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Description
A large nocturnal, flying reptile from New Guinea.

On first glance it resembles a pterosaur, but that's only superficial. Megaloncodon is actually another type of archosaur: a drepanosaurid.
However, they share a lot of features together with pterosaurs: their wings for example are basically the same and they use the same squad launch. Drepanosaurids already had a triangular skull which evolved into a true beak too for losing weight. The tail of Ropens are still very wide and flat which might hint at the drepanosaurid Hypuronector being the closest relative.
It's not exactly clear when Ropens' ancestors took to the sky, but it is thought this happened after they became nocturnal. After all they had to compete with pterosaurs for the niche of diurnal flying vertebrates. Simply evolving a nocturnal lifestyle was probably the easiest solution. Nocturnal pterosaurs we know of are anurognathids and possibly Rhamphorhynchus, but these are Late Jurassic animals. At this time, the Ropen family was already evolved into the bigger animals they are today with a different lifestyle than the smaller pterosaurs.

Megaloncodon are good flyers, but most of their time they spend on the ground, living a live that resembles that of a nocturnal Azhdarchid the most. They don't walk around and pick up prey stork-style though, but they let the prey come to them on a very remarkable way: bioluminescence.
The naked skin on the face, but also wingtips and tail have a load of spots that are able to enlighten. Ropen can let them light up seperately at will. For hunting for example they will stand still and let their faces light up so insects get attracted and sensed by the large whiskers of Megaloncodon, which aren't hairs, but fuzz that's probably basal to dinosaurs and pterosaurs or evolved seperately.
Big bugs are eaten, but what the predator is waiting for are larger animals that will come to eat these insects: bats, small mammals, reptiles etc. Their bioluminescence makes them able to also hunt fish and to even attract larger animals, mostly curious youngsters, but adults let themselves get caught too since Ropens are rare and elusive predators.
There are even local legends of Ropen tricking little children to go into the forest, trying to catch the lights but to never return back to their homes once the light turns off.

Courtship and display is the other way bioluminescence is used. Males will fly around at night and light up the parts of their body independantly. Once a mate shows interest, the male will turn up the speed of its body parts sparkling untill the climax of the show is reached and all parts shine together. This has been watched several times by people which resulted in the first descriptions of Megaloncosaurus. It would take decades though before the true animal was discovered and studied.

So, that's it: The Ropen.
Note that I didn't really dig up all the information there is on the web. I just started from the thought that's it's a possible extant pterosaur and that it has bioluminescence. The body plan is based on Trey's silhouette: www.deviantart.com/art/Ropen-S…

Description
A large nocturnal, flying reptile from New Guinea.

On first glance it resembles a pterosaur, but that's only superficial. Megaloncodon is actually another type of archosaur: a drepanosaurid.
However, they share a lot of features together with pterosaurs: their wings for example are basically the same and they use the same squad launch. Drepanosaurids already had a triangular skull which evolved into a true beak too for losing weight. The tail of Ropens are still very wide and flat which might hint at the drepanosaurid Hypuronector being the closest relative.
It's not exactly clear when Ropens' ancestors took to the sky, but it is thought this happened after they became nocturnal. After all they had to compete with pterosaurs for the niche of diurnal flying vertebrates. Simply evolving a nocturnal lifestyle was probably the easiest solution. Nocturnal pterosaurs we know of are anurognathids and possibly Rhamphorhynchus, but these are Late Jurassic animals. At this time, the Ropen family was already evolved into the bigger animals they are today with a different lifestyle than the smaller pterosaurs.

Megaloncodon are good flyers, but most of their time they spend on the ground, living a live that resembles that of a nocturnal Azhdarchid the most. They don't walk around and pick up prey stork-style though, but they let the prey come to them on a very remarkable way: bioluminescence.
The naked skin on the face, but also wingtips and tail have a load of spots that are able to enlighten. Ropen can let them light up seperately at will. For hunting for example they will stand still and let their faces light up so insects get attracted and sensed by the large whiskers of Megaloncodon, which aren't hairs, but fuzz that's probably basal to dinosaurs and pterosaurs or evolved seperately.
Big bugs are eaten, but what the predator is waiting for are larger animals that will come to eat these insects: bats, small mammals, reptiles etc. Their bioluminescence makes them able to also hunt fish and to even attract larger animals, mostly curious youngsters, but adults let themselves get caught too since Ropens are rare and elusive predators.
There are even local legends of Ropen tricking little children to go into the forest, trying to catch the lights but to never return back to their homes once the light turns off.

Courtship and display is the other way bioluminescence is used. Males will fly around at night and light up the parts of their body independantly. Once a mate shows interest, the male will turn up the speed of its body parts sparkling untill the climax of the show is reached and all parts shine together. This has been watched several times by people which resulted in the first descriptions of Megaloncosaurus. It would take decades though before the true animal was discovered and studied.

So, that's it: The Ropen.
Note that I didn't really dig up all the information there is on the web. I just started from the thought that's it's a possible extant pterosaur and that it has bioluminescence. The body plan is based on Trey's silhouette: www.deviantart.com/art/Ropen-S…