3~98------NEWSAND VIEWS------N_A_T_U_R_E_V_O_L_.3_32_3_1_M_A_R_C_H_1_988 Vertebrate palaeontology isolated postcranial remains and may be synonymous with those based on skull material. Despite the likely exaggeration New pterosaurs from Brazil in numbers of species, it is clear that ptero­ saur diversity was high during the Aptian David M. Unwin stage. At least four pterosaur genera, 3 Tropeognathus', Anhanguera , Cearadac­ PTEROSAURS took to the air in the late and echinoids) together with vertebrates tylus' (a-c, respectively, in the figure) and 1 4 Triassic about 225 million years ago, (fish, turtles and crocodiles) and plants Araripesaurus • can be distinguished. preceding birds and bats by over 70 million have already been identified from what is Araripesaurus differs from a fifth genus years. The pterosaur skeleton, like those thought to have been a large, virtually Santanadactylus4 only in possessing a of birds and bats, was light and delicate, as landlocked lagoon'. In the early 1970s vertical nasal process (possibly missing in required by a flying vertebrate, but quite part of an articulated pterosaur wing was the skull of Santanadactylus) and in a lack unsuitable for fossilization. The fossil found in a concretion from a fossil-fish of fusion between its bony elements (pos­ record of pterosaurs is consequently very horizon. Many more pterosaur specimens sibly a pathological or paedomorphic patchy. Upper Triassic and Jurassic rocks have been collected and described feature), so that these forms may be have yielded a number of well-preserved subsequently. The bony remains are congeneric. extremely well-preserved, uncrushed and Araripesaurus resembles the poorly often free of distortion. In one exceptional known pterosaur Ornithocheirus'° from a case•, part of a wing membrane has been the late Lower Cretaceous Cambridge preserved. Greensand of England. Inclusion of The pterosaurs, probably all fish eaters, Araripesaurus within the family Ornitho­ varied in size from between 2 and 6 metres cheiridae1·•, if correct, would support a in wingspan, with skulls up to 0.6 metres in close relationship between ornithocheirids length. Ten species have been described and pteranodontids. Araripesaurus and so far, but may not all be valid. Although Pteranodon share a number of advanced some species are represented by skulls, characters such as the virtual exclusion of others such as Araripedactylus dehmi' and the squamosal bone from the post­ Santanadactylus brasilensis9 are based on temporal opening of the skull. Charles Glen King (1896-1988) CHARLES Glen King, who died on 23 largely through the Food and Nutrition January, was one of the world's most emi­ Board of the National Research Council of nent investigators in the field of nutrition. which he was a member from its beginning He was a man of exceptional character and in 1942 to 1970. King was instrumental in ability. He was modest, humble, religious bringing together, in harmony and common and a hard worker. He had, like Charles purpose, leading individuals in food and Darwin who wrote concerning his own nutrition from industry, government and success in science: "a love of science, academia. unbounded patience in long reflecting over King, at the Lind Bicentennial Sympo­ any subject, industry in observing and col­ sium at the University of Edinburgh in May Three pterosaur skulls from the Santana lecting facts, and a fair share of invention 1953, said " ... one point is intriguing to a Formation of north-eastern Brazil illustra­ as well as common sense." student of nature; did the loss of one or ting the great diversity of Lower Cretaceous King was best known for his researches more genes that permit biological synthesis pterosaurs. a, Tropeognathus as preserved; from 1928 to 1932 on the isolation and of the antiscorbutic vitamin, without dis­ b, reconstruction of Anhanguera; c, recon­ identification of vitamin C. In my opinion, rupting other structures essential to sur­ struction of Cearadactylus. Scale bar, 10 both King and Szent-Gyorgyi deserve equal vival, occur only once, or more often in cm. (Redrawn from ref. 6.) credit for their almost simultaneous dis­ nature? Assuming a common heritage of covery of vitamin C, and the Nobel prize man and other surviving primates, can it be pterosaurs including Dimorphodon, should have been awarded jointly, not just that we, among all the higher forms of Rhamphorhynchus and Pterodactylus. to Szent-Gyorgyi (see the letters from animals and plants, share the single suc­ But the Cretaceous period has been less Thomas H. Jukes and Ronald Pethig on cessful experiment with guinea-pigs, in the productive, yielding just a handful of page 390 of this issue). Both King and process of evolution?" He continued: "In often poorly preserved species, such as Szent-Gyorgyi worked resourcefully and place of death and the scourge of a disease Dsungaripterus, Pteranodon and Quetzal­ independently, at least during 1932. that had plagued mankind since long coatlus. A new pterosaur fauna'·' from the King was professor of chemistry at Pitts­ before the dawn of history, he [Lind] gave Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of burgh from 1930 to 1942. He then left Pitts­ to his generation and ours the delights of Araripe in north-eastern Brazil is thus of burgh to become scientific director and orange juice for breakfast, lemonade on hot particular interest. The Santana pterosaurs then president of the Nutrition Foundation summer days, fresh salads at dinner, and a represent a vital addition to the Lower in New York City. He retired from the new, higher concept of normal health. He Cretaceous fauna and establish Araripe as foundation in 1963 and became associate freed men's bodies to travel the high seas one of the most important pterosaur local­ director of the Institute of Nutritional at full vigour. But perhaps of greater im­ ities ever discovered. Sciences at Columbia University, serving portance, he set their minds to travel The Santana Formation, a thick as a part-time consultant to the Rockefeller more freely in the realm of truth." sequence of limestones and shales out­ Foundation and to various United Nations Fredrick J. Stare cropping on the Araripe Plateau in north­ agencies. eastern Brazil, contains a rich and well­ In his career with the Nutrition Founda­ Fredrick J. Stare is Emeritus Professor of Nutri­ preserved fossil fauna. Many invertebrates tion, King supported nutrition research tion at the Harvard School of Public Health, (bivalves, ostracods, crustaceans, insects and the development of nutrition policy, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.