Re: Killer Pterosaurs?

[Steve Kary <mrstevo@hotmail.com>]

Hello,


I'm just a second(ish) year paleontology student transferring to the 
University of Alberta in September but I'd like to comment on this as my 
first contribution.

In my opinion, dinosaur species were less diverse than in previous times. 
They also were probably more specialized and had a limited scope of 
environmental potential...and while their ranges may have been large, a 
slight change would vastly limit those ranges and therefore constrict 
populations. This would mean that a combination of things, such as 
Angiosperms taking over traditional Gymnosperm environments, climate changes 
etc., would hit like the equivalent of a semi-truck running into an ant 
hill. This, of course, would be moving at a much slower pace but still 
effective all the same. Therefore, a single cause would not only be less 
likely, but would be almost impossible to locate and then prove. If what 
I've said is right (or even partly so), a combination of effects had primed 
the non-avian dinosaurs for the final KO punch from a celestial body.

Therefore, I suggest that even without knowledge of how pathology can move 
through a lineage, we can rule out any single disease carried by Pterosaurs 
or any other carriers as a main cause of extinction. It may have contributed 
to the demise of one or more lineage but is certainly not to blame. My 
personal opinion is that disease didn't wipe them out. I don't know much 
about pathological movement and infection, but I certainly can't think of 
any disease in modern times that could threaten to put an entire genus of 
animals to extinction, nevermind almost an entire Class.

Hope I didn't make an fool of myself there with misinformation and silly 
antics,

Steve