Re: Pterosaurs in trees? NOT!

[NJPharris@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-06-18 03:45:22 EDT, tlford@ix.netcom.com (Tracy Ford)
writes:

> If you look at a pterosaurs wing, you’ll notice that it is 
>  long and thin, similar to a gull’s wing. They’re not short
>   and stubby like a sparrow. Pterosaurs wings were too long 
>  for it to fly in and out of trees.

Again, this could be more an artifact of the preferential preservation of
marine and coastal habitats.  In fact, there are a few short-winged genera
(including _Sordes_), which as I recall are from more inland habitats.  This
is probably also why our record of fossil birds is biased towards shorebirds
and waterfowl, even though the owls, woodpeckers, and songbirds must have
been radiating and diversifying at the same time!

NP