Pterosaurs were amazing flying reptiles that came in all shapes and sizes.1 Not surprisingly, when these bizarre creatures are found in the fossil record they are 100% flying reptiles. Some achieve the size of a fighter jet, such as Quetzalcoatlus discovered in Texas or Hatzegopteryx in Romania. Paleobiologists have recently discovered a new pterosaur (Afrotapejara zouhrii) in Africa belonging to a group called the tapejarids that were small to medium-sized toothless pterosaurs.2 This was just after the discovery of three new pterosaur species, also in Africa. The Tapejaridae is recognized by their large and strange sagittal crests.
Pterosaurs had at least eight different kinds of skulls. Some, such as Pterodaustro, had 500 flexible teeth. A study of their unique anatomy also reveals they had pointed jaws attached to a large head and long neck.
Is there any fossil evidence of how an unknown hypothetical non-flying reptile millions of years ago achieved a streamlined head and hollow bones in preparation for flight? There is none. Additionally the front legs of this “proto-pterosaur” would have to evolve into extremely aerodynamic wings. Such a strange scenario should document how the 4th finger of the hand would extend out to an amazing length while at the same time supporting a wing membrane. No transitional fossils recording such a change have been unearthed and evolutionists do not fully understand their ancestry.3
An exciting discovery in Brazil revealed “exceptionally well-preserved” pterosaur specimens that has “associated soft tissue and preserved integuments.”4 More soft tissue (i.e. collagen) from fossils allegedly millions of years old.
Creationists see pterosaurs (Pterosauria) as belonging to a created kind5 of aerial reptile. Clearly there are unique varieties, such as in canines, lizards, and sharks. Their fossils show they were suddenly and catastrophically buried not that long ago, as evidenced by pterosaur soft tissue discoveries.
Fossil evidence shows that pterosaurs didn’t evolve from “proto-pterosaur” ancestors. They were created by God and existed recently.
Stage image: Artwork of Afrotapejara zouhrii.
Stage image credit: Megan Jacobs, Baylor University, Texas. Copyright © 2020. Adapted for use in accordance with federal copyright (fair use doctrine) law. Usage by ICR does not imply endorsement of copyright holders.
References
1. Sherwin, F. 2005. Pterosaur! Acts & Facts. 34 (9).
2. Staff Writer. Fourth new pterosaur discovery in matter of weeks. Phys.org. Posted on phys.org April 2, 2020, accessed April 6, 2020.
3. Witton, M. 2013. Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy. Princeton University Press, 6.
4. Campos, H.B. and E. Kischlat, 2020. The tapejarid pterosaur Tupandactylus imperator from Crato Formation and the preservation of cranial integuments. Biorxiv.
5. Genesis 1.
*Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate is at ICR. He earned his master’s in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.
New Pterosaur Discovered
More Fossils Reflect Life's Original Diversity
Giant Rhinos Are Still Rhinos
Fossils from two giant rhinos dated by evolutionists to be “22 million years old” in the evolutionary timetable have been discovered in China.1...
Length of the Cretaceous Year Still Leaves Questions
Recently, a team of geochemists from Belgium reported that days might have been 30 minutes shorter in the Late Cretaceous compared to today, giving 372...
Possible Parasites Found on Cambrian Brachiopods
Scientists from China, Sweden, and Australia have discovered what they claim is the oldest known parasite, publishing their results in Nature Communications.1...
More Fossil Record
Greenland: Ice-Free Not That Long Ago
Preserved leaves and twigs in a tube of soil show Greenland was largely ice-free in the relatively recent past.1 This discovery has important...
Desperate Dinosaurs Cannibalized During Global Flood
Scientists recently discovered evidence that large theropods were possibly guilty of cannibalism.1
The new study, published in PLOS ONE,...
Cambrian Explosion Alive and Well
A new editorial in GSA Today is claiming that secular scientists should cease using the term “Cambrian Explosion.”1 It’s not...
More Creation Science Update
Brainy Paper Wasps
Wasps (Family Vespidae) have a bad rap, but their benefits actually outweigh their painful sting—although many would disagree!
What is the function...
Flood Explains Grouping of Ichthyosaurs
The discovery of dozens of ichthyosaur fossils in Nevada was announced in the journal Current Biology.1 Seven 50-foot long ichthyosaurs of...
Lifting the Curtain on Scientific Elitism“The curtain has been lifted” is an idiom that aptly portrays when a hidden truth is revealed. On the public side of a curtain called “biological science,” the perception of...
Flood Explains Mysterious Iceland Plant FossilsRecently, a colleague alerted me to some unusual fossil discoveries on Iceland that are best explained by ICR’s Flood model.1,2 The fossils of interest are plants, specifically lignite,3...
