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Pterosaurs Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs Now Open 2 News at the Museum 3
Member Magazine Spring 2014 Vol. 39 No. 2 Pterosaurs Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs now open 2 News at the Museum 3 From the After an unseasonably cold, snowy winter, will work to identify items from your collection, More than 540,000 Marine Fossils the Museum is pleased to offer a number of while also displaying intriguing specimens from President springtime opportunities to awaken the inner the Museum’s own world-renowned collections. Added to Paleontology Collection naturalist in us all. This is the time of year when Of course, fieldwork and collecting have Ellen V. Futter Museum scientists prepare for the summer been hallmarks of the Museum’s work since Collections at a Glance field season as they continue to pursue new the institution’s founding. What has changed, discoveries in their fields. It’s also when Museum however, is technology. With a nod to the many Over nearly 150 years of acquisitions and Members and visitors can learn about their ways that technology is amplifying how scientific fieldwork, the Museum has amassed preeminent own discoveries during the annual Identification investigations are done, this year, ID Day visitors collections that form an irreplaceable record Day in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall. can learn how scientists use digital fabrication of life on Earth. Today, 21st-century tools— Held this year on May 10, Identification Day to aid their research and have a chance to sophisticated imaging techniques, genomic invites visitors to bring their own backyard finds have their own objects scanned and printed on analyses, programs to analyze ever-growing and curios for identification by Museum scientists. -
Pterosaur Distribution in Time and Space: an Atlas 61
Zitteliana An International Journal of Palaeontology and Geobiology Series B/Reihe B Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Pa lä on to lo gie und Geologie B28 DAVID W. E. HONE & ERIC BUFFETAUT (Eds) Flugsaurier: pterosaur papers in honour of Peter Wellnhofer CONTENTS/INHALT Dedication 3 PETER WELLNHOFER A short history of pterosaur research 7 KEVIN PADIAN Were pterosaur ancestors bipedal or quadrupedal?: Morphometric, functional, and phylogenetic considerations 21 DAVID W. E. HONE & MICHAEL J. BENTON Contrasting supertree and total-evidence methods: the origin of the pterosaurs 35 PAUL M. BARRETT, RICHARD J. BUTLER, NICHOLAS P. EDWARDS & ANDREW R. MILNER Pterosaur distribution in time and space: an atlas 61 LORNA STEEL The palaeohistology of pterosaur bone: an overview 109 S. CHRISTOPHER BENNETT Morphological evolution of the wing of pterosaurs: myology and function 127 MARK P. WITTON A new approach to determining pterosaur body mass and its implications for pterosaur fl ight 143 MICHAEL B. HABIB Comparative evidence for quadrupedal launch in pterosaurs 159 ROSS A. ELGIN, CARLOS A. GRAU, COLIN PALMER, DAVID W. E. HONE, DOUGLAS GREENWELL & MICHAEL J. BENTON Aerodynamic characters of the cranial crest in Pteranodon 167 DAVID M. MARTILL & MARK P. WITTON Catastrophic failure in a pterosaur skull from the Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil 175 MARTIN LOCKLEY, JERALD D. HARRIS & LAURA MITCHELL A global overview of pterosaur ichnology: tracksite distribution in space and time 185 DAVID M. UNWIN & D. CHARLES DEEMING Pterosaur eggshell structure and its implications for pterosaur reproductive biology 199 DAVID M. MARTILL, MARK P. WITTON & ANDREW GALE Possible azhdarchoid pterosaur remains from the Coniacian (Late Cretaceous) of England 209 TAISSA RODRIGUES & ALEXANDER W. -
First Evidence of Azhdarchid Pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary
