Re: A note on pterosaur nesting behavior

[David Peters <davidrpeters@charter.net>]

Imagine a bat baby buried.
The wear and tear on the wing and hind limb membrane as it escapes its  
burial chamber would be problematic.

While all fossils are buried, the indications of the present three  
embryos do not indicate intentional burial.

If buried, evidently pterosaurs buried their eggs one at a time.

If lepidosaurs, the eggs could have been laid within a short time of  
hatching, which is the present indication.

David Peters


On Jul 23, 2009, at 10:57 PM, Mike Habib wrote:

> On Jul 23, 2009, at 6:25 PM, David Peters wrote:
>
> > New paper on ptero eggs
> >
> > Grellet-Tinner, Gerald, Wroe, Stephen, Thompson, Michael B. and Ji,  
> > Qiang(2007)'A note on pterosaur nesting
> > behavior',Historical Biology,19:4,273 — 277
> >
> > Assuming they were archosaur eggs, yes, the eggs would probably  
> > have to be buried.
> > But if not archosaurs, the possibilities expand.
>
> Based on the data in the paper, I don't entirely agree that the egg  
> burial model depends on an archosaurian position.  The structural  
> traits examined by the authors are also indicative of egg burial in  
> living squamates, for example.  I don't see how alternative  
> phylogenetic positions would actually change the functional  
> conclusion based on physiological correlates in this case.   
> Regardless, and interesting paper and well worth the quick read for  
> anyone with an interest in pterosaurs.
>
> Cheers,
>
> --Mike
>
>
> Michael Habib, M.S.
> PhD. Candidate
> Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution
> Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
> 1830 E. Monument Street
> Baltimore, MD 21205
> (443) 280-0181
> habib@jhmi.edu