Pteranodon longiceps
Amazing Story!
On the wing in pursuit of a fine meal of Enchodus, two Pteranodon longicepsmales fly through the Atrium of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building. |
Part 1: From Totem Poles to Pteranodons
On May 14, 1999, a life-sized sculpture of two males of the extinct flying reptile Pteranodon longiceps will "fly" in the magnificent, 26 m (85 ft) high Atrium of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building of the Canadian Museum of Nature in downtown Ottawa. These large pterosaurs are created to look as they might have appeared 85 million years ago in Late Cretaceous times, competing for a fish while soaring over a shallow sea.
Until 1989, the Victoria Memorial Museum Building was shared by the Canadian Museum of Nature (formerly the National Museum of Natural Sciences) and the Canadian Museum of Civilization (formerly the National Museum of Man). A group of totem poles formed a magnificent centrepiece in the Atrium of the building. But because the Museum of Civilization moved to a new building in Gatineau, the totem poles were moved also. Although it is a large open space with beautiful architecture, there was nothing left in the empty Atrium, no signature piece to give visitors a great first impression and to declare that they are indeed in a natural history museum.
The Atrium Project would never have gotten off the ground without Scott Ercit, Chair of the Stakeholders' Campaign Committee. |
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Over the years since then, CMN staff discussed a number of options for the Atrium, but funding was always a problem. When no money could be found during budget deliberations in 1998, research scientist Dr. Scott Ercit challenged staff and management to raise funds through personal contributions. The "Atrium Project" was born. In a few months' time, a fund-raising campaign was launched and successfully concluded with contributions from staff, trustees, volunteers, members and others working closely with the Museum. Ideas were solicited, and the staff selected by vote a realistic pterosaur sculpture to be suspended from the Atrium ceiling. Watson Sculptures and Models was chosen for the design and fabrication of the models and sculpture, and their work began to bring the ancient creatures "to life."
In the scientific community, a "model" faithfully represents a creature as it may have looked in the flesh. Our sculpture goes a little further to combine the models, a little artistic imagination and dynamic interpretation. We believe we've created one of the best -- most realistic and life-like -- reconstructions anywhere. |
From Fossil Bones to Flight: The Palaeobiology of Pteranodons
Artists Doug Watson and Jean-Guy Auger (in glasses) inspect a wooden form used in the pterosaur modeling process. |
Making a life-like reconstruction of something known only from fossil bones is a difficult task, and involves a blend of art and science. Fortunately with Pteranodon longiceps, we know quite a bit about its skeleton. From pterosaur fossils found elsewhere in the world with preserved wing outlines and other soft tissue evidence, we can make "educated guesses" about the parts of Pteranodon that haven't been preserved. We also know quite a lot about the paleoenvironment in which it lived, the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Pteranodon fossils are found 160 km (100 miles) from what would have been the shore of the seaway, so we know they were good long-distance fliers, and presumably good at fishing. They probably spent a great deal of time soaring, as do most large pelagic seabirds today.
The species of Pteranodon that we have chosen to "reconstruct" is well known from relatively complete skeletons. Males of Pteranodon longiceps were larger than the females, with a maximum wingspan of about 7 m (23 ft), longer crests on their heads, and a total skull length of about 1.8 m (6 ft). Their long, toothless beaks were used for fishing. Our sculptures are the maximum size attained by this species.
Four Pteranodon longiceps fingers are visible here on the sculpture. |
The pterosaur wing skeleton is characterized by the greatly elongated fourth finger, which extends the wing by more than half its length. The other fingers are tiny by comparison and have claws. The wing could fold at the base of the 4th finger. (Bats, which are flying mammals and totally unrelated, have a clawed first finger with the other four spread out and supporting the wing membrane).
The bones of pterosaurs, especially those of the wing, are hollow, light, thin (some little more than 1 mm thick) and thus optimized for flight. Also, in Pteranodon the front dorsal vertebrae are fused into a solid block to form a strong support for the shoulder girdle as an anchor for the long wings. The upper arm bone, the humerus, is robust with large roughened, bony outgrowths (processes) for the attachment of the flight muscles.
Amazing Story! Part 2: Blending Art and Science
Thanks to Watson Sculptures & Models. Check out their Web site!
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