page_title: Timeline of pterosaur research
section_title: 1970s
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of pterosaur research / 20th century / 1970s
caption_attribution_description: English: Pterodaustro, pencil drawing, digital coloring. Español: Pterodaustro, dibujo a lápiz coloreado digitalmente. Author: Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com) Date: Dec 30, 2006, updated August 13, 2009
context_page_description: This timeline of pterosaur research is a chronologically ordered list of important fossil discoveries, controversies of interpretation, and taxonomic revisions of pterosaurs, the famed flying reptiles of the Mesozoic era. Although pterosaurs went extinct millions of years before humans evolved, humans have coexisted with pterosaur fossils for millennia. Before the development of paleontology as a formal science, these remains would have been interpreted through a mythological lens. Myths about thunderbirds told by the Native Americans of the modern western United States may have been influenced by observations of Pteranodon fossils. These thunderbirds were said to have warred with water monsters, which agrees well with the co-occurrence of Pteranodon and the ancient marine reptiles of the seaway over which it flew.
  The formal study of pterosaurs began in the late 18th century when naturalist Cosimo Alessandro Collini of Mannheim, Germany published a description of an unusual animal with long arms, each bearing an elongated finger.
context_section_description: 1970
  John Ostrom reported that the type specimen of "Pterodactylus" crassipes actually represented a fourth specimen of Archaeopteryx. This was the fourth specimen referrable to that genus ever discovered.
  Bonaparte described the new genus and species Pterodaustro guinazui. This genus was the most extremely specialized filter-feeding pterosaur known to science.
  1971
  Miller published a review of Pterandon's known fossil record and proposed a new classification scheme for the species in the genus. However, his scheme has largely since been rejected. He also observed that Nyctosaurus sternbergi was a preoccupied species name and renamed it N. bonneri after its describer.
  Miller described a new specimen of Pteranodon longiceps discovered near Elkader, Kansas which is now catalogued as FHSM VP-2183.
  Heptonstall published an article on the biomechanics of Pteranodon flight.
  Sharov described the new genus and species Sordes pilosus from Late Jurassic rocks in Kazakhstan. The type specimen seemed to reveal the presence of a body covering of hair-like filaments.
  Price reported the first pterosaur fossils from the lagerstatten Crato and Santana formations of Brazil. These deposits would go on to be some of the most important pterosaur fossil sources in the world due to their high quality three dimensional preservation.
  Price described the new genus and species Araripesaurus castilhoi.
  Sharov described the new genus and species Sordes pilosus.
  Wild described the new species Dorygnathus mistelgauensis.
  Haubold accepted the pterosaurian interpretation of Pteraichnus.
  1973
  Rocco Zambelli described the new genus and species Eudimorphodon ranzii from the Upper Triassic of Bergamo, Italy. This was the first true Triassic pterosaur.
  Young described the new genus and species Noripterus complicidens.
  1974
  Bramwell and Whitfield re-examined the biomechanics of Pteranodon flight after an extended lull in research on the topic. They estimated that a Pteranodon with a 7 m wingspan would have a mass of about 16 kg. To stay aloft, such a Pteranodon would need to fly at least 6.7 m/s, which is regarded as an "extremely low" minimum speed. Such a load would have allowed it to take off or land "gently". Bramwell and Witfield argued that the biomechanics may have left Pteranodon vulnerable to increasing wind speeds resulting from climate change as the Late Cretaceous proceeded and even tentatively suggested that this may have been the cause of extinction for the genus.
  Fabre described the new genus Gallodactylus.
  Casamiquela described the new genus and species Herbstosaurus pigmaeus.
  1975
  Stein published an article on the biomechanics of Pteranodon flight. He crafted model Pteranodon wings and tested them in a wind tunnel. He found that Pteranodon was a capable, maneuverable flyer but was best adapted to long distance flights at low velocities. Stein calculated that a large Pteranodon would have to fly at least 10 miles an hour to stay airborne. He concluded that Pteranodon would have had to land on its hind feet because making the front feet ready for landing would collapse the wings, which would no longer be useful for keeping the pterosaur aloft. Stein's conclusions contradicted the previous findings of Bramwell and Whitfield.
  Lawson described the new genus and species Quetzalcoatlus northropi.
  1977
  Wellnhofer described the new genus and species Araripedactylus dehmi.
  Logue reported Pteraichnus-like tracks in Wyoming.
  1978
  Wild described the new genus and species Peteinosaurus zambellii. In this paper he also described Eudimorphodon in greater detail.
  West reported Pteraichnus-like tracks in Oklahoma.
  Wellnhofer argued in favor of quadrupedal pterosaurs.
  Stokes reported additional potential pterosaur tracks from the Navajo Formation.
  1979
  Kevin Padian published a study on the biomechanics of pterosaur flight.
  Stokes and Madsen reported additional potential pterosaur tracks from the Navajo Formation.
caption: Life restoration of Pterodaustro
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