Yellowstone National Park, Part 1: A Flood Supervolcanoby Tim Clarey, Ph.D., and Brian Thomas, Ph.D.* Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. Geologist Ferdinand Hayden led an expedition the year before through much of what...
The Five Rules of Flood PaleontologyMost people assume that both geological and fossil evidence support the story of evolution. Geology textbooks portray the formation of canyons, mountains, oil deposits, and other features as representing...
Big Bacterium--a Missing Link?Bacteria are tiny single-cell organisms that show a huge range of metabolic and genetic variation, and also exist in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Bacteria, which are classed among the life forms...
Speculation, Invention, and the Invisible HandEvolution is broadly and almost unequivocally accepted as fact. Creationists who try to present the evidence contradicting it are often met with “How can you go against proven science?”...
ICR’s School of Biblical ApologeticsThe Institute for Creation Research’s School of Biblical Apologetics (SOBA) was launched over 12 years ago. ICR’s SOBA programs provide biblical creation-based apologetics for seeking, finding,...
Altruistic Birds Embarrass EvolutionistsWhy are evolutionists surprised to learn that birds are intelligent, careful, and very caring? Birds communicate among themselves, use tools, and often demonstrate altruism (unselfishly caring for others)—sometimes...
Caring for the People in Your LifeMany people relate stewardship to managing money. When they consider their resources, money comes to mind, along with vehicles, homes, investments, clothes, and so on. But how often do we include people...
Creation Kids: Grand Canyonby Christy Hardy and Susan Windsor* You’re never too young to be a creation scientist! Kids, discover fun facts about God’s creation with ICR’s special Creation Kids learning and...Full versions of current and previous Acts & Facts can be viewed online in PDF format using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.
You can subscribe to receive a free subscription to Acts & Facts by clicking here.
[body_edit] =>How can Christians stand up to scientific elitism? What does the plant fossil record in Iceland tell us about the global Flood? Does a new bacterium prove evolution? What is our responsibility to those Jesus has placed in our lives? Discover the answers to these questions and more in the May-June 2022 issue of Acts & Facts! [MACRO aaf_article, 13441] [MACRO aaf_article, 13442] [MACRO aaf_article, 13443] [MACRO aaf_article, 13444] [MACRO aaf_article, 13445] [MACRO aaf_article, 13446] [MACRO aaf_article, 13447] [MACRO aaf_article, 13448] [MACRO aaf_article, 13449] [MACRO aaf_article, 13450]
Full versions of current and previous Acts & Facts can be viewed online in PDF format using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.
You can subscribe to receive a free subscription to Acts & Facts by clicking here.
[typeID] => 9 [visible] => t [pdf] => [publishURL] => inside-may-jun-2022-acts-facts/ [publishDate] => 0000-00-00 [authorAsterisk] => f [domainID] => 1 [publication] => [volume] => [issue] => [page] => [author] => Staff Writer [rand] => 1641055996.0968494 ) -->
Inside May-June 2022 Acts & Facts
How can Christians stand up to scientific elitism? What does the plant fossil record in Iceland tell us about the global Flood? Does a new bacterium...
The Latest
Cretaceous Octopus: Longer Than a School Bus?
Based on a new fossil discovery and reevaluation of previously known fossil material, paleontologists have described two species of giant Cretaceous...
New Species, Same Kind: Evidence of Engineered Diversity
New species are often presented as proof that life is evolving. But they instead show how life was designed to diversify from the start. A recent deep-sea...
An Egg Doesn't Crack the Mammal-Reptile Mystery
A small and interesting plant-eating reptile called Lystrosaurus is in the news recently because it was found to have laid eggs (as reptiles do). So...
Surprisingly Thicker Whopper Sand Best Explained by the Flood’s...
Recently, an update on the Whopper Sand in the Gulf of America (Mexico) was published in the oil field trade magazine, AAPG Explorer.1 New...
CREATION PODCAST
PhD Paleontologist: They’ve Been Lying to You About Dinosaurs...
Evolutionists have been selling you a lie — and they rewrote the rules of science to pull it off. Today Dr. Gabriela Haynes exposes exactly how...
Stolen Chloroplasts Steal the Show
Amazing tiny chloroplasts found within equally incredible plant cells continue to reveal the detailed workmanship of the Creator who created plants...
May 2026 Wallpaper
"that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians...
Reptile Evolution Ideas Are Challenged—Again
A small fossil reptile with strange and intricate skin outgrowths has been discovered that is forcing evolutionists to once again reexamine their understanding...
Creation Kids: Stegosaurus
Hi, kids! We created a special Acts & Facts just for you! Have fun doing the activities while learning about the wonderful world God...
Shop Related Products
$
The New Ocean Book
$16.99