Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Herbstosaurus 2025

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 15:17
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


Ezcurra et al 2025 revisited
“Herbstosaurus pigmaeus Casamiquela, 1975 … a Late Jurassic pterosaur from northwestern Patagonia. It is based on the natural moulds and a few bony patches of the sacrum, prepubis, ilium, and both femora of a small-sized specimen. The phylogenetic relationships of this species have been a matter of debate, having been originally interpreted as a theropod dinosaur and subsequently as a pterosaur, either as an indeterminate pterodactyloid or a probable dsungaripteroid.”

We looked at Herbstosaurus earlier (in 2013) here. All of this is a rehash of that.

Figure 1. From 2013 Herbstosaurus CTES-PZ-1711 (left) compared to Germanodactylus = Altmeuhlopterus rhamphastinus (right) and the BMM specimen (center). ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 1. From 2013 Herbstosaurus CTES-PZ-1711 (left) compared to Germanodactylus = Altmeuhlopterus rhamphastinus (right) and the BMM specimen (center).

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-91845″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. From 2013 Herbstosaurus CTES-PZ-1711 (left) compared to Germanodactylus = Altmeuhlopterus rhamphastinus (right) and the BMM specimen (center). ” width=”584″ height=”429″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg?w=584&h=429 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg?w=150&h=110 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg?w=300&h=220 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/herbstosaurus-recon-b588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 1. From 2013 Herbstosaurus CTES-PZ-1711 (left) compared to Germanodactylus = Altmeuhlopterus rhamphastinus (right) and the BMM specimen (center). The great size of Herbstosaurus is on display here.

Too few bits and pieces
of Herbstosaurus are known (Fig 1) to add it to the Large Pterosaur Tree (LPT). All recent workers, including Ezcurra et al, have nested it close to smaller Late Jurassic Germanodactylus specimens and similar-sized Early Cretaceous Dsungaripterus specimens.

Figure 1. Herbstosaurus on the left compared to Coloborhynchus on the right. The sacrum is similar, but more swept back in Herbstosaurus. The femoral head is disssimilar. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 1. Herbstosaurus on the left compared to Coloborhynchus on the right. The sacrum is similar, but more swept back in Herbstosaurus. The femoral head is disssimilar.

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg?w=257″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-12036″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Herbstosaurus on the left compared to Coloborhynchus on the right. The sacrum is similar, but more swept back in Herbstosaurus. The femoral head is disssimilar.” width=”584″ height=”682″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg?w=584&h=682 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg?w=128&h=150 128w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg?w=257&h=300 257w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/herbstosaurus-recon-a588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 2. From 2013. Herbstosaurus on the left compared to the ornithocheirid Coloborhynchus on the right. The sacrum is similar, but more swept back in Herbstosaurus. The femoral head angle is dissimilar.

The authors did not list,
nor consider in their cladograms the larger germanodactylids known from limbs and little else: the SMNS 3830 specimen and two Elanodactylus specimens (Fig 3). This is the quandry: scrappy specimens sharing too few data points.

The authors concluded,
“We acknowledge that the dsungaripteroid (sensu Kellner 2003) affinities of Herbstosaurus pigmaeus are weak, but it seems to be the most parsimonious hypothesis with the evidence at hand. In addition, the presence of a prominent anteriorly directed tubercle on the dorsal apex of the external trochanter of the femur reinforces the idea that Herbstosaurus pigmaeus is not an early pterodactyloid, but an ornithocheiroid.”

Relevant parts of the ornithocheirid, Coloborhynchus, is shown above to scale (Fig 2).

Ezcurra reported these phylogenetic results,
“poorly resolved.” The LPT includes many more taxa and is well resolved. The Ezcurra tree was borrowed from others and included the cherry-picked = unrelated Euparkeria as the proximal outgroup to the Pterosauria, not that that matters in this case.

Herbstosaurus continues to be one of those specimens
that is intriguing, but enigmatic. Similar, but not the same. Possibly convergent. Closest to taxa that share some, but not all or even most available traits, as the authors noted. Given the derived right angle of the femoral head (Fig 1), like unrelated Dimorphodon, this was a pterosaur without sprawling knees, thus more likely a wader than a soarer.

The lack of fusion in the sacrals is phylogenetic, not ontogenetic.

References
Ezcurra MD, Fernandes AE, Roig M and Baczko MB 2025. A revision of the pterodactyloid pterosaur Herbstosaurus pigmaeus Casamiquela, 1975 from the Late Jurassic of Argentina. An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc. 97 (suppl 1) https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202520241130

wiki/Herbstosaurus

Herbstosaurus – What is it?


Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/herbstosaurus-2025/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.


LION'S MANE PRODUCT


Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules


Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.



Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.


Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question Razz Sad Evil Exclaim Smile Redface Biggrin Surprised Eek Confused Cool LOL Mad Twisted Rolleyes Wink Idea Arrow Neutral Cry Mr. Green

MOST RECENT
Load more ...

SignUp

Login

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.