Another finger 5 on a pterosaur
Finger 5 on pterosaurs remains an overlooked vestige
even at its best. Wikipedia reports, “The fifth metacarpal had been lost.”
BTW the Wikipedia article on pterosaurs promotes ALL the current myths.
Cheng et al 2025 described
“a new species of Darwinopterus.” It is largely complete, but somewhat scattered. Parts, like the rostrum and cranium, are separated. Of personal interest is the right hand, which is also a bit scattered, but seems to include another overlooked vestigial digit 5 (Figs 1, 2).
Academic workers deny the existence of manual digit 5 in pterosaurs.
Decide for yourself.
Figure 1. Right hand of IVPP V 17957 in situ. DGS colors and reconstruction added here.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif?w=111″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif?w=377″ class=”size-full wp-image-91886″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif” alt=”Figure 1. Right hand of IVPP V 17957 in situ. DGS colors and reconstruction added here. ” width=”584″ height=”1585″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif?w=584&h=1585 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif?w=55&h=150 55w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif?w=111&h=300 111w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinoperus.camposi.manus588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Right hand of IVPP V 17957 in situ. DGS colors and reconstruction added here.
From the text:
“Here we report a new wukongopterid species, Darwinopterus camposi sp. nov., discovered from the Tiaojishan Formation in Linglongta, which provides new information regarding the Wukongopteridae, such as the complete teeth series and the fusion of some skull elements.”
Figure 2. Closeup of manual digit 5 of IVPP V 17957.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif?w=241″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-91888″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif” alt=”Figure 2. Closeup of manual digit 5 of IVPP V 17957.” width=”584″ height=”727″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif?w=584&h=727 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif?w=120&h=150 120w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif?w=241&h=300 241w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/darwinopteris.camposi.m5-588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Closeup of manual digit 5 of IVPP V 17957.
Other pterosaurs
preserve a vestigial manual digit 5 and the early evolution of pterosaurs shows (Fig 3) how manual digit 5 was less and less important approaching the pterosaur grade.
Figure 2. Click to enlarge. The origin of the pterosaur wing and whatever became of manual digit 5?
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-905″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg” alt=”pterosaur wings” width=”584″ height=”434″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg?w=584&h=434 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg?w=150&h=111 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg?w=300&h=223 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pterosaur-wing-origin.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Click to enlarge. The origin of the pterosaur wing and whatever became of manual digit 5 (from 2011). See Figures 1 and 2.
There is no mention of finger 5
in the Cheng et al paper, nor will you find a mention of it anywhere else but here.
References
Cheng X et al (8 co-authors) 2025. A new species of Darwinopterus (Wukongopteridae, Pterosauria)from western Liaoningprovides some new information on the ontogeny of this clade. An Acad Bras Cienc (2025) 97(Suppl. 1):
e20240707 DOI 10.1590/0001-3765202520240707
Manual Digit 5 in Pterosaurs: It’s Still in There!
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/03/05/another-finger-5-on-a-pterosaur/
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