate she may have fallen from the sky during a storm or perhaps a volcanic eruption, sunk to the bottom of a lake and then been preserved in the sediments.
"The most important thing about this particular individual is that she has a relatively large pelvis compared to other individuals of the same pterosaur, Darwinopterus," explained Dr Unwin.
"This seems quite reasonable - females lay eggs, they probably need a slightly wider pelvis. And then the really exciting thing is that she has a skull which lacks any kind of adornment or decoration whatsoever. When we look at other individuals of Darwinopterus, we find quite a few individuals with a large crest on the skull.
"We're very confident now that we're dealing with two genders here - males with big crests and small hips, and females with no crest on the skull and large hips."
More at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12242596
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
Fossil female pterosaur found with preserved egg
21 January 2011
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg.
The egg indicates this ancient flying reptile was a female, and that realisation has allowed researchers to sex these creatures for the first time.
Writing in Science magazine, the palaeontologists make some broad statements about differences in pterosaurs, including the observation that only males sported a head-crest.
David Unwin, a palaeobiologist in the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, was part of the research team.
He told the BBC the discovery was astonishing: "If somebody had said to me a few years back that we would find this kind of association, I would just have laughed and said, 'yeah, maybe in a million years', because these sorts of things are incredibly rare."
Pterosaurs, also sometimes referred to as pterodactyls, dominated the skies in the Mesozoic Era, 220-65 million years ago. Although reptiles like the dinosaurs were plodding on the ground below them, they were not actually dinosaurs themselves - a common misconception.
This particular specimen has been dated to about 160 million years ago.
It was found by Junchang Lü and colleagues and excavated from sedimentary rocks in the famous fossil-hunting grounds of Liaoning Province in China. Liaoning has yielded many of the great finds in recent years, including a series of feathered dinos that have transformed thinking on bird evolution.
The new creature is from the Darwinopterus genus, or grouping, but has been dubbed simply as "Mrs T" (a contraction of "Mrs Pterodactyl") by the research team.
The state of the egg's shell suggests it was well developed and that Mrs T must have been very close to laying it when she died.
She appears to have had some sort of accident as her left forearm is broken. The researchers speculate she may have fallen from the sky during a storm or perhaps a volcanic eruption, sunk to the bottom of a lake and then been preserved in the sediments.
"The most important thing about this particular individual is that she has a relatively large pelvis compared to other individuals of the same pterosaur, Darwinopterus," explained Dr Unwin.
"This seems quite reasonable - females lay eggs, they probably need a slightly wider pelvis. And then the really exciting thing is that she has a skull which lacks any kind of adornment or decoration whatsoever. When we look at other individuals of Darwinopterus, we find quite a few individuals with a large crest on the skull.
"We're very confident now that we're dealing with two genders here - males with big crests and small hips, and females with no crest on the skull and large hips."
More at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12242596
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
For fossil hunters, it represents one of those breakthrough moments.
A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg.
The egg indicates this ancient flying reptile was a female, and that realisation has allowed researchers to sex these creatures for the first time.
Writing in Science magazine, the palaeontologists make some broad statements about differences in pterosaurs, including the observation that only males sported a head-crest.
David Unwin, a palaeobiologist in the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, was part of the research team.
He told the BBC the discovery was astonishing: "If somebody had said to me a few years back that we would find this kind of association, I would just have laughed and said, 'yeah, maybe in a million years', because these sorts of things are incredibly rare."
Pterosaurs, also sometimes referred to as pterodactyls, dominated the skies in the Mesozoic Era, 220-65 million years ago. Although reptiles like the dinosaurs were plodding on the ground below them, they were not actually dinosaurs themselves - a common misconception.
This particular specimen has been dated to about 160 million years ago.
It was found by Junchang Lü and colleagues and excavated from sedimentary rocks in the famous fossil-hunting grounds of Liaoning Province in China. Liaoning has yielded many of the great finds in recent years, including a series of feathered dinos that have transformed thinking on bird evolution.
The new creature is from the Darwinopterus genus, or grouping, but has been dubbed simply as "Mrs T" (a contraction of "Mrs Pterodactyl") by the research team.
The state of the egg's shell suggests it was well developed and that Mrs T must have been very close to laying it when she died.
She appears to have had some sort of accident as her left forearm is broken. The researchers speculate she may have fallen from the sky during a storm or perhaps a volcanic eruption, sunk to the bottom of a lake and then been preserved in the sediments.
"The most important thing about this particular individual is that she has a relatively large pelvis compared to other individuals of the same pterosaur, Darwinopterus," explained Dr Unwin.
"This seems quite reasonable - females lay eggs, they probably need a slightly wider pelvis. And then the really exciting thing is that she has a skull which lacks any kind of adornment or decoration whatsoever. When we look at other individuals of Darwinopterus, we find quite a few individuals with a large crest on the skull.
"We're very confident now that we're dealing with two genders here - males with big crests and small hips, and females with no crest on the skull and large hips."
More at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12242596
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
Monday, January 17, 2011
New Species Of Flying Reptile Identified On BC Coast
Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Jan 17, 2011
Persistence paid off for a University of Alberta paleontology researcher, who after months of pondering the origins of a fossilized jaw bone, finally identified it as a new species of pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived 70 million years ago.
Victoria Arbour says she was stumped when the small piece of jaw bone was first pulled out of of a fossil storage cabinet in the U of A's paleontology department.
"It could have been from a dinosaur, a fish or a marine reptile," said Arbour."
Arbour, a PhD student in paleontology, says the first clue to the fossil's identify came after she compared it to known species of pterosaurs, "I found a previously published paper describing the teeth of a previously discovered pterosaur and ours was very close," said Arbour.
"The teeth of our fossil were small and set close together," said Arbour. "They reminded me of piranha teeth, designed for pecking away at meat."
That led Arbour to believe her new species, named Gwawinapterus beardi was a scavenger of the late Cretaceous.
"It had a wing span of about 3 metres and patrolled the sky and set down to feed on the leftover kills made by predator dinosaurs of the time such as Albertosaurus."
The fossil is not only a new species it's the first pterosaur of any kind to be found in British Columbia. It was found on Hornby Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island
However, Arbour says the place where the fossil was located has little to do with the actual area where the living pterosaur, was actually flying around 70 million years ago.
"In the late Cretaceous period, the B.C. coastal islands were about 2,500 kilometres to the south and part of what is now mainland, California," said Arbour.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/New_Species_Of_Flying_Reptile_Identified_On_BC_Coast_999.html
New Species Of Flying Reptile Identified On BC Coast
Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Jan 17, 2011
Persistence paid off for a University of Alberta paleontology researcher, who after months of pondering the origins of a fossilized jaw bone, finally identified it as a new species of pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived 70 million years ago.
Victoria Arbour says she was stumped when the small piece of jaw bone was first pulled out of of a fossil storage cabinet in the U of A's paleontology department.
"It could have been from a dinosaur, a fish or a marine reptile," said Arbour."
Arbour, a PhD student in paleontology, says the first clue to the fossil's identify came after she compared it to known species of pterosaurs, "I found a previously published paper describing the teeth of a previously discovered pterosaur and ours was very close," said Arbour.
"The teeth of our fossil were small and set close together," said Arbour. "They reminded me of piranha teeth, designed for pecking away at meat."
That led Arbour to believe her new species, named Gwawinapterus beardi was a scavenger of the late Cretaceous.
"It had a wing span of about 3 metres and patrolled the sky and set down to feed on the leftover kills made by predator dinosaurs of the time such as Albertosaurus."
The fossil is not only a new species it's the first pterosaur of any kind to be found in British Columbia. It was found on Hornby Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island
However, Arbour says the place where the fossil was located has little to do with the actual area where the living pterosaur, was actually flying around 70 million years ago.
"In the late Cretaceous period, the B.C. coastal islands were about 2,500 kilometres to the south and part of what is now mainland, California," said Arbour.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/New_Species_Of_Flying_Reptile_Identified_On_BC_Coast_999.html
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Pterosaurs' wings 'key to their size' (via Dawn Holloway)
Ancient flying reptiles called pterosaurs were adapted to fly in a slow, controlled manner in gentle tropical breezes, researchers say.
Their conclusions are drawn from the first detailed aerodynamic study of the wings, which suggests they did not evolve to fly fast and powerfully in stormy winds.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, may also explain how the creatures were able to become the largest flying animals ever known.
