Earliest Flying Reptile Discovered

But most scientists still think birds evolved from dinosaurs.

A team of scientists says it has discovered the earliest and most primitive pterodactyloid yet found. Pterodactyloids, a suborder of pterosaurs, were reptiles that became the largest flying creatures ever known to exist, capable of becoming as large as small planes. The scientists think this animal flew around some “163 million years” ago, were related to dinosaurs and went extinct about the same time as did dinosaurs.

The fossil was discovered in northwest China and was named Kryptodrakon progenito. By studying the fossil fragments, the researchers determined pterodactyloids originated, lived and “evolved” in terrestrial rather than marine environments. Although this specimen was small, the scientists believe it went on to evolve into giant creatures.

The scientists said the discovery provides more information on how pterodactyloids evolved. The creatures’ wings changed from being narrow, which are more useful in marine environments, to becoming broader, which they said are more useful in navigating the land. According to the scientists, pterosaurs were a diverse group of flying reptiles which experienced a body plan reorganization throughout their long history, resulting in a more specialized group, the pterodactyloids. The researchers found a significant correlation between wing shape and environment and what is true in modern flying vertebrates like bats and birds.

It is well known that most (but not all) mainstream scientists believe dinosaurs evolved into birds, but it would seem more logical to believe flying reptiles would have evolved into birds if anything did. However, these scientists don’t think pterosaurs evolved into birds or any other animal existing today.

Assume for the moment that dinosaurs did evolve into birds. Here are some of the changes that would have had to happen. The dinosaur, being a reptile, would have had to change from a cold-blooded animal into a warm-blooded bird with entirely new specialized internal physiological mechanisms needed to maintain a relatively constant body temperature. The hip structure of dinosaurs would have had to evolve into the vastly different hip structure of birds. The lungs of the two types of animals are much different. And, of course, dinosaurs would have had to evolve wings and feathers. Many people wonder why a dinosaur would continue to try to evolve a wing before it was fully functional. Most of these problems also existed for pterosaurs to overcome if they wanted to evolve into birds, but, at least, they knew something about flight.

For the Bible believer, the idea of dinosaurs or pterosaurs evolving into birds is wrong and not a debatable issue. Birds were created on the fifth day of the creation week and reptiles on the sixth day. Each group was given its specialized body parts from the beginning. The fossil evidence for any alleged transition from reptile to bird  is shallow at best. Fossils are generally fragmented, and this pterodactyloid fossil appears to be greatly fragmented. That must make it harder for paleontologists to make sense of the fossil but easier to come up with their own personal opinions.

We don’t know why these huge flying reptiles went extinct, but they would have had to have been on Noah’s Ark to have fulfilled God’s mandate. Our deteriorating planet has made it more difficult for many species and types of animals to survive. This is why we look forward to a new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17) where all believers in Jesus Christ as Savior will live forever in peace and security. 

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Reference: “Oldest pterodactyloid species discovered: Primitive flying reptile took wing 163 million years ago,” Discovery News

(Illustration from Wikimedia Commons, by Dmitry Bogdanov)
  
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QUESTION OF THE DAY

What might be the longest word in the English language?

“Pneu·mo·no·ul·tra·mi·cro·scop·ic·sil·i·co·vol·ca·no·co·ni·o·sis,” an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust.

Source: 
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

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