----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Collinson" <thats_mr_annoying_to_you@yahoo.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2006 11:31 PM
Subject: Re: poling dangers
Does this kill the possibility of swimming/floating
Pteranodon,
I don't think so. Quetz was a flat-water flyer (well inland). Pterodon
flew in areas with substantial wave (marine). Marine takeoff is far easier.
Plus, Pteranodon is not so heavily loaded.
or is it possible pterosaurs employed
other means of getting themselves airborn?
I'd lay odds that different sized pterosaurs used a number of different
techniques to launch. And that some species may have used more than one
technique (particularly the little guys). I do prefer the primarily front
leg driven launch as being primary for the very heavily loaded species.