Pteranodon longiceps
Amazing Story!
Part 2: Blending Art and Science
The pattern on the back of each of the Pteranodon longiceps marks their reptilian nature. (Shown in the Atrium before the renovations). |
The reconstruction of a creature long gone depends on scientific observations already made in other, relevant situations. This knowledge is not enough. Even with well-preserved, fully articulated skeletons and some fossilized imprints of wings of other pterosaurs as a guide, we still have questions about Pteranodon.
For example, where did the wing attach in the rear: to the hip, to the knee, the ankle? Were its wings stiffened by fibres? Did Pteranodon have naked skin, or did it have a hairy, or perhaps a feather-like covering? Were its feet webbed? Did it have a pelican-like pouch? What colour(s) were males and females?
There are probably as many answers to these and other questions as there are experts. Science progresses -- that is, answers questions -- by proposing ideas backed by evidence and then putting them up for scrutiny. Other evidence, sometimes conflicting, and different ideas are brought forward for consideration. Eventually, most scientists will agree on what seems to be the most plausible explanation. We're not quite there yet with all our questions on Pteranodon, but when a reconstruction of an extinct animal is made, we have to take the leap and base our decisions on the best evidence we have at the time.
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A first few dabs of acrylic paint on its subtly textured outer covering begin to bring the sculpture to life. |
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For example, in our Pteranodon longiceps, our scientific team decided to attach the wing at the knee and to texture the wings to suggest some stiffening fibres. A lightly textured covering was modeled onto the head and the body, but much less so on the wings. Our Pteranodon's feet are not webbed between the toes, as we doubt it spent much time in water or needed the extra boost for steering when flying. We have only the suggestion of a pouch, as we think something larger might have interfered with the efficiency and aerodynamics of pterosaur flight. We assume the bony beak was covered with a sheath of hard keratin, as in birds and turtles. This horny covering is rarely, if ever, preserved. We added this to our sculpture, as well as a hook-like tip to the upper beak to help secure slippery fish. Did Pteranodon really have this feature? We don't know. |
Artist Jean-Guy Auger shows the ancient fish, Enchodus sp. that will be mounted in the mouth of the watchful Pteranodon. |
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Colour does not often preserve in fossils, especially in soft tissues, so to some extent it's guesswork. To arrive at a plausible colour scheme, we looked at today's ecological equivalents of pterosaurs -- the soaring, open-ocean seabirds like albatrosses and shearwaters. We picked light colours for underneath, which would help camouflage it against the sky for fish looking up, and dark colours for the back to blend our Pteranodon into the greenish-blue Cretaceous chalk sea as a way to be less noticeable to its rivals.
We had a little fun with the head and crest: with a nod to brightly coloured male birds like the great blue heron, and the choice of a patterned body to acknowledge the reptilian nature of Pteranodon. The details of the colour, the subtleties of the modeled forms, the pose and the life-like eyes are a tribute to the artistic skills of the sculptors and exhibit designer.
The fish clamped in the beak of one Pteranodon longiceps is a reconstruction of Enchodus, a common predator of Late Cretaceous seas whose fossil bones are found all over the world. It is the first "fleshed-out" reconstruction of this genus that we know about. General body proportions and details of teeth and scales follow those of fossils found in Israel, Lebanon, Kansas and Saskatchewan. The colour pattern is a composite of fast-swimming, predatory fishes of temperate marine waters, such as barracuda, bonito, mackerel and salmon. |
Pterosaur behaviour brings forward another whole set of questions. Did Pteranodon skim the water surface to "grab" at fish, or did it dive, pelican style, into the water? If it landed on the water, could it take off again? Did Pteranodon fold and tuck its wings and walk reasonably well on land, or was it an awkward hobble using the wings for support? Fortunately in our Pteranodon longiceps pose, with both individuals already in flight and with one carrying a fish, we can avoid answering all of these questions! |
This fossil of a head and jaws of this Enchodus sp. clearly shows some of the fierce teeth. One of its jaws is turned upside-down. Catalogue: CMN41107 |
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