Comments on: Azhdarchids: Sky Dragons

By: springheeledjack

springheeledjack — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:34:33 +0000

Just goes to show you that there are strange things in the world, even if most of them did die out. Mother Nature loves infinite variety and after looking at Azhdarchid, who knows what other strange things may have existed, and more importantly, may exist now.

By: Dragonheart

Dragonheart — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:03:17 +0000

Wow, those guys were huge! Thank you for the great article Loren!

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:14:45 +0000

Awesome, terrifying creatures…
Would not want to even see one in real life.

“There were giants in the earth in those days…”

By: Scrabbydoo

Scrabbydoo — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:02:48 +0000

Wow! Truly amazing looking creatures! That has to be the most fascinating pterosaur I’ve ever seen!

The drawings depict better foot like structures on their limbs than any other pterosaurs that I’ve looked at. They mainly just had claws at the end of their limbs. One of the articles says that they were small padded feet, like a mammals paws maybe? How fast could they move on the ground? Could they run and take off or did they need a cliff or hill to take to the air? Hmm I think I must now go to Google and find out! LOL

Great find guys!

By: MattBille

MattBille — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:55:51 +0000

It’s a stunning bit of new thinking, and kudos to Darren. The only thing that gives me pause is whether the largest of these creatures were capable of a quick takeoff while stalking on flat ground – a necessity for survival in an environment with big, fast, bipedal predators. They look awfully vulnerable if actually caught on the ground, especially given the largely unsupported membranes of pterosaur wings – one good tear, and they’re ground-bound.
I’m also puzzled that evolution did not select for bigger, stronger feet.

(Just for fun addition – the “science says bees can’t fly” thing is a very old claim, long since disproven.)

By: red_pill_junkie

red_pill_junkie — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:29:27 +0000

Interesting, I wonder how these animals were capable to taking to the air. Were they dependant of air currents coming from the sea and high cliffs, like their “New World” counterpart Quetzalcoatlus?

We also have to keep in mind that according to the modern teory of aerodynamics, the bumblebee shouldn’t be capable of flying

By: serpent_seeker

serpent_seeker — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:59:20 +0000

How shocking those pictures are they are truly gigantic I wonder if these things may still be alive.

By: Artist

Artist — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:12:24 +0000

What a marvelously strange and dangerous place was early Earth!