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Submitted: February 13, 2008
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Nemicolopterus Skeletalby ~jconway

Digital Art / Drawings / Technical Drawings

A preliminary skeletal of the new (and absolutely tiny) pterosaur Nemicolopterus crypticus. This was done from the not-very-high-resolution photographs and drawings in the description, so I do stress that it is preliminary.

White indicates bones present and restorable, light grey indicates bones that are present but I had to pretty my make up (because they are badly crushed, partially obscured by other bones, etc.) and dark grey missing elements. Stipples indicate air sacs.

Gotta say, this is one cool looking little beasty. Really birdlike.

Ref:
Wang et al., 2008. Discovery of a rare arboreal forest-dwelling flying reptile (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from China. PNAS vol. 105 (6) pp. 1983-1987

~EmperorDinobot Feb 23, 2008

Now that is an interesting lil' pterosaur.
Nicely done.

~TehFuzzyDuck Feb 17, 2008

Wonderful work! I really enjoy seeing these skeletal reconstructions. I like how you decided to make it more round in shape, rather than have the skin clinging to the skeleton like in some reconstructions. Did anything in particular make you decide to do that? Can't wait to see a lifelike reconstruction of these intriguing little pterosaur!

~jconway Feb 20, 2008

The neck is thicker than in most restorations this is based on what I've seen in fossils with soft-tissue preservation (such as Pterodactylus). The body and limbs aren't and fuller than usually shown. What make for the overall impression of roundness I guess is the fur, which most fossils indicate was more extensive and just plain bigger than most people draw it (I've never figured out why people see so reluctant to put the proper amount of integument on extinct animals -- it happens with dinosaurs too).

~TehFuzzyDuck Feb 24, 2008

I guess it's just to be more cautious, but proper integument really brings the creature to life. Looking at extant species, it's hard not to speculate how varied and diverse and strange looking (and fleshy) extinct animals were.

~rydicanubis Feb 15, 2008

I'm really intrigued, unfortunately I can't seem to get the article. The most recent issue isn't online yet it seems, or at least not for me to access.

~jconway Feb 20, 2008

Give me you email and I'll send it along if you like.

~rydicanubis Feb 21, 2008

That would be fantastic! Thanks!
I'll note it.

~Gorgosaurus Feb 14, 2008

Interesting animal.
I´m quite fond of it.
Must have a word with Allan Smith about this one.
Spike.

~nemo-ramjet Feb 14, 2008

Amazing! I sent you a note from Facebook about the... poster. Did you get to read it?

~Archosaurian Feb 13, 2008

Very birdlike indeed, though it looks to me to have been more of a generalist such as a starling or an icterid than an insctivore as Kellner et al. suggest.

One comment of the skull though, the weird parietal bifurcation you show is likely the result of the disarticulation of the braincase, especially the frontals and parietals. Also, where is the supertemporal fenestra?

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