Unwin, D.M. 2005. The Pterosaurs from Deep Time. – New York, Pi Press

Abstract

David Unwin’s first book is a great attempt to cover all research done on pterosaurs, certainly a daunting task. The text on the cover, a quote from Chris Bennett, even comments that this book will be the next standard work on pterosaurs for years to come. However, whether this book can live up to its expectations remains to be seen.

In his attempt to cover all pterosaurs, Unwin unfortunately remains rather superficial on detailed information on various interesting genera and species. The contents are mostly up to date but, not surprisingly, skewed towards his own theory and views. Due to this, a certain amount of scientific literature, which shows a different point of view, is lacking. For instance, the illustrations on page 80, 199 and 200 depict Anhanguera’s lower jaw with a distinct crest terminating well before the anterior tip of the jaw, whereas it has been firmly established that the mandibular crest terminates at the exact tip, as in Coloborhynchus. Also, Unwin largely neglects the Ornithocheiridae vs. Anhangueridae debate (as discussed in Kellner & Tomida, 2000, and Veldmeijer et al., 2006). The colour reconstructions of pterosaurs add a lively touch to the large body of text, even though the use of colour, especially the ‘eyespot’ on the wing of Batrachognatus on page 242, is speculative. Read more...