tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post3374036780908645527..comments2024-03-28T16:36:12.581-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Book Review: Pterosaurs by Mark WittonJames Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-55233394464240914682013-07-19T10:14:09.781-04:002013-07-19T10:14:09.781-04:00I discovered Mr. Witton's work on Flickr years...I discovered Mr. Witton's work on Flickr years and years ago, and have always loved his illustrations. I'm glad to hear that Pterosaurs is just as well written as the lengthy, multiple page entries he used to pen for each pterosaur illustration on his Flickr page!M Althauserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16738624321098122758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-25044419769772796192013-07-17T15:14:12.070-04:002013-07-17T15:14:12.070-04:00As I have understood, there hasn't yet been fo...As I have understood, there hasn't yet been found conclusive evidence proving that this is how they took off, but given that they most likely walked around with those big, strong forelimbs on the ground it seems a likely conclusion (vampire bats are known to do something similar). The initial leap is actually more a push-up than a flap.<br /><br />As I recall, in the book there is a short hint at some recently discovered pterosaur footprints that could support this theory, but apparently the material has yet to be published.<br /><br />Found this video showing the take-off as it is supposed to have been done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALziqtuLxBQ<br /><br />Imagine a giraffe-sized creature doing that. Must have been an incredibly awesome sight.Christoffer Gertz Bechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09476765795031856104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-14728351924490453732013-07-17T14:45:22.914-04:002013-07-17T14:45:22.914-04:00Thanks James and CGB. It's truly amazing to im...Thanks James and CGB. It's truly amazing to imagine a living thing that large soaring overhead!Tom Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04770238579550226268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-71431035087275253232013-07-17T14:17:34.247-04:002013-07-17T14:17:34.247-04:00CGB, thanks for that clarification. You're rig...CGB, thanks for that clarification. You're right. I picture them leaping off with a huge flap of their wings, neck and legs fully extended, to get them started. Exactly how pterosaurs got off the ground has been a "bone" of contention for a long time.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-52946515223206647272013-07-17T14:07:13.100-04:002013-07-17T14:07:13.100-04:00I recently got the book and I can definitely recom...I recently got the book and I can definitely recommend it. It's a truly scientific book with discussions of the evidence and what we could possibly deduct from it, written in an easily accessible and quite humorous style.<br /><br />Among other things, he goes into some detail about why there is very good reason to suppose that those huge azdarchids really did fly - as James say, they were definitely built the way flyers are.<br /><br />A little note: The reconstructions are not quite showing flying pterosaurs at the bottom of a flap cycle, but launching pterosaurs (according to a recent and apparently widely accepted theory about how they managed to get airborne - also described in the book).<br /><br />Another review here: http://pterosaur-net.blogspot.dk/2013/06/pterosaurs-natural-history-evolution.htmlChristoffer Gertz Bechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09476765795031856104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-45064598308262308362013-07-17T13:33:40.297-04:002013-07-17T13:33:40.297-04:00One thing you can see in the fossils: the bones ar...One thing you can see in the fossils: the bones are extremely lightly (but strongly) built, showing that they were light enough to take to the air. The bones of flightless birds such as ostriches still have hollowness compared to other land animals, but they're far heavier built.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-71269731248417550282013-07-17T13:28:31.107-04:002013-07-17T13:28:31.107-04:00Not being versed at all in this topic, I have to w...Not being versed at all in this topic, I have to wonder: Do you happen to know if there's good reason to believe that the giraffe-sized critters DID actually fly, as opposed to having vestigal wings?Tom Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04770238579550226268noreply@blogger.com