re: flightless pterosaurs

[David Peters <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>]

I don't know of any flightless pterosaurs, but I would imagine finding
them near basal dorygnthids, which have only a tiny triangular sternal
complex extending no further than the second dorsal rib (the first
dorsal rib, or ninth from the skull, does not contact the sternal
complex) and a wading lifestyle ? or in the Triassic, close to the
beginning of flight in pterosaurs, in some sort of form that turned away
from flight back to arboreal leaping, ala Longisquama.

Along the same lines, at least some volant bird nestlings will flap or
at least vibrate their little wings when begging for food. Do flightless
nestlings (ostrich, rhea, etc.) do the same?

David Peters
St. Louis

PS. The largest pterosaur I know of with wing membrane preservation
would be Zhejiangopterus, a small azhdarchid. This and every specimen I
know of, including Sordes, has a narrow chord wing with an upper thigh
connection. If anyone has an example to the contrary, please let me
know.

http://www.pterosaurinfo.com/zhejiang_body_insitu.html
http://www.pterosaurinfo.com/sordes_insitu.html