Re: pterosaurs

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

At 01:35 PM 3/30/98 -0500, Patrick Norton wrote:
>Thanks to those who responded off list to my query about pterosaur   
>insulation.  It appears that _Sordes pilosus_ is generally accepted as   
>evidence for a fur-like integument in some pterosaurs, but there seems to   
>be little evidence either way for the Pterodactylus species from the   
>Solnhofen. That seems a bit odd, given the high quality of preservation   
>from those quarries, but is it a fair interpretation of current thinking?   

The high quality of preservation of the Solnhofen is a bit overrated.  While
good at preserving the impression of some structures (flight feathers,
pterosaur wing fibres, etc.) it is lousy at preserving other integument
(contour feathers, scales, and apparently pterosaur hair).  And, of course,
most of the fossils are crushed.

Still, if it weren't for the Solnhofen, we wouldn't know that Archaeopteryx
had feathers.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661