A Japanese researcher has put paleo-biologists in a flap by suggesting pterosaurs -- the winged lizards beloved of toymakers and dino movies -- were unable to fly, New Scientist says.
... already had (somewhat) reduced genome sizes prior to the evolution of birds (Organ et al. 2007) have followed up their study by estimating the genome sizes of several species of pterosaurs.
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... is significant because it originated in Brazil and is the only example of the Chaoyangopteridae, a group of toothless pterosaurs, to be found outside China and is the largest one ever discovered...
Remains of two potentially new prehistoric species have been unearthed in the Sahara: a pterosaur, or flying reptile, and a sauropod, a barrel-bodied, long-necked herbivore.
... model and simply couldn't find a mathematical solution that would enable the largest of the pterosaurs — using hind legs alone — to launch at all.
"But using all four legs, it takes less than a ...
... for prey. Because they evolved from reptiles prior to modern birds, it was once believed that pterosaurs were primitive, passive fliers. They were seen as gliders, rather than skillfull hunters.
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New analysis of a well-preserved pterosaur fossil has revealed
that the creature had uniquely complex wing membranes and a
covering of fibers quite different from the hair on modern
mammals.
Caught in the act in the dinosaur age, pterosaur feet left
behind footprints that show a hopping, birdlike landing, say
discoverers of the first known pterosaur landing tracks.
Chinese and British palaeontologists have identified a crow-sized fossil that they believe fills a key gap in our understanding of the mysterious flying reptiles known as pterosaurs.
... in PLoS ONE this week, by researchers at the University of Portsmouth on one particular type of pterosaur, the azhdarchids, claims they were more likely to stalk animals on foot than to fly.
Until ...
... capabilities. Mimicking the physical and biological characteristics of the Early Cretaceous Brazilian pterosaur Tapejara wellnhoferi -- skin, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, nerves, cranial plate, ...
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A comparison of pterosaur fossils and bird bones indicates that the flying reptiles had to walk around and launch into the air on four "legs."
Using "Schwarzenegger" strength, the ancient flying reptiles could make a leaping launch from flat ground in less than a second, a new study says.
Study: Pterosaurs used 4 legs to lift off ... 'Red tide' linked to nutrient pollution ... 'Scrawny' gene keeps stem cells healthy ... How Reblochon gets its distinctive flavor ... Health/Science news ...
... of the largest flying vertebrates.
"We offer a reconstruction of the breathing system in pterosaurs, one that proposes the existence of a mechanism with the same essential structure to that of ...
