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Flying Reptile The Size of A Small Airplane

Posted by Zonk on from the mind-the-droppings dept.

An anonymous reader wrote to mention a New Zealand Herald article about a pterosaur that has been discovered to have an almost 18 meter wingspan. From the article: "A Spitfire has a wingspan of 11m and has to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Pterosaurs did it on a diet of fish and a superb ability to utilise air currents, thermals and ground effects. There is nothing close to pterosaurs alive today. Pterosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, they left no descendants and we don't know quite what their closest relative was."

8 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. What about Quetzlcoatlus? by c0l0 · · Score: 3, Informative

    If I recall correctly, there was a spwan of the pterosauri constantly appearing in the books I read all the time in my early childhood with an estimated wingspan of about 15 to 18 meters, as well.

    I am NOT going to watch quietly Quetzlcoatlus getting buried in oblivion!!1 :-(

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  2. This story is useless... by 9Nails · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...without photographs!

    How can you say, hey I found something really cool! And then don't show any one. I mean, really?! Come on!

  3. Speak for yourself by Lifewish · · Score: 4, Informative

    Quetzalcoatlus

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  4. better compare it to a glider. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Todays gliders made of composites have a wingspan of 18 meters. Actually they vary from 15 to 24 meters, but 18 meter is a standard class. Optimal speed is usually around 90 km/h and minimum speed is around 70 km/h. Of course a glider is built to carry a payload of about 100 kg.

  5. Re:Stupid comparison by Velox_SwiftFox · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yah, the Gossamer Albatross has a wingspan of over 29 meters and it runs on the leg muscles of a human.

  6. Re:I may be wrong here by masklinn · · Score: 3, Informative

    They are reptiles, related to dinosaurs but not considered dinosaurs themselves, and have no close relationship to birds.

    Birds-related dinosaurs were small theropods (bipedal carnivorous, Tyranosorus Rex and Velociraptor are theropods for example, but not from the line that led to birds)

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  7. What about performance? by mangu · · Score: 4, Informative
    ...scientists are confused because animals are more efficient than machines...


    It depends on how you define "efficient". TFA doesn't clarify exactly with which version of "Spitfire" they were comparing the Pterosaur, but a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIX has a top speed of 740 km/h, maximum weight of 4082 kg on take-off, flying range of 2495 km, reaches up to 13100 meters altitude. All this with a wingspan of just 9.95 meters. I would like to see any living being top those specs.

  8. Re:Extrapolating to an absurdity. by ptomblin · · Score: 4, Informative

    It is you who are being absurd.

    Yes, they've only found fragments of wing bones of these very large ones. But those fragments are exactly like the wing bones of smaller pterosaurs which they already have complete skeletons for, only larger. The statement about legs and knuckles is based on more complete skeletons from smaller specimens.

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