Baby Pterosaurs Took to Skies Just Days After Hatching – But Storms Proved Fateful

Baby Pterosaurs Could Fly Right After Hatching, But Crashed in Storms A groundbreaking discovery at the Museum Bergér in Harthof, Germany, has revealed that baby pterodactyls could fly just days after hatching. However, their fledgling wings were no match for the fury of tropical storms, which sent them crashing into a lagoon where they drowned. According to Dr. David Unwin and Robert Smyth, researchers at the University of Leicester, UK, who made the discovery, the tiny pterodactyls had wing structures similar to those of adults, with the power and aerodynamic features necessary for flight. "We were shocked," said Dr. Unwin. "And we're not easily shocked. It just sort of leapt out of the rock when we put the UV light on it." The discovery was made while inspecting fossils at the Solnhofen site in southern Germany, where hundreds of pterosaur fossils lie encased in limestone. The researchers used ultraviolet light to examine the fossils and came across two tiny hatchlings with identical breaks in their wings. "It just sort of leapt out of the rock when we put the UV light on it," Dr. Unwin recalled. "We both kind of went, 'Bloody hell! Look at this!'" The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of pterosaur development and behavior. "This changes everything we thought we knew about how these creatures grew and developed," said Dr. Unwin. Background and Context Pterodactyls are a group of flying reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era, around 228-66 million years ago. They were characterized by their wings, which were formed from a membrane of skin and other tissues. The discovery of baby pterosaurs with functional wings has been a topic of debate among paleontologists for years. Additional Perspectives Dr. Mark Witton, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth, said that the discovery is "a game-changer" for our understanding of pterosaur development. "It's clear that these young birds were capable of flight from an early age," he said. However, Dr. Witton also noted that the discovery raises questions about the survival strategies of baby pterosaurs in their natural environment. "If they could fly just days after hatching, what did they eat? How did they avoid predators?" Current Status and Next Developments The researchers are now working to analyze more fossils from the Solnhofen site to see if they can find any other evidence of baby pterosaurs with functional wings. They also plan to study the wing structure of adult pterodactyls to learn more about how these creatures developed their flying abilities. As for Dr. Unwin and his team, they are already planning their next move. "We're excited to see where this discovery takes us," said Dr. Unwin. "It's a new frontier in paleontology." *Reporting by Newscientist.*