Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

100-million-year-old Pterosaur Fossil Discovered

Posted by timothy on from the big-weird-head dept.

choka writes: "According to Wired news, A 100-million-year-old skull of one of the weirdest creature has been discovered in Brazil. The fossilised pterosaur skull belongs to one of the world's first flying vertebrates and its head measures 4.5 feet long due to the size of its GIANT crest. The story is here. New Scientist has pictures."

17 comments

  1. well now by DopeThrone · · Score: 0

    The crest is covered by a network of grooves that Kellner said represented an extensive system of blood vessels that the pterosaur may have employed to regulate its body temperature -- in this case, cooling off.
    Bennett called this "a reasonable conclusion," but said there is "an awful lot of evidence to suggest that crests were used for sexual display" in other pterosaurs.
    i bet he was popular with the cavewomen

    --

    Righteousness postpones the inevitable
    http://burningaureole.caveism.net
  2. About pterosaurs... by SofaMan · · Score: 2, Informative

    The fossilised pterosaur skull belongs to one of the world's first flying vertebrates

    I don't think this is accurate. The article states that the skull is only 100 million years old, and pterosaurs had been around since about 225 million years ago.

    Damn freaky looking thing though. :)

    --

    SofaMan -- Occasionally Battling Evil With His Mighty Powers Of Indolence.

    1. Re:About pterosaurs... by spockguy · · Score: 1

      I find it highly illogical people actually believe a delicate fossil could survive for 100 million years. I have an excellent bridge I would like sell anyone who believes such nonsense.

  3. Fruit Loops by Treeluvinhippy · · Score: 1

    The New Scientist depiction looks similar to what Toucan Sam would be, if he was designed by a mad scientist on acid instead of some marketing exec.

    --
    >
  4. News as always by Stary · · Score: 2
    Slashdot. News for Nerds. Stuff that matters.

    According to Wired news, A 100-million-year-old skull of one of the weirdest creature has been discovered in Brazil.

    Now, according to the article:
    The 100-million-year-old skull was discovered in 1983 in Brazil

    I mean, ok, slashdot is usually a bit behind but this reaches new heights... You're 19 years late guys! :)

    --
    Tomorrow will be cancelled due to lack of interest
    1. Re: News as always by Black+Parrot · · Score: 1

      > Now, according to the article: The 100-million-year-old skull was discovered in 1983 in Brazil

      > I mean, ok, slashdot is usually a bit behind but this reaches new heights... You're 19 years late guys!

      It doesn't sound so bad if you calculate that as a percentage of the dinosaur's age.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    2. Re:News as always by Peter+T+Ermit · · Score: 2, Informative

      It took this long to analyze its function, which was published in this week's Science magazine (along with the giant-brained mutant mice, which I thought was a much cooler story.)

  5. not much changes.... by 3rd_Floo · · Score: 1

    ...even 100-million years ago life was all about sex... eh, explains it all! :P

  6. Wingspan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I once heard that an albatross or condor wingspan was about as long as was physically possible, yet these pterosaurs seem bigger. What am I missing?