Re: Floating pterosaurs

["jrc" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

It's looking like it was feasible in a calm.  Needless to say, it would be 
easier in a wind, at least till the velocities started to match.  The KJ1 & 
KJ2 specimens of  Nyctosaurus were found near the center of the gyre of the 
WIS.
JimC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tommy Tyrberg" <tommy.tyrberg@norrkoping.mail.telia.com>
To: <jrccea@bellsouth.net>; <dannj@alphalink.com.au>
Cc: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 12:52 PM
Subject: SV: Floating pterosaurs


I must say that based on my experience of large seabirds I strongly
doubt that it was mechanically feasible for the larger pterosaurs to
take off from water in a calm, but that it was probably possible in a
moderate headwind.

Note that it is not absolutely necessary for seabirds to be able to land
on water. Frigatebirds can't, but still spend most of their lives over
the sea. However they don't occur in Mid-ocean (unless there are
islands, like Ascension). However I suppose it is not very likely that
any fossil pterosaurs are known from abyssal sediments.

Tommy Tyrberg