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The Structure of a Pterosaur by *jconway:iconjconway:

Categories Digital Art > Paintings & Airbrushing > Illustrations > Technical

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Submitted: January 10, 2008
File Size: 113 KB
Image Size: 113 KB
Resolution: 1650×1246
Comments: 30
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Here's something I've been working on for quite some time: a multi-layered diagram of all the structural elements of a pterosaur - basically, the things that give them their shape.

You can find the full version, with a still image, an interactive version, and a higher-res video at palaeontography => [link]

It's also up at YouTube [link] , if you want to vote for it, or whatever people do on YouTube.
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Comments


~Heatherbeast:iconHeatherbeast: Jan 10, 2008, 4:10:59 PM
Eee, are those airsacs?

Neat! Are there reports/fossil records that indicate the existence of these?

--
You paged Rodimus Prime with 'It's like a high school popularity contest. With people who have big cannons. And I'm the one that's gonna die.'.
Rodimus Prime (RP) pages: That's the way things go when you get noticed. :)
*jconway:iconjconway: Jan 10, 2008, 4:36:13 PM
Yes, and yes. Pterosaurs were clearly pneumatic - their bones were hollow, and they have pneumatic foramina all over them. Many pterosaurs similar to the very high range for relative pneumaticity in birds. There are also reports of fossil air-sac material being found in their wings, but we'll have to wait for the paper on that one.

--
Palaeontography. You know it.
~nemo-ramjet:iconnemo-ramjet: Jan 10, 2008, 4:51:49 PM
I'll be damned if your artwork won't appear in places like National Geographic and Science in the next five years... breathtaking!
~Steveoc86:iconSteveoc86: Jan 10, 2008, 5:04:11 PM
Wow! Thanks so much for posting that and for all the hard work! The video was great too.

I was going to ask the old wing configuration question ....but even that was addressed! :)
*jconway:iconjconway: Jan 10, 2008, 5:05:04 PM
Thanks Nemo! Though I'm sure we're both damned anyway...

--
Palaeontography. You know it.
~Heatherbeast:iconHeatherbeast: Jan 10, 2008, 5:15:32 PM
Oh, so awesome! Now I wanna read the primary literature for myself. :) I have an internet detective project for myself tonight!

--
You paged Rodimus Prime with 'It's like a high school popularity contest. With people who have big cannons. And I'm the one that's gonna die.'.
Rodimus Prime (RP) pages: That's the way things go when you get noticed. :)
~Brad-ysaurus:iconBrad-ysaurus: Jan 10, 2008, 10:32:07 PM
This is way too good for what National Geographic prefers to publish these days. Maybe five years ago...

Are the fingers curled under the wing? Every popular image I've seen shows them sticking out the front of it, which now that I think about it is probably silly from an aerodynamic perspective.
~Sphenacodon:iconSphenacodon: Jan 10, 2008, 11:22:59 PM
Wow, this is amazing reference material! It's way better than most of the stuff going into popular mags and books these days, and it looks great too.

They have air sacs in their wings? :-o

--
For various biological musings and sundry notions, visit my blog, the quixotically-titled The World We Don't Live In.

Knowledge = Power = Energy = Matter = Mass
---- Terry Pratchett
*jconway:iconjconway: Jan 11, 2008, 6:34:40 AM
Thanks!

The fingers are on top of the wing. There are a couple of specimens which show this, and none that preclude it. It's very odd that it has become standard to show them on the bottom.

There's no way the fingers would have stick out like you often see during flight (I'm not even sure they could!). And in a lot of the smaller-fingered pterosaurs, the base of digit IV would have projected further forward than any of the other fingers.

Also, the fingers of Anhanguera are absolutely tiny, so they fit snugly into a the little hollow atop digit IV.

--
Palaeontography. You know it.
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