Abstract
FOSSILIZED impressions of pterosaur wing membranes are known from a number of localities1,2, but true soft-tissue preservation is extremely rare3,4. We present the first description of the internal anatomy of the wing membrane, based on exceptionally well preserved soft tissues from the forearm of a Lower Cretaceous, Brazilian pterosaur. A thin epidermis overlies a dermis composed successively of a 'stratum vasculosum', 'stratum spongiosum' and a layer of striated muscle. This exceptional specimen provides important new insights into pterosaur biology. Incipient wrinkles and an apparent lack of stiffening fibres suggest the proximal region of the wing membrane was thin, extensible and tensioned by the hind limb5,6. Excess metabolic heat resulting from rigorous activity could be lost by vasodilation of the vascular layer, a mechanism consistent with active flight in pterosaurs7-9.
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Martill, D., Unwin, D. Exceptionally well preserved pterosaur wing membrane from the Cretaceous of Brazil. Nature 340, 138–140 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/340138a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/340138a0
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