By landing slowly, the pterosaurs could avoid injury and grow to much larger sizes than modern-day birds. However, the trade-off for their large size was a vulnerability to strong winds.
Also known as pterodactyls, these creatures lived at the time of the dinosaurs. Some species are thought to have had wingspans of up to 10m.
Although there is a wealth of information about the bones of these creatures, no-one really knows how they flew.
But a fresh look at the problem by a 62-year-old former engineer in Bristol, working on a PhD thesis, suggests that they glided gently on tropical breezes, soared by hillsides and coastlines and floated on thermal air currents.
Colin Palmer had a simple idea that had not occurred to more eminent palaeontologists - to build models of pterosaur wings and put them into a wind tunnel.
"I come at this as an engineer rather than a palaeontologist," Mr Palmer told BBC News.
"Palaeontologists have done amazing work in understanding the anatomy of these animals and that gave me a huge amount of data to build on. But as an engineer and experimentalist my first reaction was I want to do some (modelling) and find out what's going on."
The results from the PhD study have been so impressive that they have been published in one of the Royal Society's prestigious scientific journals.
The front edge of the pterosaur wing is bone. Mr Palmer found in his wind tunnel experiments that this caused drag, making it aerodynamically less efficient than the wings of birds - which use feathers to create a smoother leading edge.
Happy landings
Mr Palmer reasoned that pterosaurs flew in a slow, controlled way, in particular when they came in to land. That would be important to pterosaurs because they had very thin bones which, according to Mr Palmer, could break on landing.
"If you are a pterosaur coming in to land the last thing you want to do is bump into a rock so you want to land slowly and under control."
It is thought that these creatures controlled their flight by adjusting the curvature of their wings. This enabled them to generate lift and so fly under control at lower speeds.
The wind tunnel results show that pterosaur wings were able to provide them with the soft landing that their large, fragile bodies needed.
"This is the first time this has been done," says Mr Palmer. "Previously data has been taken from the aerodynamic literature and adapted it as best they could to make predictions of pterosaur flight performance. Now for the first time we've got data from (models of pterosaur wings)."
Some palaeontologists had suggested that pterosaurs might have flown like modern-day albatrosses which fly very fast and efficiently in strong winds.
Albatrosses employ a technique called dynamic soaring where they make use of the strong winds and wind gradients in the southern ocean. In order to do that you have to fly very fast and very efficiently - neither of which pterosaurs were capable of, according to the wind tunnel data.
Instead it shows they were much better adapted to flying in the gentle breezes of the tropics, using the lift you get from rising air currents as they come from the sea on to the land and also the thermal lift you get in tropical areas.
The nearest present-day analogy in birds is frigate birds in the tropics, which make use of thermal lift over the sea.
Mr Palmer commented: "Since the bones of pterosaurs were thin-walled and thus highly susceptible to impact damage, the low-speed landing capability would have made an important contribution to avoiding injury and so helped to enable pterosaurs to attain much larger sizes than extant birds.
"The trade-off would have been an extreme vulnerability to strong winds and turbulence, both in flight and on the ground, like that experienced by modern-day paragliders."
Mr Palmer says he is surprised and pleased that his first effort at academic research has been a hit.
"I work with a really good bunch of people who have given me the confidence to come to this late in life. It's very exciting for me.
"It's just a different approach. And I think this cross-disciplinary work is very important because it brings in new insights based on new perspectives."
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11815320
Their conclusions are drawn from the first detailed aerodynamic study of the wings, which suggests they did not evolve to fly fast and powerfully in stormy winds.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, may also explain how the creatures were able to become the largest flying animals ever known.
By landing slowly, the pterosaurs could avoid injury and grow to much larger sizes than modern-day birds. However, the trade-off for their large size was a vulnerability to strong winds.
Also known as pterodactyls, these creatures lived at the time of the dinosaurs. Some species are thought to have had wingspans of up to 10m.
Although there is a wealth of information about the bones of these creatures, no-one really knows how they flew.
But a fresh look at the problem by a 62-year-old former engineer in Bristol, working on a PhD thesis, suggests that they glided gently on tropical breezes, soared by hillsides and coastlines and floated on thermal air currents.
Colin Palmer had a simple idea that had not occurred to more eminent palaeontologists - to build models of pterosaur wings and put them into a wind tunnel.
"I come at this as an engineer rather than a palaeontologist," Mr Palmer told BBC News.
"Palaeontologists have done amazing work in understanding the anatomy of these animals and that gave me a huge amount of data to build on. But as an engineer and experimentalist my first reaction was I want to do some (modelling) and find out what's going on."
The results from the PhD study have been so impressive that they have been published in one of the Royal Society's prestigious scientific journals.
The front edge of the pterosaur wing is bone. Mr Palmer found in his wind tunnel experiments that this caused drag, making it aerodynamically less efficient than the wings of birds - which use feathers to create a smoother leading edge.
Happy landings
Mr Palmer reasoned that pterosaurs flew in a slow, controlled way, in particular when they came in to land. That would be important to pterosaurs because they had very thin bones which, according to Mr Palmer, could break on landing.
"If you are a pterosaur coming in to land the last thing you want to do is bump into a rock so you want to land slowly and under control."
It is thought that these creatures controlled their flight by adjusting the curvature of their wings. This enabled them to generate lift and so fly under control at lower speeds.
The wind tunnel results show that pterosaur wings were able to provide them with the soft landing that their large, fragile bodies needed.
"This is the first time this has been done," says Mr Palmer. "Previously data has been taken from the aerodynamic literature and adapted it as best they could to make predictions of pterosaur flight performance. Now for the first time we've got data from (models of pterosaur wings)."
Some palaeontologists had suggested that pterosaurs might have flown like modern-day albatrosses which fly very fast and efficiently in strong winds.
Albatrosses employ a technique called dynamic soaring where they make use of the strong winds and wind gradients in the southern ocean. In order to do that you have to fly very fast and very efficiently - neither of which pterosaurs were capable of, according to the wind tunnel data.
Instead it shows they were much better adapted to flying in the gentle breezes of the tropics, using the lift you get from rising air currents as they come from the sea on to the land and also the thermal lift you get in tropical areas.
The nearest present-day analogy in birds is frigate birds in the tropics, which make use of thermal lift over the sea.
Mr Palmer commented: "Since the bones of pterosaurs were thin-walled and thus highly susceptible to impact damage, the low-speed landing capability would have made an important contribution to avoiding injury and so helped to enable pterosaurs to attain much larger sizes than extant birds.
"The trade-off would have been an extreme vulnerability to strong winds and turbulence, both in flight and on the ground, like that experienced by modern-day paragliders."
Mr Palmer says he is surprised and pleased that his first effort at academic research has been a hit.
"I work with a really good bunch of people who have given me the confidence to come to this late in life. It's very exciting for me.
"It's just a different approach. And I think this cross-disciplinary work is very important because it brings in new insights based on new perspectives."
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11815320
Pterosaurs' wings 'key to their size' (via Dawn Holloway)
Ancient flying reptiles called pterosaurs were adapted to fly in a slow, controlled manner in gentle tropical breezes, researchers say.
Their conclusions are drawn from the first detailed aerodynamic study of the wings, which suggests they did not evolve to fly fast and powerfully in stormy winds.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, may also explain how the creatures were able to become the largest flying animals ever known.
By landing slowly, the pterosaurs could avoid injury and grow to much larger sizes than modern-day birds. However, the trade-off for their large size was a vulnerability to strong winds.
Also known as pterodactyls, these creatures lived at the time of the dinosaurs. Some species are thought to have had wingspans of up to 10m.
Although there is a wealth of information about the bones of these creatures, no-one really knows how they flew.
But a fresh look at the problem by a 62-year-old former engineer in Bristol, working on a PhD thesis, suggests that they glided gently on tropical breezes, soared by hillsides and coastlines and floated on thermal air currents.
Colin Palmer had a simple idea that had not occurred to more eminent palaeontologists - to build models of pterosaur wings and put them into a wind tunnel.
"I come at this as an engineer rather than a palaeontologist," Mr Palmer told BBC News.
"Palaeontologists have done amazing work in understanding the anatomy of these animals and that gave me a huge amount of data to build on. But as an engineer and experimentalist my first reaction was I want to do some (modelling) and find out what's going on."
