HOME | DD
LEXLOTHOR — Soaring
Published: 2008-11-11 04:50:11 +0000 UTC; Views: 1914; Favourites: 75; Downloads: 28
Redirect to original
Description
If you like this picture you may like others in my paleo gallery:[link]
This was the cover illustration for an article I published in the ASFA Quarterly in 1986. I wanted to share with the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists my knowledge on body size and scaling. This is a fanciful picture of the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi. It is the largest flying animal known in the history of life.
I subsequently copied the black and white ink drawing and hand colored it as you see here.
art (c) John P. Alexander
Related content
Comments: 7
THANX.
My brother and I belonged to an Explorer Scout soaring club when we were young. I became a paleontologist. My brother is an airospace engineer. That's him in the cockpit.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
oh wow that is very kool
great job i love it
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thanks for further elaborating on the aerodynamic functions of pterosaur physiology. I suppose rear-mounted control devices like Rhamphorynchus' tail-rudder would be less practical on several levels for its larger future relations (especially when grounded). Indeed, Quetzalcoatlus' crest & extended neck make for an interesting reversal of rudder-placement...I imagine this giant was far more leery of abrupt maneuvers.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
An elegant portrayal of a truly incredible creature. I'm especially impressed by the subtly scalloped wing structure and control-surface membranes linking ankles to pelvis.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Subsequent to drawing this picture there have been computer simulations and scale model flights to determine how this creature flew. The petagium on the legs was vital for stability as was the crest on the head. The larger the pterosaur, the more likely it was to have a large crest. The spoilers on the leading edge of the wings were equally important. These were controlled by wrist elements. The notion that the wings of pterosaurs came to sharp points makes no aerodynamic sense. The tips were probable more paddle shaped like this.
BTW: I actually spent a long weekend in the Big Bend of Texas with Wann Langston the discoverer of Quetzalcoatlus during an SVP fieldtrip. I visited the actual spot where the type specimen was found, a nondescript arroyo by the roadside.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0