Speculative Evolution

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

Hello guys. I want your opinion on some thing, it's a paleoart idea I call Therizinopteros brazilienensis from the Santana Formation in Brazil. It's part of a late surviving group of Wukongopteroid pterosaurs that survived way into the Early Cretaceous. It was the last and most advanced member, a super predator, a hunter of other, bigger pterosaurs. It went after giants like Tapejara, Anhanguera, even the giant Thalassodromeus! This thing was a monster, and yet it only had a six foot wingspan. The reason why it can take down prey 5 times its size is because its killing method was brutal. There's a reason why it's name means scythe wing from Brazil. It was very fast and maneuverable and could stoop like a falcon. Males had a large aerodynamic crest that was colorful and could be used used for display purposes to attract a mate or to frighten a rival. They ha sharp teeth and large claws, the largest being their thumb claw, or their "killing claw". This claw was their most effective weapon. What they would do, they would fly up to the pterosaur or dive at them, extend their claws, then rip them open. If they killed over the ocean, they would dive in and pull the pterosaur back to shore to eat. they were strong swimmers, comparable to modern seabirds. This pterosaur was a very effective hunter. It's certainly not a friendly animal, but it sure is interesting. I will be posting my paleoart in a day or two when I finish. It's going to be awesome! I hope you guys like it.

[ynot]

Sounds like a lot of speculation on an extinct animals behavior.

Also sounds like a good art project, looking forward to the finished piece.

[Fossildude19]

Being a hunter of other pterosaurs, I would think that the evolution of this creature would steer away from swimming, and focus more on the best ways to kill and capture it's intended prey, which is a flying animal.  

[Tidgy's Dad]

Look forward to seeing the art. 

An interesting project. 

[Auspex]

2 hours ago, Cloud the Dinosaur King said:

...If they killed over the ocean, they would dive in and pull the pterosaur back to shore to eat.

What evidence is there for this?

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

2 hours ago, Auspex said:

What evidence is there for this?

Apparently pterosaurs were extinct analogs to modern day seabirds. It would make the most sense for Therizinopteros as the Santana Formation was mostly beachfront. There's a Mark Witton blog post on the topic: http://markwitton-com.blogspot.com/2017/04/new-paper-pterosaur-palaeoecology-as.html

[Auspex]

21 minutes ago, Cloud the Dinosaur King said:

...pterosaurs were extinct analogs to modern day seabirds.

Certainly some were, and they were well adapted for snatching fish while in flight, like today's skimmer. The aerial predator-of-other-pterosaurs is an exploitable niche, and there is physical evidence suggesting just that.
However, I balk at the idea that any could make a living by rowing a carcass ashore in order to consume it. That seems to be the sort of behavior that would get them removed from the gene pool rather quickly. I could, however, imagine them alighting on the floating carcass and dining on it alfresco...

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

31 minutes ago, Auspex said:

 I could, however, imagine them alighting on the floating carcass and dining on it alfresco...

I guess this would make more sense.

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

It's finished. A juvenile individual attacks an adult male Tropeognathus while a male Thalassodromeus flies away in the backround.

[ynot]

Nice rendition.

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

27 minutes ago, ynot said:

Nice rendition.

Thanks!