On the size and flight diversity of giant pterosaurs, the use of birds as pterosaur analogues and comments on pterosaur flightlessness.

Mark P Witton, Michael B Habib

November 2010

Synopsis of Social media discussions

Several discussions highlight various aspects of the research, including the effectiveness of the proposed alternatives to bird comparisons for analyzing pterosaurs. For instance, one participant emphasized the erroneous assumptions regarding the flight capabilities of giant pterosaurs, using phrases like 'flight-adapted' and 'significant variation' to stress important findings. Additionally, references to the potential impacts on fields such as paleoecology demonstrate the broad relevance of the paper, suggesting users are keenly aware of its implications.

A
Agreement
 Moderate agreement

Overall, discussions reflect a positive reception of the article's insights, with many users affirming its findings regarding pterosaur flight dynamics.

I
Interest
 High level of interest

There is a strong interest in the topic, as users actively share and engage with related media and discussions about pterosaurs.

E
Engagement
 High engagement

Many discussions delve deeply into specific features of pterosaur anatomy and flight mechanics, indicating high levels of engagement among participants.

I
Impact
 High level of impact

Participants believe that the findings could lead to significant advancements in understanding pterosaur biology and ecology.

Social Mentions

YouTube

5 Videos

Facebook

8 Posts

Twitter

81 Posts

Blogs

21 Articles

News

30 Articles

Metrics

Video Views

460,751

Total Likes

16,871

Extended Reach

1,267,709

Social Features

145

Timeline: Posts about article

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  • Darren Naish
    @TetZoo (Twitter)

    @Shadi_Shin_09 Yes. Check out Witton & Habib (2010) ... https://t.co/XU7f5aOe23
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    November 11, 2020

    1


  • @FrecklesXX20 (Twitter)

    RT @TetZoo: The giant size of (some!) #azhdarchids has inevitably led to suggestions that they were flightless. But this is not consistent…
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    September 14, 2020

    2

  • Zeible
    @zable_helen (Twitter)

    RT @TetZoo: The giant size of (some!) #azhdarchids has inevitably led to suggestions that they were flightless. But this is not consistent…
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    September 13, 2020

    2

  • Jelperman
    @Jelperman (Twitter)

    RT @TetZoo: The giant size of (some!) #azhdarchids has inevitably led to suggestions that they were flightless. But this is not consistent…
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    September 13, 2020

    2

  • Darren Naish
    @TetZoo (Twitter)

    The giant size of (some!) #azhdarchids has inevitably led to suggestions that they were flightless. But this is not consistent with numerous flight adaptations seen across their skeletons. @MarkWitton & @aeroevo explained this in a 2010 @PLOSONE paper: https://t.co/XU7f5aOe23
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    September 13, 2020

    30

    2

  • Darren Naish
    @TetZoo (Twitter)

    @LikesPterosaurs It's by @MarkWitton and was used in publicity for the Witton & Habib 2010 paper on pterosaur flight abilities (https://t.co/XU7f5aOe23).
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    June 25, 2020

    3

  • Maxime Duprez
    @maximaxoo (Twitter)

    @alan_poirier We can't be sure they actually flew. But they probably could physiologically do it, the question has been extensively studied (e.g. : https://t.co/abOERMrNOl)
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    April 18, 2020

    3

  • Michael Greshko
    @michaelgreshko (Twitter)

    @CHSommers Yes! That's Quetzalcoatlus northropi, one of the largest animals ever to fly. At its biggest, it had a 30-foot wingspan or so and weighed 550 lbs, if not more. https://t.co/ymp1Ce1p2y It probably spent much of its time stalking prey on land, like a stork: https://t.co/idYARW7Xoy
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    September 13, 2019

  • Vladimir Dinets
    @VladimirDinets (Twitter)

    @HenlakeBats @CrytzerFry https://t.co/MFLKFmq9le page 159. https://t.co/X29z0JHRxF You can also ask Mark Witton here on Twitter, or look up old articles about it on TetZoo - there's been a few.
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    September 1, 2019

    3

Abstract Synopsis

  • Giant pterosaurs have been studied extensively for their size and flight capabilities, but current interpretations often misapply bird biomechanics due to anatomical differences, leading to errors in assessing their flight abilities.
  • Previous assumptions that giant pterosaurs were too lightweight for flight or possibly flightless are based on flawed analyses of their wing structure and launch mechanics, which overlook the unique scaling and strength of pterosaur bones.
  • The diverse forms within the giant pterosaur classification imply significant variation in their ecological roles and flight characteristics, necessitating a cautious approach to broad conclusions about their flight capabilities.