tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post4218258767447628040..comments2023-10-25T04:04:15.348-07:00Comments on When Pigs Fly Returns: Nyctosaurus 2.0Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692080707969333711noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post-79437450431006949622010-05-18T04:41:11.944-07:002010-05-18T04:41:11.944-07:00Is it possible that Nyctosaurus didn't walk, b...Is it possible that Nyctosaurus didn't walk, but only swam or flew? The only reason it'd really need to come to land would be to nest - so what if it was viviparous? Looking at the structure of known pterosaur eggs, viviparity should be possible.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09113709144577887811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post-28122701125912186622008-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:002008-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00Coolness! (I wish Euparkeria were coming along ha...Coolness! (I wish <I>Euparkeria</I> were coming along half so well...)Dicing with Dragonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03132972790091524968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post-8874752177419182592008-03-12T22:03:00.000-07:002008-03-12T22:03:00.000-07:00Wow, if I didnt know better I would say that was b...Wow, if I didnt know better I would say that was by a different artist than the last one. Great job. <BR/><BR/>The quadrupedal posture is very well done. And yes, the humeri would have stuck straight out laterally when on the ground, and this goes for, at least, all pterodactyloids, but probably all pterosaurs, as well. When you look at the tracks the hand prints always lie outside of the foot prints. I guess it would have walked like it had broom handles tied to its wrists.<BR/><BR/> The terminal wing phalanx is preserved in one of the two specimens, and its is strongly curved as John shows, but it isnt always such. The curvature of the terminal wing phalanx can very from almost straight to quite bent looking. Pteranodon shows this pattern as well so it could be widely spread among pterosaurs. <BR/><BR/>On the relative size of the skull, where the skull is roughly equal to or exceeds the length of the entire axial column, Ive noticed this often as well, especially among the ornithocheiroids.<BR/><BR/>The brow ridges (at least thats what it looks like) are a little weird, no pterosaur has such a structure to my knowledge. With the obvious exception of the antler, the frontals were basically flat though slightly arching over the orbital area.<BR/><BR/>Go here http://tinyurl.com/3dm4dx and play with the "Roll" movie and you can easily get a feel for what was happening. It is a specimen of Anhanguera but the sukll of Nyctosaurus was not very different, both were ornithochiroids. The most noticible difference is really only in the shape of the jugal and in how steeply inclined the premaxilla is in Anhanguera, other wise the skulls are very similar in its structure and makes a good model.<BR/><BR/>The base of the antler in your reconstruction needs to be beefier and not quit so posteriorly inclined, Id say curve it anteriorly by about 4 or 5 degrees.<BR/><BR/>The wing membrane could sinch up pretty tight when the the wing was folded, take a look at specimens of Pterodactylus that show trace of the brachiopatagium.<BR/><BR/>Well, thats it I think... sory for the bookChristopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01159108424094927362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post-15363391603078654102008-03-12T21:59:00.000-07:002008-03-12T21:59:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01159108424094927362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38902250.post-18098572790695814842008-03-12T17:43:00.000-07:002008-03-12T17:43:00.000-07:00and the third phalange is strongly bentMinor point...<B><I>and the third phalange is strongly bent</I></B><BR/><BR/>Minor point: there's no such thing as a "phalange." It's "phalanx." Just FYI! The pic is great...it's always nice when evolution can produce an animal with arrows leading to the rest of it's body. ;-Ddinogamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14959197175594052460noreply@blogger.com