The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats
The highly pneumatic skeleton of the extinct flying pterosaurs suggests that they would float high up on open water, but in a posture rather different to that of birds. However, the exact posture of the body and head remains unknown and would be critical for an ocean going pterosaur forced onto the...
Published in: | Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2014
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 |
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ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 2024-01-28T10:04:57+01:00 The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats Hone, David W. E. Henderson, Donald M. 2014-01-15 https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Hone , D W E & Henderson , D M 2014 , ' The posture of floating pterosaurs : Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats ' , Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , vol. 394 , pp. 89-98 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 Pterosauria Buoyancy Mass Locomotion Ecology Behaviour SAUROPOD DINOSAURS NECK POSTURE BODY-MASS FLIGHT GERMANY BIOMECHANICS EQUILIBRIUM PTERANODON EVOLUTION LIMESTONE article 2014 ftubristolcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 2024-01-04T23:41:42Z The highly pneumatic skeleton of the extinct flying pterosaurs suggests that they would float high up on open water, but in a posture rather different to that of birds. However, the exact posture of the body and head remains unknown and would be critical for an ocean going pterosaur forced onto the waters' surface or animals that alighted to feed. Using computational methods with recent models and body mass estimates for four pterosaur genera-Dimorphodon, Rhamphorhynchus, Pteranodon and Dsungaripterus we show that the floating posture of pterodactyloid pterosaurs led to the head, neck and body being horizontal with the ventral 1/4 to 1/3 being immersed, and the external nares being almost at or potentially partially below, the waterline that could have left them vulnerable to drowning. The floatation methods were verified using a model of a Canada goose (Branta canadensis) that is able to successfully replicate the expected orientation and depth of immersion of the bird. While there is convincing ev'idence for a number of pterosaurs foraging in marine and freshwater environments, these results suggest that many did not regularly rest on the surface of the water and if immersed would need to take off again rapidly. The high numbers of fossils of juvenile pterosaurs compared to the terrestrial Mesozoic dinosaurs suggest that this may be linked to their floating posture. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Article in Journal/Newspaper Branta canadensis Canada Goose University of Bristol: Bristol Research Canada Nares ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450) Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 394 89 98 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Bristol: Bristol Research |
op_collection_id |
ftubristolcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Pterosauria Buoyancy Mass Locomotion Ecology Behaviour SAUROPOD DINOSAURS NECK POSTURE BODY-MASS FLIGHT GERMANY BIOMECHANICS EQUILIBRIUM PTERANODON EVOLUTION LIMESTONE |
spellingShingle |
Pterosauria Buoyancy Mass Locomotion Ecology Behaviour SAUROPOD DINOSAURS NECK POSTURE BODY-MASS FLIGHT GERMANY BIOMECHANICS EQUILIBRIUM PTERANODON EVOLUTION LIMESTONE Hone, David W. E. Henderson, Donald M. The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
topic_facet |
Pterosauria Buoyancy Mass Locomotion Ecology Behaviour SAUROPOD DINOSAURS NECK POSTURE BODY-MASS FLIGHT GERMANY BIOMECHANICS EQUILIBRIUM PTERANODON EVOLUTION LIMESTONE |
description |
The highly pneumatic skeleton of the extinct flying pterosaurs suggests that they would float high up on open water, but in a posture rather different to that of birds. However, the exact posture of the body and head remains unknown and would be critical for an ocean going pterosaur forced onto the waters' surface or animals that alighted to feed. Using computational methods with recent models and body mass estimates for four pterosaur genera-Dimorphodon, Rhamphorhynchus, Pteranodon and Dsungaripterus we show that the floating posture of pterodactyloid pterosaurs led to the head, neck and body being horizontal with the ventral 1/4 to 1/3 being immersed, and the external nares being almost at or potentially partially below, the waterline that could have left them vulnerable to drowning. The floatation methods were verified using a model of a Canada goose (Branta canadensis) that is able to successfully replicate the expected orientation and depth of immersion of the bird. While there is convincing ev'idence for a number of pterosaurs foraging in marine and freshwater environments, these results suggest that many did not regularly rest on the surface of the water and if immersed would need to take off again rapidly. The high numbers of fossils of juvenile pterosaurs compared to the terrestrial Mesozoic dinosaurs suggest that this may be linked to their floating posture. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hone, David W. E. Henderson, Donald M. |
author_facet |
Hone, David W. E. Henderson, Donald M. |
author_sort |
Hone, David W. E. |
title |
The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
title_short |
The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
title_full |
The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
title_fullStr |
The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
title_full_unstemmed |
The posture of floating pterosaurs:Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
title_sort |
posture of floating pterosaurs:ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1f2934d0-b54d-4ef5-8cab-2fb5976a8d86 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450) |
geographic |
Canada Nares |
geographic_facet |
Canada Nares |
genre |
Branta canadensis Canada Goose |
genre_facet |
Branta canadensis Canada Goose |
op_source |
Hone , D W E & Henderson , D M 2014 , ' The posture of floating pterosaurs : Ecological implications for inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats ' , Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , vol. 394 , pp. 89-98 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.11.022 |
container_title |
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
container_volume |
394 |
container_start_page |
89 |
op_container_end_page |
98 |
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1789330947978559488 |