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July 20, 2002
"It's
a bird, it's a plane, it's a Flying Reptile?"
How many times have you visited the ocean, looked up when a shadow
crossed above you, to find a Pelican scouting the waves for a
meal? Pelicans are large birds, but compared to "Thalassodromeus
sethi" that Pelican was a wimp!
Recent disclosures concerning this "big boy" **pterosaur
reveal that this find is indeed a treasure! With a skull
measuring 4.7 feet and a 15 foot wing span, this species is
bringing excitement in the scientific community.
Found in northeastern Brazil, this reptile with wings, lived
approximately 110 million years ago. Pterosaurs have been studied
for over 200 years. Due to the fragility of the species, finding
intact fossils has been a challenge. The area in Brazil, known as
the Araripe Basin, has yielded many fossils that have been
preserved quite well.
Fortunately, the specimen recently discovered has enabled
scientists to map out details of how it lived, ate and more
insight into the Crest, typical of pterosaurs. This skull is so
well preserved, that we now know the following.
"Sethi" was a skimmer, meaning it flew over their
target feeding areas and with the use of it's
"scissors-like" bill, it snatched it's prey as it glided
over the water.
The Crest was a thin, bony structure packed with blood vessels
that more than likely, acted as it's personal 'air conditioning'
system. In other words, blood temperature was regulated so
that excessive body heat was dissipated through convection. The
colors and patterns of the Crest probably served as a signal to
allow easy recognition of 'kin' or, in pursuit of the opposite
sex.
In addition, the Crest may have aided in aerodynamics. In order to
successfully capture prey, "Seti's" flight was
carefully monitored. Due to the neck being less flexible and the
Crest so large, the ability to dive into the water for prey was
not possible. As a result, the food supply was limited to the
surface water.
The large wing span served many purposes. It allowed for longer
periods of time when it could glide and not have to flap it's
wings as often, saving strength and energy. This also enabled it
to scout for prey, close to the water, for extended periods of
time.
These fascinating details can be found in the July 19, 2002, issue
of Science Magazine.
It never ceases to amaze me, after millions of years, Man has
so much yet to discover.
Nancy, Director of Operations, Editor
**ptero·saur
Pronunciation: 'ter-&-"sor
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin Pterosauria, from Greek pteron
wing + sauros lizard
Date: 1862
Any of an order (Pterosauria) of extinct flying reptiles existing
from the Late Triassic throughout the Jurassic and most of the
Cretaceous and having a featherless wing membrane extending from
the side of the body along the arm to the end of the greatly
elongated fourth digit
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0718_020718_pterosaur