Re: pterosaur femora sprawl

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

Dave Peters (davidpeters@att.net) wrote:

<Until I see an example of the kinematics of quadrupedal launching from a 
horizontal surface, I can't envision it. Not when pterosaur ancestors and the 
first pterosaurs were incapable of touching the ground with their forelimbs 
(while balancing glenoids over toes) -- and they had big thighs with a pelvis 
1/3 the torso length.>

  I'd like to see some published, anatomical evidence to back this statement 
up, especially given that most pterosaurs seem ill-suited for not only bipedal 
stance, but exclusively bipedal standing. That basal pterosaurs are 
particularly suiting it seems to stand quadrupedally given the size/flexibility 
of their manus/wrist.

  Anyways, please, I'd like to see a paper describing why a pterosaur is 
ill-suited to walking quadrupedally.

Cheers,

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

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