First evidence of azhdarchid pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary ATTILA ŐSI, DAVID B. WEISHAMPEL, and CORALIA M. JIANU Ősi, A., Weishampel, D.B., and Jianu, C.M. 2005. First evidence of azhdarchid pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50 (4): 777–787. New remains of an azhdarchid pterosaur were discovered from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya Formation at the Iharkút vertebrate locality in the Bakony Mountains, western Hungary. Among the isolated bones, consisting prin− cipally of 21 symphyseal jaw fragments, four cervical vertebrae, a right radius, and some fragmentary limb bones, is a complete articulated mandible that represents one of the best−preserved mandibular material of any presently known azhdarchid pterosaur. The complete edentulous jaw, referred to Bakonydraco galaczi gen. et sp. nov. posesses several fea− tures diagnostic for azhdarchids which prove that Bakonydraco belongs to this group. The cervical vertebrae exhibit azhdarchid features and consequently are referred to as Azhdarchidae indet. The discovery of these fossils helps to under− stand the construction of the azhdarchid mandible and provides new insight for studying the feeding style of the edentulous azhdarchid pterosaurs. Key words: Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae, mandible, cervical vertebrae, Cretaceous, Hungary. Attila Ősi [[email protected]], Department of Palaeontology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary; Da− vid B. Weishampel [[email protected]], Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins Univer− sity, Baltimore, 21205, USA; Coralia M. Jianu [[email protected]], Muzeul Civilizaţiei Dacice şi Romane Deva, Deva, 2700, Romania. Introduction Arambourgiania philadelphiae (Arambourg, 1959) from the Maastrichtian of Jordan (Frey and Martill 1996; Martill et al. -
Azhdarchid Pterosaurs: Water-Trawling Pelican Mimics Or “Terrestrial Stalkers”?
Azhdarchid pterosaurs: water-trawling pelican mimics or “terrestrial stalkers”? MARK P. WITTON and DARREN NAISH Witton, M.P. and Naish, D. 2015. Azhdarchid pterosaurs: water-trawling pelican mimics or “terrestrial stalkers”? Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60 (3): 651–660. The lifestyles of all pterosaurs are contentious, but those of the pterodactyloid clade Azhdarchidae are particularly debat- ed. A 2008 review of the functional morphology of azhdarchid pterosaurs concluded that they were probably terrestrial foragers, as evidenced by their long limbs, generalised skull construction, the arthrological limitations of their cervical series, trackway data indicating terrestrial proficiency, a strong continental skew in the depositional context of their fossils, and several additional lines of corroborating evidence. This hypothesis was recently challenged on three counts: (i) azhdarchid fossils routinely occur in aquatic deposits; (ii) terrestrially-foraging pterosaurs were highly vulnerable to predation and (iii), aerial “water trawling”, where the mandible is pulled though water to catch food in a distended throat pouch, is a more likely foraging strategy. Pelican-like jaw mechanics were suggested for azhdarchids because of the asymmetrical jaw joints in these pterosaurs, which permit lateral deflection of the mandibular rami during jaw extension. We evaluate these three claims and conclude that all are flawed. The frequent occurrence of azhdarchid fossils in aquatic sedimentary systems is not significant with regard to ecology or behaviour, since these provide the overwhelming mech- anism for the preservation of all fossil terrestrial animals. Likely pterosaur takeoff abilities and the ubiquitous nature of modern, terrestrially-foraging birds indicate that predation risks on ground-foraging pterosaurs are probably overstated. -
New Information on the Tapejaridae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) and Discussion of the Relationships of This Clade
AMEGHINIANA (Rev. Asoc. Paleontol. Argent.) - 41 (4): 521-534. Buenos Aires, 30-12-2004 ISSN 0002-7014 New information on the Tapejaridae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) and discussion of the relationships of this clade Alexander Wilhelm Armin KELLNER1 Abstract. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that the Tapejaridae is a monophyletic group of pterodactyloid pterosaurs, diagnosed by the following synapomorphies: premaxillary sagittal crest that starts at the anterior tip of the premaxilla and extends posteriorly after the occipital region, large nasoantorbital fenestra that reaches over 45% of the length between premaxilla and squamosal, lacrimal process of the jugal thin, distinct small pear- shaped orbit with lower portion narrow, and broad tubercle at the ventroposterior margin of the coracoid. Several cranial and postcranial characters indicate that the Tapejaridae are well nested within the Tapejaroidea, in sister group relationship with the Azhdarchidae. A preliminary study of the ingroup