The results from the PhD study have been so impressive that they have been published in one of the Royal Society's prestigious scientific journals.
The front edge of the pterosaur wing is bone. Mr Palmer found in his wind tunnel experiments that this caused drag, making it aerodynamically less efficient than the wings of birds - which use feathers to create a smoother leading edge.
Happy landings
Mr Palmer reasoned that pterosaurs flew in a slow, controlled way, in particular when they came in to land. That would be important to pterosaurs because they had very thin bones which, according to Mr Palmer, could break on landing.
"If you are a pterosaur coming in to land the last thing you want to do is bump into a rock so you want to land slowly and under control."
It is thought that these creatures controlled their flight by adjusting the curvature of their wings. This enabled them to generate lift and so fly under control at lower speeds.
The wind tunnel results show that pterosaur wings were able to provide them with the soft landing that their large, fragile bodies needed.
"This is the first time this has been done," says Mr Palmer. "Previously data has been taken from the aerodynamic literature and adapted it as best they could to make predictions of pterosaur flight performance. Now for the first time we've got data from (models of pterosaur wings)."
Some palaeontologists had suggested that pterosaurs might have flown like modern-day albatrosses which fly very fast and efficiently in strong winds.
Albatrosses employ a technique called dynamic soaring where they make use of the strong winds and wind gradients in the southern ocean. In order to do that you have to fly very fast and very efficiently - neither of which pterosaurs were capable of, according to the wind tunnel data.
Instead it shows they were much better adapted to flying in the gentle breezes of the tropics, using the lift you get from rising air currents as they come from the sea on to the land and also the thermal lift you get in tropical areas.
The nearest present-day analogy in birds is frigate birds in the tropics, which make use of thermal lift over the sea.
Mr Palmer commented: "Since the bones of pterosaurs were thin-walled and thus highly susceptible to impact damage, the low-speed landing capability would have made an important contribution to avoiding injury and so helped to enable pterosaurs to attain much larger sizes than extant birds.
"The trade-off would have been an extreme vulnerability to strong winds and turbulence, both in flight and on the ground, like that experienced by modern-day paragliders."
Mr Palmer says he is surprised and pleased that his first effort at academic research has been a hit.
"I work with a really good bunch of people who have given me the confidence to come to this late in life. It's very exciting for me.
"It's just a different approach. And I think this cross-disciplinary work is very important because it brings in new insights based on new perspectives."
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11815320
Their conclusions are drawn from the first detailed aerodynamic study of the wings, which suggests they did not evolve to fly fast and powerfully in stormy winds.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, may also explain how the creatures were able to become the largest flying animals ever known.
By landing slowly, the pterosaurs could avoid injury and grow to much larger sizes than modern-day birds. However, the trade-off for their large size was a vulnerability to strong winds.
Also known as pterodactyls, these creatures lived at the time of the dinosaurs. Some species are thought to have had wingspans of up to 10m.
Although there is a wealth of information about the bones of these creatures, no-one really knows how they flew.
But a fresh look at the problem by a 62-year-old former engineer in Bristol, working on a PhD thesis, suggests that they glided gently on tropical breezes, soared by hillsides and coastlines and floated on thermal air currents.
Colin Palmer had a simple idea that had not occurred to more eminent palaeontologists - to build models of pterosaur wings and put them into a wind tunnel.
"I come at this as an engineer rather than a palaeontologist," Mr Palmer told BBC News.
"Palaeontologists have done amazing work in understanding the anatomy of these animals and that gave me a huge amount of data to build on. But as an engineer and experimentalist my first reaction was I want to do some (modelling) and find out what's going on."
The results from the PhD study have been so impressive that they have been published in one of the Royal Society's prestigious scientific journals.
The front edge of the pterosaur wing is bone. Mr Palmer found in his wind tunnel experiments that this caused drag, making it aerodynamically less efficient than the wings of birds - which use feathers to create a smoother leading edge.
Happy landings
Mr Palmer reasoned that pterosaurs flew in a slow, controlled way, in particular when they came in to land. That would be important to pterosaurs because they had very thin bones which, according to Mr Palmer, could break on landing.
"If you are a pterosaur coming in to land the last thing you want to do is bump into a rock so you want to land slowly and under control."
It is thought that these creatures controlled their flight by adjusting the curvature of their wings. This enabled them to generate lift and so fly under control at lower speeds.
The wind tunnel results show that pterosaur wings were able to provide them with the soft landing that their large, fragile bodies needed.
"This is the first time this has been done," says Mr Palmer. "Previously data has been taken from the aerodynamic literature and adapted it as best they could to make predictions of pterosaur flight performance. Now for the first time we've got data from (models of pterosaur wings)."
Some palaeontologists had suggested that pterosaurs might have flown like modern-day albatrosses which fly very fast and efficiently in strong winds.
Albatrosses employ a technique called dynamic soaring where they make use of the strong winds and wind gradients in the southern ocean. In order to do that you have to fly very fast and very efficiently - neither of which pterosaurs were capable of, according to the wind tunnel data.
Instead it shows they were much better adapted to flying in the gentle breezes of the tropics, using the lift you get from rising air currents as they come from the sea on to the land and also the thermal lift you get in tropical areas.
The nearest present-day analogy in birds is frigate birds in the tropics, which make use of thermal lift over the sea.
Mr Palmer commented: "Since the bones of pterosaurs were thin-walled and thus highly susceptible to impact damage, the low-speed landing capability would have made an important contribution to avoiding injury and so helped to enable pterosaurs to attain much larger sizes than extant birds.
"The trade-off would have been an extreme vulnerability to strong winds and turbulence, both in flight and on the ground, like that experienced by modern-day paragliders."
Mr Palmer says he is surprised and pleased that his first effort at academic research has been a hit.
"I work with a really good bunch of people who have given me the confidence to come to this late in life. It's very exciting for me.
"It's just a different approach. And I think this cross-disciplinary work is very important because it brings in new insights based on new perspectives."
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11815320
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Pterosaur reptile used "pole vault" trick for take-off
Some have suggested the biggest pterosaurs were incapable of flight
A new study claims that the ancient winged reptiles known as pterosaurs used a "pole-vaulting" action to take to the air.
They say the creatures took off using all four of their limbs.
The reptiles vaulted over their wings, pushing off first with their hind limbs and then thrusting themselves upwards with their powerful arm muscles - not dissimilar to some modern bats.
The research is published in the open-access journal Plos One.
Pterosaurs lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but belonged to a different group of reptiles. They existed from the Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous - about 220 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
In their study, Dr Mark Witton at Portsmouth University, UK, and Dr Michael Habib of Chatham University, Pennsylvania, US, reappraised giant pterosaur fossils.
Their findings challenge other claims that the giant pterosaurs - such as Pteranodon and the largest azhdarchids - were not capable of flying.
'Too heavy'
Researchers have previously suggested that these creatures were too heavy to have taken to the skies.
There have also been doubts that the ancient reptiles could have taken off using the same action as birds.
"Most birds take off either by running to pick up speed and jumping into the air before flapping wildly, or if they're small enough, they may simply launch themselves into the air from a standstill," said Dr Witton.
"Previous theories suggested that giant pterosaurs were too big and heavy to perform either of these manoeuvres."
He added: "These creatures were not birds; they were flying reptiles with a distinctly different skeletal structure, wing proportions and muscle mass.
"They would have achieved flight in a completely different way to birds and would have had a lower angle of take off and initial flight trajectory."
Muscle bulk
The authors of the latest study suggest that, with up to 50kg of forelimb muscle, the creatures could easily have launched themselves into the air despite their massive size and weight.
Dr Habib explained: "Instead of taking off with their legs alone, like birds, pterosaurs probably took off using all four of their limbs.
"By using their arms as the main engines for launching instead of their legs, they use the flight muscles - the strongest in their bodies - to take off and that gives them potential to launch much greater weight into the air," he explained.
"When they were far enough off the ground, they could start flapping their wings before finding a thermal or another area of uplift to gain some altitude and glide off to wherever they wanted to go," he told BBC News.
The largest pterosaurs may have had wingspans up to 13m and weighed up to 544kg.
But the authors' reappraisal of pterosaur fossils suggests these numbers may have been overestimated. They argue that the biggest creatures may have had 10-11m wingspans and weighed between 200 and 250 kg.
