Re: Fwd: the largest Pterosaur

[jrc <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

Mike, the Hatz humerus doesn't look any more robust than the northropi 
humerus to me, and the dp crest is less robust, and might remain so even 
after restoration of degradation.  I don't think the fossil record is 
definitive yet.  I just measured a northropi humerus, and the proximal end 
measures a little over 11.5 inches (0.29 m) in a straight line from the aft 
side of the humerus to the anterior tip of the delto-pectoral crest.  The 
distance between the same points measured along the periphery of the bone 
measures a LOT more, roughly 1.75 feet (0.53 m)
JimC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MICHAEL HABIB" <habib@jhmi.edu>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: the largest Pterosaur


> Very nice work, Mark.  The scale diagram really runs home how large the 
> animals were.  I wonder if Hatzegopteryx actually outweighed Q. northropi, 
> though.  The images of the Hatzegopteryx humerus do not suggest to me an 
> animal any more robust than Q. northropi, though I admit to having only 
> seen images and not the actually specimen.  The wingspan may have indeed 
> been larger, but that may not be a particularly good correlate of mass in 
> this case.  Any thoughts?
>
> --Mike H.