Dinosaur Bird! I want one!

[roseembolism]

Well, Pteradon actually. An article in Azhdarchid Paleobiology suggests that this group of pteradons wasn't actually a shoreline predator as commonly assumed. By studying wing, neck, foot and beak structure and comparig them to modern birds, they came to the conclusion that Azhdarchid actually stalked inland plains, using it's wings as forelegs, and preying upon small dinosaurs.

Well, not THAT small:


 
(image courtesy of Mark Witton/University of Portsmouth)


So why the game tag? I've been considering a flying race for "Under the Green Moon, annd this is a great model for what a realistic large flyer might look like.  I mean, it won't look exactly like that, but it definitely gives me ideas.

Comments

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

That's an awesome article. Thank you for the link!

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I find it hard to wrap my brain around something that big being able to fly.

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

Same here, actually. Though bear in mind a lot of its height is legs and wing...and neck and head. A head with a lot of hollow spaces.

The size of the large pteradons is one reason I decided to run with the idea of a flying hominid for my "Under the Green Moon" game. I decided that with a small stature, hollow bones, and a large enough wingspan, I could have a human-derived flier race. It's part of my weird "Use hard-ish SF rationals in this fantasy game" design ethic.