Munich pterosaur symosium

[david peters <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>]

Hats off to David Hone who assembled a really great conference in Munich aimed 
at pterosaurs Sept 10-14. David brought all the experts and pterosaurs together 
where much spirited discussion and wrangling _could_ have taken place. I 
understand there were some late night/early morning discussions with libations 
that went on. Maybe issues were settled then and there. I don't know. In the 
classroom and out in the halls the mood was rather more docile and diplomatic. 

Lots of UV light pics were on the walls. Specimens from all over Germany. 
Microscopes. Cameras. I think nothing was dropped and all the identifying 
labels made their way back to the cabinets successfully. A trip to Solnhofen 
and the castle/museum at Eichstatt were eye-poppers. 

Professor Wellnhofer, our guest of honor, was humble in the midst of much 
praise. When he began, he was all alone in the field. 

The question of pteroid placement and configuration kept popping up. Those who 
supported the pteroid placement inside the bowl of the preaxial carpal where it 
could rotate anteriorly insisted that the pteroid fit in the bowl and when you 
play with uncrushed specimens (mostly Anhanguera) it rotates to certain spots 
readily. When Chris Bennett showed slide after slide of in-situ specimens from 
lotsa clades demonstrating that a pebble-like sesamoid always fits in the bowl 
of the preaxial carpal and the pteroid articulates lightly medial to it, 
oriented medially, no one from the opposing camp raised their hand in surrender.

David Peters
St. Louis