relationships within the Tapejaridae shows that Tupuxuara is more closely related to Thalassodromeus relative to Tapejara. At present tape- jarid remains have been found in the following deposits: Crato and Romualdo members of the Santana Formation (Aptian-Albian), Araripe Basin, Brazil; Jiufotang Formation (Aptian), Jehol Group of western Liaoning, China; and in the redbeds (Cenomanian) of the Kem Kem region, Morocco. An incomplete skull found in the Javelina Formation (Maastrichtian), Texas also shows several tapejarid features and might be a member of this clade. Although information is still limited, the present distribution of the Tapejaridae indicates that this clade of pterosaurs was not exclusive of Gondwana, and was more widespread than previously known. Resumen. NUEVA INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LOS TAPEJARIDAE (PTEROSAURIA, PTERODACTYLOIDEA) Y DISCUSIÓN SOBRE LAS RELACIONES DE ESTE CLADO. -
On the Osteology of Tapejara Wellnhoferi KELLNER 1989 and the first Occurrence of a Multiple Specimen Assemblage from the Santana Formation, Araripe Basin, NE-Brazil
Swiss J Palaeontol (2011) 130:277–296 DOI 10.1007/s13358-011-0024-5 On the osteology of Tapejara wellnhoferi KELLNER 1989 and the first occurrence of a multiple specimen assemblage from the Santana Formation, Araripe Basin, NE-Brazil Kristina Eck • Ross A. Elgin • Eberhard Frey Received: 28 May 2011 / Accepted: 9 August 2011 / Published online: 26 August 2011 Ó Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT) 2011 Abstract The postcranial elements of two similar sized ocular lobes indicate that Tapejara possessed both excel- and juvenile individuals, along with a partial skull, are lent balancing and visual systems as a consequence of its attributed to the Early Cretaceous pterosaur Tapejara aerial lifestyle. wellnhoferi. The remains, recovered from a single con- cretion of the Romualdo Member, Santana Formation, Keywords Brazil Á Lower Cretaceous Á Santana NE-Brazil, represent the first account of multiple specimens Formation Á Pterosauria Á Tapejaridae Á Osteology having settled together and allow for a complete review of postcranial osteology in tapejarid pterosaurs. A comparison Abbreviations of long bone morphometrics indicates that all specimens BSP Bayerische Staatammlung fu¨r Pala¨ontologie und attributed to the Tapejaridae for which these elements are historische Geologie, Munich, Germany known (i.e. Huaxiapterus, Sinopterus, Tapejara) display D Dalian Natural History Museum, Dalian, China similar bivariate ratios, suggesting that Chinese and Bra- IMNH Iwaki City Museum of Coal and Fossils, Iwaki, zilian taxa must have exhibited similar growth patterns. An Japan unusual pneumatic configuration, whereby the humerus is IVPP Institute for Vertebrate Palaeontology and pierced by both dorsally and ventrally located foramina, is Palaeoanthropology Beijing, P. -
New Azhdarchoid Pterosaur (Pterosauria
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2017) 89(3 Suppl.): 2003-2012 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences) Printed version ISSN 0001-3765 / Online version ISSN 1678-2690 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201720170478 www.scielo.br/aabc | www.fb.com/aabcjournal New azhdarchoid pterosaur (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) with an unusual lower jaw from the Portezuelo Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Neuquén Group, Patagonia, Argentina ALEXANDER W.A. KELLNER1 and JORGE O. CALVO2 1Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/ Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 2Grupo de Transferencia Proyecto Dino, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Parque Natural Geo- Paleontológico Proyecto Dino, Ruta Provincial 51, Km 65, Neuquén, Argentina Manuscript received on June 22, 2017; accepted for publication on September 4, 2017 ABSTRACT A new azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia is described. The material consists of an incomplete edentulous lower jaw that was collected from the upper portion of the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Early Coniacian) at the Futalognko site, northwest of Neuquén city, Argentina. The overall morphology of Argentinadraco barrealensis gen. et sp. nov. indicates that it belongs to the Azhdarchoidea and probable represents an azhdarchid species. The occlusal surface of the anterior portion is laterally compressed and shows blunt lateral margins with a medial sulcus that are followed by two well- developed mandibular ridges, which in turn are bordered laterally by a sulcus. The posterior end of the symphysis is deeper than in any other azhdarchoid. -
