Scaphognathus, the first hairy pterosaur

[Halichoeres]

Rather, the first pterosaur in which pycnofibers were recognized, all the way back in 1831 by Georg August Goldfuß. A quote from his work: "Thus, the Pterodactylus crassirostris [as Scaphognathus was then known] was not covered by scales and shields like a reptile but by a fur of soft, nearly inch-long hairs, possibly in some places even by feathers. A similar cover can thus be assumed for its generic relatives." This study uses some modern but relatively simple techniques to scan Scaphognathus for soft tissues, and found quite a lot, reaffirming Goldfuß's findings. Not just pycnofibers, but aktinofibrils (the proteinaceous supports for the wing membrane) and membrane blood vessels. Beautiful stuff!



Open access: https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2018/2308-scaphognathus-in-rti-and-uv

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Fascinating to think that pycnofibres have been discovered as far back as 1831.

[Sim]

Thanks for posting this @Halichoeres!  There's a lot of very interesting stuff here!  First of all, I have to say I'm grateful this is open access!

"Thus, the Pterodactylus crassirostris [as Scaphognathus was then known] was not covered by scales and shields like a reptile but by a fur of soft, nearly inch-long hairs, possibly in some places even by feathers. A similar cover can thus be assumed for its generic relatives."

It's amazing to read this now and know it's from 1831!

I really appreciate that this study shows the Scaphognathus holotype's main slab and counter slab!  I hadn't seen them before, prior to this I had only ever seen a cast of the main slab.

Looking at the counter slab which retains the sediment around the head, I see no trace of a non-bone head crest.  The same is true in the lithographic plates of the holotype, that shows sediment around the head on the main slab too, which this study mentions might represent an earlier stage of preparation for the main slab.  Another thing is that both in 1831 and in this new 2018 study, soft tissues have been found in the Scaphognathus holotype but each time not as a head crest.  The 1831 life reconstruction of Scaphognathus also doesn't have a head crest.  All this might suggest reconstructions of Scaphognathus with a head crest are incorrect.

[Gwangi]

Fascinating to think that pycnofibres have been discovered as far back as 1831.

And as if the featherless dinosaurs weren't bad enough we're still getting bald pterosaurs 188 years later.

[ITdactyl]

*snip* we're still getting bald pterosaurs 188 years later.

I don't mind bald... but we're getting a lot of scaly pterosaurs despite all the old and new findings.