Re: Conway's Nyctosaurus Restoration and the CurryWurst Prize

[Unwin <h0662eka@rz.hu-berlin.de>]

Re: Conway's Nyctosaurus Restoration and the CurryWurst Prize

Further to Chris Bennett's comments regarding evidence for a membrane 
supported by the crest in Nyctosaurus I would like to point out that many 
members of the clade Ornithocheiroidea (Istiodactylus (Ornithocheiridae 
(Pteranodontidae+Nyctosaurus))) also have prominent cranial crests that, 
irrespective of the size or age of the individual concerned, have a 
'finished appearance' and that no evidence of a continuation (by the 
integument or something else) of these crests by a membraneous structure 
has been found in any of these specimens. By contrast, in 
non-ornithocheiroids continuation of the crest by non-ossified tissues 
seems to have been the rule and has even been found in specimens from the 
same deposits (e.g. Crato and Santana Formations) from which 
ornithocheiroids are also well known. Moreover, I predict that future 
discoveries of crested ornithocheiroids (in which soft tissues are 
preserved) will also fail to yield any significant evidence for extension 
of the crest by soft tissues. This notwithstanding, in the spirit of the 
Bennett Prize I would like to introduce the CurryWurst prize for the 
first bona fide demonstration of an extensive membrane attaching to or 
associated with the crest of - and lets make this easy - any 
ornithocheiroid (sensu Unwin 2003). The winner will receive a delicious 
CurryWurst of their choice at a splendid ceremony to be held at a local 
Imbiss, but will of course have to come to Berlin to receive their reward 
as they don't mail too well. 

Lecker, lecker, lecker

Dave 


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David M. Unwin PhD

Institut fur Palaontologie, MUSEUM FUR NATURKUNDE 
Zentralinstitut der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin
Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, GERMANY

Email: david.unwin@rz.hu-berlin.de

Telephone numbers:
0049 30 2093 8577 (office)
0049 30 2093 8862 (department secretary)
0049 30 2093 8868 (fax)
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