Ptero-Draw Activity Sheets 1.2MB .Pdf File
Trace the outline of the fossilised remains and use Pterosaurs (winged lizards) were flying reptiles that ruled your imagination to recreate your very own pterosaur. the skies in the time of the dinosaurs, 251 to 65 million years ago. Pterosaurs were not dinosaurs but were closely Congratulations, you have discovered a new related to them. They occupied every habitat, and ranged species of pterosaur! from tiny insectivores to the largest-ever flying creature. SPECIMEN DETAILS SCIENTIFIC NAME MEANING OF NAME DISCOVERED BY DIET TIME PERIOD (TICK BOX) HABITAT Triassic (251–200mya) Jurassic (200–145 mya) 0 Cretaceous (145–65 mya) SCALE Pteranodon sternbergi Quetzalcoatlus northropi Anhanguera blittersdorffi – an expert flyer (ter-ran-oh-don) (ket-sal-co-atil-us) (ann-yang-wear-ah) Meaning of name: Winged and toothless Meaning of name: Named after Aztec feathered Meaning of name: Old devil serpent god, Quetzalcoatl These large pterosaurs had a short tail, a long neck and skull, Anhanguera was a fish eating pterosaur. and a small body that palaeontologists think was partly covered This enormous pterosaur, or flying reptile, may have been with hair. Palaeontologists think that they mainly ate fish. the largest flying animal ever. Its body was quite small, but Anhanguera had long sturdy jaws, with a crest on top Pteranodon fossils have been found in areas that would once provided an anchor for its huge leathery wings, which stretched of its snout. This feature may have provided stability have been wetlands and coastal lagoons, several with fossilised from a very long fourth finger to the top of its leg. -
Evolution of Morphological Disparity in Pterosaurs Katherine C
Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, Vol. 9, Issue 3, September 2011, 337–353 Evolution of morphological disparity in pterosaurs Katherine C. Prentice, Marcello Ruta∗ and Michael J. Benton School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK (Received 9 November 2009; accepted 22 October 2010; printed 15 September 2011) Pterosaurs were important flying vertebrates for most of the Mesozoic, from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (225–65 Ma). They varied enormously through time in overall size (with wing spans from about 250 mm to about 12 m), and in features of their cranial and postcranial skeletons. Comparisons of disparity based on discrete cladistic characters show that the basal paraphyletic rhamphorhynchoids (Triassic–Early Cretaceous) occupied a distinct, and relatively small, region of morphospace compared to the derived pterodactyloids (Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous). This separation is unexpected, especially in view of common constraints on anatomy caused by the requirements of flight. Pterodactyloid disparity shifted through time, with different, small portions of morphospace occupied in the Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous, and a much larger portion in the Early Cretaceous. This explosion in disparity after 100 Ma of evolution is matched by the highest diversity of the clade: evidently, pterosaurs express a rather ‘top heavy’ clade shape, and this is reflected in delayed morphological evolution, again an unexpected finding. The expansion of disparity among pterodactyloids was comparable across subclades: pairwise comparisons among the four pterodactyloid superfamilies show that, for the most part, these clades display significant morphological separation, except in the case of Dsungaripteroidea and Azhdarchoidea. -
Pterosaurs Or Flying Reptiles Were the First Vertebrates to Evolve Flight