A new study claims that the ancient winged reptiles known as pterosaurs used a "pole-vaulting" action to take to the air.
They say the creatures took off using all four of their limbs.
The reptiles vaulted over their wings, pushing off first with their hind limbs and then thrusting themselves upwards with their powerful arm muscles - not dissimilar to some modern bats.
The research is published in the open-access journal Plos One.
Pterosaurs lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but belonged to a different group of reptiles. They existed from the Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous - about 220 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
In their study, Dr Mark Witton at Portsmouth University, UK, and Dr Michael Habib of Chatham University, Pennsylvania, US, reappraised giant pterosaur fossils.
Their findings challenge other claims that the giant pterosaurs - such as Pteranodon and the largest azhdarchids - were not capable of flying.
'Too heavy'
Researchers have previously suggested that these creatures were too heavy to have taken to the skies.
There have also been doubts that the ancient reptiles could have taken off using the same action as birds.
"Most birds take off either by running to pick up speed and jumping into the air before flapping wildly, or if they're small enough, they may simply launch themselves into the air from a standstill," said Dr Witton.
"Previous theories suggested that giant pterosaurs were too big and heavy to perform either of these manoeuvres."
He added: "These creatures were not birds; they were flying reptiles with a distinctly different skeletal structure, wing proportions and muscle mass.
"They would have achieved flight in a completely different way to birds and would have had a lower angle of take off and initial flight trajectory."
Muscle bulk
The authors of the latest study suggest that, with up to 50kg of forelimb muscle, the creatures could easily have launched themselves into the air despite their massive size and weight.
Dr Habib explained: "Instead of taking off with their legs alone, like birds, pterosaurs probably took off using all four of their limbs.
"By using their arms as the main engines for launching instead of their legs, they use the flight muscles - the strongest in their bodies - to take off and that gives them potential to launch much greater weight into the air," he explained.
"When they were far enough off the ground, they could start flapping their wings before finding a thermal or another area of uplift to gain some altitude and glide off to wherever they wanted to go," he told BBC News.
The largest pterosaurs may have had wingspans up to 13m and weighed up to 544kg.
But the authors' reappraisal of pterosaur fossils suggests these numbers may have been overestimated. They argue that the biggest creatures may have had 10-11m wingspans and weighed between 200 and 250 kg.
Pterosaur reptile used "pole vault" trick for take-off
Some have suggested the biggest pterosaurs were incapable of flight
A new study claims that the ancient winged reptiles known as pterosaurs used a "pole-vaulting" action to take to the air.
They say the creatures took off using all four of their limbs.
The reptiles vaulted over their wings, pushing off first with their hind limbs and then thrusting themselves upwards with their powerful arm muscles - not dissimilar to some modern bats.
The research is published in the open-access journal Plos One.
Pterosaurs lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but belonged to a different group of reptiles. They existed from the Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous - about 220 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
In their study, Dr Mark Witton at Portsmouth University, UK, and Dr Michael Habib of Chatham University, Pennsylvania, US, reappraised giant pterosaur fossils.
Their findings challenge other claims that the giant pterosaurs - such as Pteranodon and the largest azhdarchids - were not capable of flying.
'Too heavy'
Researchers have previously suggested that these creatures were too heavy to have taken to the skies.
There have also been doubts that the ancient reptiles could have taken off using the same action as birds.
"Most birds take off either by running to pick up speed and jumping into the air before flapping wildly, or if they're small enough, they may simply launch themselves into the air from a standstill," said Dr Witton.
"Previous theories suggested that giant pterosaurs were too big and heavy to perform either of these manoeuvres."
He added: "These creatures were not birds; they were flying reptiles with a distinctly different skeletal structure, wing proportions and muscle mass.
"They would have achieved flight in a completely different way to birds and would have had a lower angle of take off and initial flight trajectory."
Muscle bulk
The authors of the latest study suggest that, with up to 50kg of forelimb muscle, the creatures could easily have launched themselves into the air despite their massive size and weight.
Dr Habib explained: "Instead of taking off with their legs alone, like birds, pterosaurs probably took off using all four of their limbs.
"By using their arms as the main engines for launching instead of their legs, they use the flight muscles - the strongest in their bodies - to take off and that gives them potential to launch much greater weight into the air," he explained.
"When they were far enough off the ground, they could start flapping their wings before finding a thermal or another area of uplift to gain some altitude and glide off to wherever they wanted to go," he told BBC News.
The largest pterosaurs may have had wingspans up to 13m and weighed up to 544kg.
But the authors' reappraisal of pterosaur fossils suggests these numbers may have been overestimated. They argue that the biggest creatures may have had 10-11m wingspans and weighed between 200 and 250 kg.
A new study claims that the ancient winged reptiles known as pterosaurs used a "pole-vaulting" action to take to the air.
They say the creatures took off using all four of their limbs.
The reptiles vaulted over their wings, pushing off first with their hind limbs and then thrusting themselves upwards with their powerful arm muscles - not dissimilar to some modern bats.
The research is published in the open-access journal Plos One.
Pterosaurs lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but belonged to a different group of reptiles. They existed from the Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous - about 220 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
In their study, Dr Mark Witton at Portsmouth University, UK, and Dr Michael Habib of Chatham University, Pennsylvania, US, reappraised giant pterosaur fossils.
Their findings challenge other claims that the giant pterosaurs - such as Pteranodon and the largest azhdarchids - were not capable of flying.
'Too heavy'
Researchers have previously suggested that these creatures were too heavy to have taken to the skies.
There have also been doubts that the ancient reptiles could have taken off using the same action as birds.
"Most birds take off either by running to pick up speed and jumping into the air before flapping wildly, or if they're small enough, they may simply launch themselves into the air from a standstill," said Dr Witton.
"Previous theories suggested that giant pterosaurs were too big and heavy to perform either of these manoeuvres."
He added: "These creatures were not birds; they were flying reptiles with a distinctly different skeletal structure, wing proportions and muscle mass.
"They would have achieved flight in a completely different way to birds and would have had a lower angle of take off and initial flight trajectory."
Muscle bulk
The authors of the latest study suggest that, with up to 50kg of forelimb muscle, the creatures could easily have launched themselves into the air despite their massive size and weight.
Dr Habib explained: "Instead of taking off with their legs alone, like birds, pterosaurs probably took off using all four of their limbs.
"By using their arms as the main engines for launching instead of their legs, they use the flight muscles - the strongest in their bodies - to take off and that gives them potential to launch much greater weight into the air," he explained.
"When they were far enough off the ground, they could start flapping their wings before finding a thermal or another area of uplift to gain some altitude and glide off to wherever they wanted to go," he told BBC News.
The largest pterosaurs may have had wingspans up to 13m and weighed up to 544kg.
But the authors' reappraisal of pterosaur fossils suggests these numbers may have been overestimated. They argue that the biggest creatures may have had 10-11m wingspans and weighed between 200 and 250 kg.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Giant Pterosaurs Could Fly 10,000 Miles Nonstop
Large pterosaurs may have been the frequent-flier champions of the dinosaur age, capable of soaring up to 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) at a stretch, scientists say (explore a prehistoric time line).
Currently paleontologists know of four species of giant pterosaur, some of which were as tall as giraffes and had wingspans of more than 30 feet (10 meters).
The huge animals likely relied on updrafts of warm air and wind currents to achieve their record distances, said study co-author Michael Habib, a paleontologist at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.
"They probably only flapped for a few minutes at a time ... and then their muscles had to recover," he said. "In between, they're going to use unpowered flight" and glide. (Related: "Toothy Texas Pterosaur Discovered; Soared Over Dallas.")
Even so, the winged reptiles would have needed to burn about 160 pounds (72 kilograms) worth of fat reserves per trip, Habib said.
"They're basically burning off the equivalent of a good-size human on each trip."
Bulky Pterosaurs Launched From All Fours
The new flight distance estimate for pterosaurs is based on the latest models of the ancient animals' wingspans, wing shapes, body masses, and fat capacities.
"The tricky part was deciding how much fuel they can carry," Habib said. For example, "migrating birds lose about 50 percent of their body weight during long migrations."
But the needs of pterosaurs may have been different, because their anatomy suggests they flew differently than modern-day birds. (Take an animal-migrations quiz.)
