Wild, isn't it? This video was taken by a man on vacation in New Guinea. It's been viewed by a number of bird experts in the area, and none can properly identify this creature as a recognized species of bird. It's a pterasaur! The locals refer to it as the Ropen.
Despite my above average-knowledge of the topic, I'm still just an amateur dinosaur lover. However, if this is a pterasaur, I can say with confidence the creature that appears in this video, and that has been described by other eye-witnesses, resembles a member of the Rhamphorhynchoidea family. Members of this branch of the pterasaur family tree have smaller bodies than their more famous cousins, and long tails that usually end in a sort of spade shape. It bears a resemblance to a species called Sordes Pilosus, but this animal in the video is said to have a wingspan of about 10 feet, whereas Sordes was much, much smaller.
EDIT: Is it a Magnificent Frigate bird? I've looked into the subject, and it could be. However, this species of bird is not native to this region at all, and eyewitnesses have specifically mentioned this animal being featherless and having wings like a bat, rather than a bird. However, images of the Frigate bird in flight are quite similar.
A frighteningly large number of people who commented on this video on youtube spoke from a religious perspective, claiming the existence of a pterasaur debunks evolution. I think it's silly that they have no idea what evolution entails at all, and yet leave comments like that.
This is a big animal, probably the biggest in its location. It is my experience that any animal that sits pretty on the food chain, never having to worry about getting eaten, couple with a relatively unchanging environment, can remain unchanged for millions of years. No stimulation for evolution, no need for new traits. Look at the horseshoe crab, which has remained unchanged since the dawn of time.
As a bit of trivia, Pterasaurs weren't actually dinosaurs, they belonged to a completely different group. Also, the most famous of Pterasaurs, the Pteradactyl... never existed! There is no species called the Pteradactyl at all! Look it up, I'm not kidding. The animal most commonly called Pteradactly is actually the Pteranodon.
15 comments:
Do a Google Image search on frigate birds and you won't be quite so certain that this is a ropen...
I'm aware of this species of bird, and I guess that's remotely possible. Did you read my entry at all, though?
Papua New Guinea, nowhere near the Magnificent Frigate Bird's distribution area, which is the only species of Frigate Bird that comes close to a 10 foot wingspan.
Also described as having no feathers and bat-like wings. By the people who were taping it as it flew over their heads. BAT-LIKE. Who are you, anyway?
... and to think, I thought it was going to be a post about seagulls.
Also, I'll never look at horseshoe crabs the same way again - good stuff.
What?? Pterodactyls didn't exist??? That means that my whole life has been nothing but a lie! A LIE I TELL YOU!!!
Kinda makes me wish I was more obsessed about bird watching.
kind'a makes me wish i knew what a Pterodactyls is...
Kinda makes me cringe at Gigi's grammar...
G, I hate when you act like you don't understand things - didn't you read the post? So now you know what it was (or possibly is).
Also, while I'm scolding people: Jim, Ray, boys, don't fight, there's no reason we can't argue over possibly nonexistent birds with some civility.
Oh shut up, Len, will you?
no! alex, why don't you shut up. you're not my real dad! i'm calling mom!
haha. yeah, okay, I needed that.
Jim-- one of the fundamental building blocks that you've based your life on is that people are stupid, have you not? And yet you continue to be surprised by their idiocy. You can't evolve into Jimizard until you accept these common facts.
*Jim accepts the facts about himself* Oh my God! Jimizard is evolving!
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She's right, but the level of stupidity always exceeds what I expect. Why are you all still commenting on this fucking post?
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