Re: What the fossil record tells us about trends in pterosaur diversity

[David Peters <davidpeters@att.net>]

> Mike Habib wrote:

> The problem here is that it will appear that way whenever you have  
> a few good sites providing most of the material.  In other words,  
> because the German and Chinese Lagerstatte provide most of our high- 
> resolution information, they will appear to have preserved the  
> transition intervals, essentially by definition.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> --Mike

Yes and perhaps not, IMHO. The transition from dinos to birds  
happened in China. The transition from longtailed to shorttailed  
pterosaurs happened in Solnhofen -- unless the transitions were  
happening worldwide and only preserved at these two locations. Seems  
doubtful considering present day analogs. Still the timing is right.  
Not sure about the Chinese geography, but as I recall, the Solnhofen  
geography was made up of isolated islands with lots of beach front  
property. Sort of like the Galapagos, only on a larger scale? Prime  
real estate for changes to occur.

I see your point about observational bias. Pteros and birds are  
favorites. Mammoths and placoderms are not.

So, do certain niches with variable landscape and weather seem to  
accelerate change? And do such landscapes create Lagerstatte?

>

David Peters
davidpeters@att.net