For instance, scientists had previously used the largest living bird, the wandering albatross, to model pterosaur flight. But "we don't expect [pterosaurs] to have the same flapping frequency as an albatross, nor do we expect that they soared the same way as an albatross," Habib said.
The 10,000-mile flight estimate may even be a little conservative, said Habib, who presented his work this week at the annual Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Pittsburgh.
"The lowest range estimates were about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers), while the highest were around 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers)," he said. "In the middle range, where all the numbers lined up and I had high confidence, you get about 10,000 miles."
The findings would seem to contradict past studies that suggested large pterosaurs had problems just getting off the ground due to their massive sizes.
For example, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, a giant pterosaur that lived in what is now Texas 70 million years ago, is thought to be the largest flying creature that ever lived, weighing more than 400 pounds (200 kilograms). (See a picture of what Quetzalcoatlus might have looked like.)
Some scientists speculate this hefty species couldn't take off from the ground as birds do, but had to drop from trees or cliffs to take to the skies.
Instead, Habib and colleagues think that—like some modern bats—large pterosaurs may have used all four limbs to launch themselves into the air before flapping their wings.
"I'm pretty confident that pterosaurs didn't take off anything like a bird," Habib said.
Giant Pterosaurs Were Global "Superspecies"?
Overall, the new research "makes all of us think more about how [pterosaurs] might have functioned," said Alexander Kellner, a pterosaur expert at Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro. But Kellner has some doubts about the results.
That's because there are several things scientists still don't know about pterosaur body structure that could affect flight distance calculations, he said. One particularly well-preserved Chinese pterosaur fossil, for example, has wing membranes made up of multiple layers of structural fibers unlike anything found in a living animal.
"We are not sure what the composition of those [fibers] is, but we can say that they have a tremendous influence in the flight of those creatures," Kellner said in an email.
If Habib's calculations are correct, the results raise the possibility that large pterosaurs could crisscross entire continents or even fly between continents on a fairly regular basis. Unlike most species, which tend to be native to specific geographic regions, the dino-era fliers may have been well-traveled "superspecies" that called the entire globe their home.
"If [giant pterosaurs] could fly very far, that might change how scientists think about their distribution," Habib said.
Ker Than
for National Geographic News
Currently paleontologists know of four species of giant pterosaur, some of which were as tall as giraffes and had wingspans of more than 30 feet (10 meters).
The huge animals likely relied on updrafts of warm air and wind currents to achieve their record distances, said study co-author Michael Habib, a paleontologist at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.
"They probably only flapped for a few minutes at a time ... and then their muscles had to recover," he said. "In between, they're going to use unpowered flight" and glide. (Related: "Toothy Texas Pterosaur Discovered; Soared Over Dallas.")
Even so, the winged reptiles would have needed to burn about 160 pounds (72 kilograms) worth of fat reserves per trip, Habib said.
"They're basically burning off the equivalent of a good-size human on each trip."
Bulky Pterosaurs Launched From All Fours
The new flight distance estimate for pterosaurs is based on the latest models of the ancient animals' wingspans, wing shapes, body masses, and fat capacities.
"The tricky part was deciding how much fuel they can carry," Habib said. For example, "migrating birds lose about 50 percent of their body weight during long migrations."
But the needs of pterosaurs may have been different, because their anatomy suggests they flew differently than modern-day birds. (Take an animal-migrations quiz.)
For instance, scientists had previously used the largest living bird, the wandering albatross, to model pterosaur flight. But "we don't expect [pterosaurs] to have the same flapping frequency as an albatross, nor do we expect that they soared the same way as an albatross," Habib said.
The 10,000-mile flight estimate may even be a little conservative, said Habib, who presented his work this week at the annual Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Pittsburgh.
"The lowest range estimates were about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers), while the highest were around 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers)," he said. "In the middle range, where all the numbers lined up and I had high confidence, you get about 10,000 miles."
The findings would seem to contradict past studies that suggested large pterosaurs had problems just getting off the ground due to their massive sizes.
For example, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, a giant pterosaur that lived in what is now Texas 70 million years ago, is thought to be the largest flying creature that ever lived, weighing more than 400 pounds (200 kilograms). (See a picture of what Quetzalcoatlus might have looked like.)
Some scientists speculate this hefty species couldn't take off from the ground as birds do, but had to drop from trees or cliffs to take to the skies.
Instead, Habib and colleagues think that—like some modern bats—large pterosaurs may have used all four limbs to launch themselves into the air before flapping their wings.
"I'm pretty confident that pterosaurs didn't take off anything like a bird," Habib said.
Giant Pterosaurs Were Global "Superspecies"?
Overall, the new research "makes all of us think more about how [pterosaurs] might have functioned," said Alexander Kellner, a pterosaur expert at Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro. But Kellner has some doubts about the results.
That's because there are several things scientists still don't know about pterosaur body structure that could affect flight distance calculations, he said. One particularly well-preserved Chinese pterosaur fossil, for example, has wing membranes made up of multiple layers of structural fibers unlike anything found in a living animal.
"We are not sure what the composition of those [fibers] is, but we can say that they have a tremendous influence in the flight of those creatures," Kellner said in an email.
If Habib's calculations are correct, the results raise the possibility that large pterosaurs could crisscross entire continents or even fly between continents on a fairly regular basis. Unlike most species, which tend to be native to specific geographic regions, the dino-era fliers may have been well-traveled "superspecies" that called the entire globe their home.
"If [giant pterosaurs] could fly very far, that might change how scientists think about their distribution," Habib said.
Ker Than
for National Geographic News
Giant Pterosaurs Could Fly 10,000 Miles Nonstop
Large pterosaurs may have been the frequent-flier champions of the dinosaur age, capable of soaring up to 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) at a stretch, scientists say (explore a prehistoric time line).
Currently paleontologists know of four species of giant pterosaur, some of which were as tall as giraffes and had wingspans of more than 30 feet (10 meters).
The huge animals likely relied on updrafts of warm air and wind currents to achieve their record distances, said study co-author Michael Habib, a paleontologist at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.
"They probably only flapped for a few minutes at a time ... and then their muscles had to recover," he said. "In between, they're going to use unpowered flight" and glide. (Related: "Toothy Texas Pterosaur Discovered; Soared Over Dallas.")
Even so, the winged reptiles would have needed to burn about 160 pounds (72 kilograms) worth of fat reserves per trip, Habib said.
"They're basically burning off the equivalent of a good-size human on each trip."
Bulky Pterosaurs Launched From All Fours
The new flight distance estimate for pterosaurs is based on the latest models of the ancient animals' wingspans, wing shapes, body masses, and fat capacities.
"The tricky part was deciding how much fuel they can carry," Habib said. For example, "migrating birds lose about 50 percent of their body weight during long migrations."
But the needs of pterosaurs may have been different, because their anatomy suggests they flew differently than modern-day birds. (Take an animal-migrations quiz.)
For instance, scientists had previously used the largest living bird, the wandering albatross, to model pterosaur flight. But "we don't expect [pterosaurs] to have the same flapping frequency as an albatross, nor do we expect that they soared the same way as an albatross," Habib said.
The 10,000-mile flight estimate may even be a little conservative, said Habib, who presented his work this week at the annual Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Pittsburgh.
"The lowest range estimates were about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers), while the highest were around 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers)," he said. "In the middle range, where all the numbers lined up and I had high confidence, you get about 10,000 miles."
The findings would seem to contradict past studies that suggested large pterosaurs had problems just getting off the ground due to their massive sizes.
For example, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, a giant pterosaur that lived in what is now Texas 70 million years ago, is thought to be the largest flying creature that ever lived, weighing more than 400 pounds (200 kilograms). (See a picture of what Quetzalcoatlus might have looked like.)
Some scientists speculate this hefty species couldn't take off from the ground as birds do, but had to drop from trees or cliffs to take to the skies.
Instead, Habib and colleagues think that—like some modern bats—large pterosaurs may have used all four limbs to launch themselves into the air before flapping their wings.
"I'm pretty confident that pterosaurs didn't take off anything like a bird," Habib said.
Giant Pterosaurs Were Global "Superspecies"?
Overall, the new research "makes all of us think more about how [pterosaurs] might have functioned," said Alexander Kellner, a pterosaur expert at Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro. But Kellner has some doubts about the results.
