Allometric patterns in Rhamphorhynchus muensteri and their role in the paleoecology, life habits, and taxonomic framework of pterosaurs
Gabriela Menezes Cerqueira, João Lucas Da Silva, Ingmar Werneburg, Mario Bronzati, Alex Sandro Schiller Aires, Felipe L. Pinheiro, Rodrigo Temp Müller · 2026
Read Allometric patterns in Rhamphorhynchus muensteri and their role in the paleoecology, life habits, and taxonomic framework of pterosaurs by Gabriela Menezes Cerqueira, João Lucas Da Silva, Ingmar Werneburg, Mario Bronzati, Alex Sandro Schiller Aires, Felipe L. Pinheiro, Rodrigo Temp Müller (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13645348.txt.
Description
Gabriela Menezes Cerqueira and six co-authors study growth patterns in Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, a pterosaur, in work published in 2026. They compare its bone scaling with two other pterosaur groups. The study uses 127 specimens and 13 skeletal measures, tested with standard statistical methods.
Rhamphorhynchus shows negative allometry in wing and leg bones, which points to a distinct flight style. The authors read it as strong flapping flight mixed with gliding, and early flight ability in young animals. Other groups show positive allometry or isometry, and may have flown in distinct ways. The work also warns that growth patterns can shape how pterosaur family trees are built.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Gabriela Menezes Cerqueira, João Lucas Da Silva, Ingmar Werneburg, Mario Bronzati, Alex Sandro Schiller Aires, Felipe L. Pinheiro, Rodrigo Temp Müller |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 43 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |