Coloborhynchus spielbergi, Veldmeijer 2003
This fossil is from Brazil. At the introduction into the museum, the bones were still in limestone. X-rays were made. Therefore, the taxidermists knew approximately, where they could expect bone. This made the preparation much easier.
When the preparation was finished after about one year, the study of the bones could begin. What did they discover? This fossil appeared to be of a species until then unknown. Andre Veldmeijer gave it the name spielbergi. Why do you think he did?
This animal swooped over the water, bowed its head downward and hindward and thrust his snout into the water. That way it was able to grab a fish from the water. Thanks to the keel on the snout it did not break its neck.
Does it have a middle finger? And if so, wich one is it?
The photo at the bottom left shows four fingers. The first three fingers form a claw for climbing or walking. Next to the third finger comes the ring finger. His ring finger must also be next to its three fingers. So, from the claw to the tip, that is his ring finger. For what purpose is it so big? That is: bearing the wing of course. Therefore, it is a wing finger.
Now, what about these little forward and downward pointing bones, what are those, what is their function? Those are very special bones. No other vertebrate has such bones, only the flying reptiles have them. They are called: pteroid bones (wing bones). The arms are special in three respects. They have a giant finger, they have no little finger (at least it has not been found), and they do have a pteroid. Attached to the pteroid was a little kind of wing, we think. For what purpose would the pteroid with its wing have served? Maybe you have been on a plane, near the wing. What do you see? You see moving flaps. The flying reptiles had them already more than one hundred million years ago. Tests with scale model in a wind tunnel show that if the pteroid is directed forwards, the lift capability is very high, which may have enabled pterosaurs to take off and land without crashing.