That's because there are several things scientists still don't know about pterosaur body structure that could affect flight distance calculations, he said. One particularly well-preserved Chinese pterosaur fossil, for example, has wing membranes made up of multiple layers of structural fibers unlike anything found in a living animal.
"We are not sure what the composition of those [fibers] is, but we can say that they have a tremendous influence in the flight of those creatures," Kellner said in an email.
If Habib's calculations are correct, the results raise the possibility that large pterosaurs could crisscross entire continents or even fly between continents on a fairly regular basis. Unlike most species, which tend to be native to specific geographic regions, the dino-era fliers may have been well-traveled "superspecies" that called the entire globe their home.
"If [giant pterosaurs] could fly very far, that might change how scientists think about their distribution," Habib said.
Ker Than
for National Geographic News
Currently paleontologists know of four species of giant pterosaur, some of which were as tall as giraffes and had wingspans of more than 30 feet (10 meters).
The huge animals likely relied on updrafts of warm air and wind currents to achieve their record distances, said study co-author Michael Habib, a paleontologist at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.
"They probably only flapped for a few minutes at a time ... and then their muscles had to recover," he said. "In between, they're going to use unpowered flight" and glide. (Related: "Toothy Texas Pterosaur Discovered; Soared Over Dallas.")
Even so, the winged reptiles would have needed to burn about 160 pounds (72 kilograms) worth of fat reserves per trip, Habib said.
"They're basically burning off the equivalent of a good-size human on each trip."
Bulky Pterosaurs Launched From All Fours
The new flight distance estimate for pterosaurs is based on the latest models of the ancient animals' wingspans, wing shapes, body masses, and fat capacities.
"The tricky part was deciding how much fuel they can carry," Habib said. For example, "migrating birds lose about 50 percent of their body weight during long migrations."
But the needs of pterosaurs may have been different, because their anatomy suggests they flew differently than modern-day birds. (Take an animal-migrations quiz.)
For instance, scientists had previously used the largest living bird, the wandering albatross, to model pterosaur flight. But "we don't expect [pterosaurs] to have the same flapping frequency as an albatross, nor do we expect that they soared the same way as an albatross," Habib said.
The 10,000-mile flight estimate may even be a little conservative, said Habib, who presented his work this week at the annual Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Pittsburgh.
"The lowest range estimates were about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers), while the highest were around 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers)," he said. "In the middle range, where all the numbers lined up and I had high confidence, you get about 10,000 miles."
The findings would seem to contradict past studies that suggested large pterosaurs had problems just getting off the ground due to their massive sizes.
For example, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, a giant pterosaur that lived in what is now Texas 70 million years ago, is thought to be the largest flying creature that ever lived, weighing more than 400 pounds (200 kilograms). (See a picture of what Quetzalcoatlus might have looked like.)
Some scientists speculate this hefty species couldn't take off from the ground as birds do, but had to drop from trees or cliffs to take to the skies.
Instead, Habib and colleagues think that—like some modern bats—large pterosaurs may have used all four limbs to launch themselves into the air before flapping their wings.
"I'm pretty confident that pterosaurs didn't take off anything like a bird," Habib said.
Giant Pterosaurs Were Global "Superspecies"?
Overall, the new research "makes all of us think more about how [pterosaurs] might have functioned," said Alexander Kellner, a pterosaur expert at Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro. But Kellner has some doubts about the results.
That's because there are several things scientists still don't know about pterosaur body structure that could affect flight distance calculations, he said. One particularly well-preserved Chinese pterosaur fossil, for example, has wing membranes made up of multiple layers of structural fibers unlike anything found in a living animal.
"We are not sure what the composition of those [fibers] is, but we can say that they have a tremendous influence in the flight of those creatures," Kellner said in an email.
If Habib's calculations are correct, the results raise the possibility that large pterosaurs could crisscross entire continents or even fly between continents on a fairly regular basis. Unlike most species, which tend to be native to specific geographic regions, the dino-era fliers may have been well-traveled "superspecies" that called the entire globe their home.
"If [giant pterosaurs] could fly very far, that might change how scientists think about their distribution," Habib said.
Ker Than
for National Geographic News
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New Species of Ancient Flying Reptile Discovered
A pterosaur that flew above what is now the Dallas-Fort Worth area (which was covered by a sea millions of years ago) was identified from its fossilized jaw. Credit: Southern Methodist University.By Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 29 April 2010 10:08 am ET
An ancient reptile with a 9-foot wingspan was soaring over the sea in what is now North Texas some 95 million years ago when – plop – it fell into the water and died.
That paleo-death tale comes from a fossilized jaw that was discovered embedded in soft, powdery shale that had been exposed by excavation of a hillside next to a highway in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2006.
Analysis of the jaw now suggests it belongs to a new-to-science genus and species of flying reptile or pterosaur, now called Aetodactylus halli after its discoverer Lance Hall, a member of the Dallas Paleontological Society who hunts fossils for a hobby.
"I was scanning the exposure and noticed what at first I thought was a piece of oyster shell spanning across a small erosion valley," Hall said. "Only about an inch or two was exposed. I almost passed it up thinking it was oyster, but realized it was more tan-colored like bone. I started uncovering it and realized it was the jaw to something — but I had no idea what. It was upside down and when I turned over the snout portion it was nothing but a long row of teeth sockets, which was very exciting."
Paleontologists later told Hall it was a pterosaur (a group of flying reptiles commonly referred to as pterodactyls) and an important find. Such "winged lizards," as their name suggests, are thought to have dominated the skies from more than 200 million years ago until the mass extinction event 65 million years ago that wiped them out along with most dinosaurs and many other plants and animals.
A. halli is also one of the youngest members of the pterosaur family Ornithocheiridae.
The mandible, which is about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long, originally contained 54 slender, pointed teeth, but only two remained in their sockets when discovered, according to paleontologist Timothy S. Myers of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, who identified and named the animal.
From the way the teeth were spaced, the researchers suspect the upper and lower teeth interlaced when the jaws were closed. Just the fact that this pterosaur had teeth was somewhat surprising as all North American pterosaurs were toothless from that time period, except for Coloborhynchus.
When A. halli was alive, much of Texas was cloaked by the Western Interior Seaway – the massive sea that split North America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. On shore, the terrain was flat and dotted with flowering plants, according to paleobotanist Bonnie Jacobs, associate professor of Earth Sciences at SMU.
"There were still conifers and ferns as well, but mostly of the sort that had tiny needle leaves, like junipers," Jacobs said. "Sycamores and their relatives would have been among the flowering plants."
The team describes the flying reptile in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
http://www.livescience.com/animals/flying-reptile-pterosaur-100429.html
Friday, October 16, 2009
'They were huge..it looked like a pterodactyl': Riddle of bones found in British Legion basement
16 October 2009
By Victoria Williams
POLICE were called to the Halifax Royal British Legion headquarters after large bones were discovered in the basement. Workers feared they could be human. One of the builders said: "They were huge – like a pterodactyl."
Officers cordoned off the area and spent an hour investigating before deciding the bones probably came from a cow or a horse.
The bones were discovered in the listed building attached to Hopwood Hall, Halifax – which dates back to the 1730s – where builders are carrying out £170,000 renovations.
Site manager Steve Oxley said he thought the room at the front of the building, where the animal remains were found, had originally been a stable.
Malcolm Wilson, one of the builders who discovered the bones, said: "They were very rotten – I would guess well over 100 years old.
"There were four or five of us digging away. At first we thought we'd come across a tree trunk but then we noticed a joint.
Human
"I've stumbled upon human bones before when working at churches and it crossed my mind these could be human too.
"But then we started digging around the bones and discovered the skeleton was huge. It looked like a pterodactyl."
Police confirmed they were called to the building in Hopwood Lane after the discovery.
Work to transform the British Legion base in Hopwood Lane started in August.
It is being revamped to include a computer suite, function room and private interview area.
The renovation has been funded by Calderdale Council with help from the Heritage Lottery and the national Royal British Legion.
It should be finished by the end of the year.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/39They-were-hugeit-looked-like.5740051.jp
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
By Victoria Williams
POLICE were called to the Halifax Royal British Legion headquarters after large bones were discovered in the basement. Workers feared they could be human. One of the builders said: "They were huge – like a pterodactyl."
