Re: Pterosaur wing membranes

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

David Peters (davidrpeters@earthlink.net) wrote:

<If the membrane in question has ordered (parallel) actinofibrils, then it may
be ripped off of the wing finger. If not ordered, as in the example of Sordes,
then the membrane may be considered uropatagial. Somebody get a microscope on
it!>

  Parallel aktinofibrils do not neccessarily apply to "torn" material, only to
relaxed, nonstretched skin between then, as when the wing are folded, which is
the case in *Sordes* as well, so arguing for torn wing material as Dave did in
1996 in reply to Unwin and Bakhurina, does not neccessarily follow. An extended
uropatagium, if it existed, would also show a radial arrangement of any
embedded fibres, if present, and parallel when relaxed.

  In addition, it is also likely that leg-based "fillets" are responsible for
the leg-based membranes in *Sordes*, just as much as a ankle-to-arm broad
chord.

  Cheers,

Jaime A. Headden
http://bitestuff.blogspot.com/

"Innocent, unbiased observation is a myth." --- P.B. Medawar (1969)

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