Veldmeijer, Witton & Nieuwland André J. Veldmeijer PTEROSAURS Mark Witton & Ilja Nieuwland Pterosaurs or flying reptiles were the first vertebrates to evolve flight. These distant relatives of modern reptiles and dinosaurs lived from the Late Triassic (over 200 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous (about 65 million years ago) a span of some 135 million years. When they became extinct, no relatives survived them and as a result these prehistoric animals cannot readily be compared to our modern-day fauna. So what do we know about these highly succsessful animals? The present summary answers this and many more questions based on the most recent results of modern scientific research. After a short introduction into palaeontology as a science, and the history of pterosaur study, it explains what pterosaurs were, when and where they lived, and what they looked like. Topics such as disease, injury and reproduction are also discussed. Separated from this text are ‘Mark explains’ boxes. Each of these explanations puts one specific species in the spotlight and focuses on its lifestyle. They show the diversity of pterosaurs, from small insectivorous animals with a wingspan of nearly 40 centimetres to the biggest flying animals ever to take to the air, with wingspans of over 10 metres and a way of life comparable to modern-day storks. The text is illustrated with many full-colour photographs and beautiful PTEROSAURS palaeo-art prepared by experts in the field. Dr. André J. Veldmeijer is an archaeologist and palaeontologist (PhD Utrecht University, The Netherlands). He is specialised in the big, toothed pterosaurs of the Cretaceous. -
By Paul Maccready
Alan Cocconi (left. BS 1980) and project manager Alec Brooks (PhD 1981) calibrate the angle-ofauack vane on the swing· wing development model of the pterodactyl. Below - the ha/fsize. lateral-control development model is pulled into the air by ground-based winch. The auxUiary tail is dropped away after release from the lOw line. The small bump on the creature's back houses an emergency parachute - just in case. by Paul MacCready OME 65 MILLION YEARS AGO, a gigantic pterodactyl S- a flying reptile - lived in the region now called Big Bend National Park in west Texas. By remarkable good fortune, a few of its fossilized bones, which provide clues to its size and appearance, have survived and been found. These clues suggest that the creature, designated Queizaicoalilis norlhropi, had a wingspan of II meters (36 feet) - the size of a four-person airplane. It is the largest nat ural flier known. In late 1983 I realized that there had been recent advances in the aerodynamic theory of oscillating airfoils, in the theory and practice of stability and control, in robotics, mechan- ;' . isms, sensors and servos, and in composite structural materials and techniques - advances that meant that perhaps now a flying replica of QlIelzalcoalllis norlhrop; would be feasible. So we decided to try it. A primary reason for mounting the project was to give people the chance to experience the awesome grandeur of this natural creation in a manner that could never be matched by looking at a static display or even an ani- mated film. A zoo or nature park lets one 18 ENGINEERING & SCIENCE I NOVEMBER 1985 The Great Pterodacty1 Project observe modern living creatures; a natural were found. -
Soaring Styles of Extinct Giant Birds and Pterosaurs
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.31.354605; this version posted December 24, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Soaring styles of extinct giant birds and pterosaurs Authors: Yusuke Goto1*, Ken Yoda2, Henri Weimerskirch1, Katsufumi Sato3 Author Affiliation: 1Centre d’Etudes Biologiques Chizé, CNRS – Université de la Rochelle, 79360 Villiers En Bois, France. 2Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Nagoya, Japan. 3Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan. Corresponding Author: Yusuke Goto Centre d’Etudes Biologiques Chizé, CNRS – Université de la Rochelle, 79360 Villiers En Bois, France. e-mail: [email protected] TEL: +814-7136-6220 Keywords: birds, pterosaurs, soaring flight, wind, dynamic soaring, thermal soaring bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.31.354605; this version posted December 24, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Summary The largest extinct volant birds (Pelagornis sandersi and Argentavis magnificens) and pterosaurs (Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus) are thought to have used wind-dependent soaring flight, similar to modern large birds. There are two types of soaring: thermal soaring, used by condors and frigatebirds, which involves the use of updrafts to ascend and then glide horizontally over the land or the sea; and dynamic soaring, used by albatrosses, which involves the use of wind speed differences with height above the sea surface.