Officers cordoned off the area and spent an hour investigating before deciding the bones probably came from a cow or a horse.
The bones were discovered in the listed building attached to Hopwood Hall, Halifax – which dates back to the 1730s – where builders are carrying out £170,000 renovations.
Site manager Steve Oxley said he thought the room at the front of the building, where the animal remains were found, had originally been a stable.
Malcolm Wilson, one of the builders who discovered the bones, said: "They were very rotten – I would guess well over 100 years old.
"There were four or five of us digging away. At first we thought we'd come across a tree trunk but then we noticed a joint.
Human
"I've stumbled upon human bones before when working at churches and it crossed my mind these could be human too.
"But then we started digging around the bones and discovered the skeleton was huge. It looked like a pterodactyl."
Police confirmed they were called to the building in Hopwood Lane after the discovery.
Work to transform the British Legion base in Hopwood Lane started in August.
It is being revamped to include a computer suite, function room and private interview area.
The renovation has been funded by Calderdale Council with help from the Heritage Lottery and the national Royal British Legion.
It should be finished by the end of the year.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/39They-were-hugeit-looked-like.5740051.jp
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
'They were huge..it looked like a pterodactyl': Riddle of bones found in British Legion basement
16 October 2009
By Victoria Williams
POLICE were called to the Halifax Royal British Legion headquarters after large bones were discovered in the basement. Workers feared they could be human. One of the builders said: "They were huge – like a pterodactyl."
Officers cordoned off the area and spent an hour investigating before deciding the bones probably came from a cow or a horse.
The bones were discovered in the listed building attached to Hopwood Hall, Halifax – which dates back to the 1730s – where builders are carrying out £170,000 renovations.
Site manager Steve Oxley said he thought the room at the front of the building, where the animal remains were found, had originally been a stable.
Malcolm Wilson, one of the builders who discovered the bones, said: "They were very rotten – I would guess well over 100 years old.
"There were four or five of us digging away. At first we thought we'd come across a tree trunk but then we noticed a joint.
Human
"I've stumbled upon human bones before when working at churches and it crossed my mind these could be human too.
"But then we started digging around the bones and discovered the skeleton was huge. It looked like a pterodactyl."
Police confirmed they were called to the building in Hopwood Lane after the discovery.
Work to transform the British Legion base in Hopwood Lane started in August.
It is being revamped to include a computer suite, function room and private interview area.
The renovation has been funded by Calderdale Council with help from the Heritage Lottery and the national Royal British Legion.
It should be finished by the end of the year.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/39They-were-hugeit-looked-like.5740051.jp
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
By Victoria Williams
POLICE were called to the Halifax Royal British Legion headquarters after large bones were discovered in the basement. Workers feared they could be human. One of the builders said: "They were huge – like a pterodactyl."
Officers cordoned off the area and spent an hour investigating before deciding the bones probably came from a cow or a horse.
The bones were discovered in the listed building attached to Hopwood Hall, Halifax – which dates back to the 1730s – where builders are carrying out £170,000 renovations.
Site manager Steve Oxley said he thought the room at the front of the building, where the animal remains were found, had originally been a stable.
Malcolm Wilson, one of the builders who discovered the bones, said: "They were very rotten – I would guess well over 100 years old.
"There were four or five of us digging away. At first we thought we'd come across a tree trunk but then we noticed a joint.
Human
"I've stumbled upon human bones before when working at churches and it crossed my mind these could be human too.
"But then we started digging around the bones and discovered the skeleton was huge. It looked like a pterodactyl."
Police confirmed they were called to the building in Hopwood Lane after the discovery.
Work to transform the British Legion base in Hopwood Lane started in August.
It is being revamped to include a computer suite, function room and private interview area.
The renovation has been funded by Calderdale Council with help from the Heritage Lottery and the national Royal British Legion.
It should be finished by the end of the year.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/39They-were-hugeit-looked-like.5740051.jp
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
New flying reptile fossils found
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
By Matt McGrath
BBC science reporter
Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.
The find is named Darwinopterus, after famous naturalist Charles Darwin.
Experts say it provides the first clear evidence of a controversial type of evolution called modular evolution.
The 20 new fossils found in north-east China show similarities to both primitive and more advanced pterosaurs, or flying reptiles.
The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Missing link
Pterosaurs, sometimes called pterodactyls, were flying reptiles that flourished between 65 and 220 million years ago.
Until now, scientists had known about two distinct groups of these creatures - primitive, long-tailed pterosaurs and more advanced short-tailed ones, separated by a huge gap in the fossil record.
But the discovery of more than 20 new fossil skeletons in north-east China could be the missing link in this evolutionary chain.
Darwinopterus is a hawk-like reptile with a head and neck just like advanced pterosaurs - but the rest of the skeleton is similar to more primitive forms.
Researchers say that this could be evidence of what they call modular evolution - where natural selection forces a whole series of traits to change rapidly rather than just one.
With its long jaws and rows of sharp-pointed teeth, these creatures were very well suited to catching and killing other flying species.
The fossils were found in rocks that are 160 million years old, making them 10 million years older than the first bird, Archaeopteryx.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8306060.stm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
By Matt McGrath
BBC science reporter
Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.
The find is named Darwinopterus, after famous naturalist Charles Darwin.
Experts say it provides the first clear evidence of a controversial type of evolution called modular evolution.
The 20 new fossils found in north-east China show similarities to both primitive and more advanced pterosaurs, or flying reptiles.
The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Missing link
Pterosaurs, sometimes called pterodactyls, were flying reptiles that flourished between 65 and 220 million years ago.
Until now, scientists had known about two distinct groups of these creatures - primitive, long-tailed pterosaurs and more advanced short-tailed ones, separated by a huge gap in the fossil record.
But the discovery of more than 20 new fossil skeletons in north-east China could be the missing link in this evolutionary chain.
Darwinopterus is a hawk-like reptile with a head and neck just like advanced pterosaurs - but the rest of the skeleton is similar to more primitive forms.
Researchers say that this could be evidence of what they call modular evolution - where natural selection forces a whole series of traits to change rapidly rather than just one.
With its long jaws and rows of sharp-pointed teeth, these creatures were very well suited to catching and killing other flying species.
The fossils were found in rocks that are 160 million years old, making them 10 million years older than the first bird, Archaeopteryx.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8306060.stm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
New flying reptile fossils found
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
By Matt McGrath
BBC science reporter
Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.
The find is named Darwinopterus, after famous naturalist Charles Darwin.
Experts say it provides the first clear evidence of a controversial type of evolution called modular evolution.
The 20 new fossils found in north-east China show similarities to both primitive and more advanced pterosaurs, or flying reptiles.
The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Missing link
Pterosaurs, sometimes called pterodactyls, were flying reptiles that flourished between 65 and 220 million years ago.
Until now, scientists had known about two distinct groups of these creatures - primitive, long-tailed pterosaurs and more advanced short-tailed ones, separated by a huge gap in the fossil record.
But the discovery of more than 20 new fossil skeletons in north-east China could be the missing link in this evolutionary chain.
Darwinopterus is a hawk-like reptile with a head and neck just like advanced pterosaurs - but the rest of the skeleton is similar to more primitive forms.
Researchers say that this could be evidence of what they call modular evolution - where natural selection forces a whole series of traits to change rapidly rather than just one.
With its long jaws and rows of sharp-pointed teeth, these creatures were very well suited to catching and killing other flying species.
The fossils were found in rocks that are 160 million years old, making them 10 million years older than the first bird, Archaeopteryx.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8306060.stm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
By Matt McGrath
BBC science reporter
Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.
The find is named Darwinopterus, after famous naturalist Charles Darwin.
Experts say it provides the first clear evidence of a controversial type of evolution called modular evolution.
The 20 new fossils found in north-east China show similarities to both primitive and more advanced pterosaurs, or flying reptiles.
The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Missing link
Pterosaurs, sometimes called pterodactyls, were flying reptiles that flourished between 65 and 220 million years ago.
Until now, scientists had known about two distinct groups of these creatures - primitive, long-tailed pterosaurs and more advanced short-tailed ones, separated by a huge gap in the fossil record.
But the discovery of more than 20 new fossil skeletons in north-east China could be the missing link in this evolutionary chain.
Darwinopterus is a hawk-like reptile with a head and neck just like advanced pterosaurs - but the rest of the skeleton is similar to more primitive forms.
Researchers say that this could be evidence of what they call modular evolution - where natural selection forces a whole series of traits to change rapidly rather than just one.
With its long jaws and rows of sharp-pointed teeth, these creatures were very well suited to catching and killing other flying species.
The fossils were found in rocks that are 160 million years old, making them 10 million years older than the first bird, Archaeopteryx.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8306060.stm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Batsquatch Sighted at Mt. Shasta
Paul Dale Roberts
March 20 2009
Some small animals have been savagely slaughtered near and around Mt. St. Helens. Could this be the results of a feeding frenzy orchestrated by the Batsquatch? If so, then this cryptid creature would be carnivorous. Descriptions of the Batsquatch is that it has the head of a bat, red eyes, purple skin and wings of a pterodactyl.
Today is a gorgeous day and I am doing a little bit of yard work with Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf w/Lil Wayne playing in the background, when all of a sudden my cell phone rings. The conversation goes like this:
Caller: "Are you the paranormal investigator?"
Paul: "Yes, I am with HPI (Haunted and Paranormal Investigations International), how can I help you?"
Caller: "Me and my friend were hiking around Mt. Shasta and out of one of the crevices, flew out this big creature. I mean this thing was huge. It was as tall as a man, as stocky as Hulk Hogan and had leathery wings. I was in believe the wing span was at least 50 feet from one end to the other. I was holding up my camera, but was paralyzed with fear as this thing flew by. I didn't get a picture, sorry. What do you think this might be? Could it have been a pterodactyl? It was flying or gliding fast, it seemed to have a head of a bat. Thinking about it, it doesn't have the head of a pterodactyl, I just saw a picture of a pterodactyl and the heads are not similar. I would think it had the head of a bat or maybe more like a fox. The damn thing finally flew into a clump of trees and vanished. I heard you guys might be going back to Mt. Shasta, if you do, please look out for this thing. If you see it, you will xxxx all over yourself, I kid you not."
The closest thing to what the caller describes is a creature called the Batsquatch. Batsquatch is seen at Mount St. Helens. Some people theorize that when Mount St. Helens erupted, it also opened up a dimensional portal, in which the Batsquatch entered. Just like the TNT factory at Point Pleasant may have caused a dimensional rift that brought in the Mothman. The Batsquatch has been around since 1980 and has been seen into present times.
Some small animals have been savagely slaughtered near and around Mt. St. Helens. Could this be the results of a feeding frenzy orchestrated by the Batsquatch? If so, then this cryptid creature would be carnivorous. Descriptions of the Batsquatch is that it has the head of a bat, red eyes, purple skin and wings of a pterodactyl. Mt. Shasta has not erupted since possibly 1786, as observed by French Naval Officer/explorer Jean-Francois de Galaup or maybe by some Spanish explorers. Could the sighting of a Batsquatch creature near Mt. Shasta be the sign of a future eruption? There are so many strange and mysterious sightings thoughout our whole universe. Without actually seeing the creature that the caller describes, I can't determine what the caller may have seen with surety. All I can do is tell the caller is that the next time I am back in Mt. Shasta with my scouts, we will be looking for Lemurians, UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, Count Saint-Germaine and now ... Batsquatch!
What you didn't know is that Count Saint Germaine was sighted in Mt. Shasta? It's true, he supposingly met up with an author on the slopes of Mt. Shasta in the 1930s. The author claimed that Count St. Germaine told him that he was living in the caverns of Mt. Shasta. The legend of Count St. Germaine is baffling! He was a man that stepped out of nowhere, without a past, and dazzled a French court. It was said that he would pop up from time to time across Europe and then would vanish for a period of time. His vanishing acts would generate gossip and rumors. Stories abound, that he was immortal, he owned the elixir of life, that he was a Rosicrucian, a spy and a king that remained incognito.
My theory on Count Saint Germaine is that there were many people impersonating him. One of those people was no other than Aleister Crowley, who in 1923 wrote in his diary, that he should put on a wig and impersonate Count Saint Germaine to start another legend. Then in 1926 Count Saint Germaine was spotted in Rome. Was this actually Aleister Crowley?
All I can say is that Count Saint Germaine is truly a legend and he is as mysterious as the majestic Mt. Shasta! I love mysteries!
http://www.alienseekernews.com/articles/barsquatch-sighted-at-mt-shasta.html
March 20 2009
Some small animals have been savagely slaughtered near and around Mt. St. Helens. Could this be the results of a feeding frenzy orchestrated by the Batsquatch? If so, then this cryptid creature would be carnivorous. Descriptions of the Batsquatch is that it has the head of a bat, red eyes, purple skin and wings of a pterodactyl.
Today is a gorgeous day and I am doing a little bit of yard work with Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf w/Lil Wayne playing in the background, when all of a sudden my cell phone rings. The conversation goes like this:
Caller: "Are you the paranormal investigator?"
Paul: "Yes, I am with HPI (Haunted and Paranormal Investigations International), how can I help you?"
Caller: "Me and my friend were hiking around Mt. Shasta and out of one of the crevices, flew out this big creature. I mean this thing was huge. It was as tall as a man, as stocky as Hulk Hogan and had leathery wings. I was in believe the wing span was at least 50 feet from one end to the other. I was holding up my camera, but was paralyzed with fear as this thing flew by. I didn't get a picture, sorry. What do you think this might be? Could it have been a pterodactyl? It was flying or gliding fast, it seemed to have a head of a bat. Thinking about it, it doesn't have the head of a pterodactyl, I just saw a picture of a pterodactyl and the heads are not similar. I would think it had the head of a bat or maybe more like a fox. The damn thing finally flew into a clump of trees and vanished. I heard you guys might be going back to Mt. Shasta, if you do, please look out for this thing. If you see it, you will xxxx all over yourself, I kid you not."
The closest thing to what the caller describes is a creature called the Batsquatch. Batsquatch is seen at Mount St. Helens. Some people theorize that when Mount St. Helens erupted, it also opened up a dimensional portal, in which the Batsquatch entered. Just like the TNT factory at Point Pleasant may have caused a dimensional rift that brought in the Mothman. The Batsquatch has been around since 1980 and has been seen into present times.
Some small animals have been savagely slaughtered near and around Mt. St. Helens. Could this be the results of a feeding frenzy orchestrated by the Batsquatch? If so, then this cryptid creature would be carnivorous. Descriptions of the Batsquatch is that it has the head of a bat, red eyes, purple skin and wings of a pterodactyl. Mt. Shasta has not erupted since possibly 1786, as observed by French Naval Officer/explorer Jean-Francois de Galaup or maybe by some Spanish explorers. Could the sighting of a Batsquatch creature near Mt. Shasta be the sign of a future eruption? There are so many strange and mysterious sightings thoughout our whole universe. Without actually seeing the creature that the caller describes, I can't determine what the caller may have seen with surety. All I can do is tell the caller is that the next time I am back in Mt. Shasta with my scouts, we will be looking for Lemurians, UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, Count Saint-Germaine and now ... Batsquatch!
What you didn't know is that Count Saint Germaine was sighted in Mt. Shasta? It's true, he supposingly met up with an author on the slopes of Mt. Shasta in the 1930s. The author claimed that Count St. Germaine told him that he was living in the caverns of Mt. Shasta. The legend of Count St. Germaine is baffling! He was a man that stepped out of nowhere, without a past, and dazzled a French court. It was said that he would pop up from time to time across Europe and then would vanish for a period of time. His vanishing acts would generate gossip and rumors. Stories abound, that he was immortal, he owned the elixir of life, that he was a Rosicrucian, a spy and a king that remained incognito.
My theory on Count Saint Germaine is that there were many people impersonating him. One of those people was no other than Aleister Crowley, who in 1923 wrote in his diary, that he should put on a wig and impersonate Count Saint Germaine to start another legend. Then in 1926 Count Saint Germaine was spotted in Rome. Was this actually Aleister Crowley?
All I can say is that Count Saint Germaine is truly a legend and he is as mysterious as the majestic Mt. Shasta! I love mysteries!
http://www.alienseekernews.com/articles/barsquatch-sighted-at-mt-shasta.html
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Pterosaurs breathed in bird-like fashion and had inflatable air sacs in their wings
Check out this article by Darren Naish over at scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/02/pterosaur_breathing_air_sacs.php
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