A note on pterosaur nesting behavior

Abstract

Based on examination of eggshell structure and predicted vapor conductances in eggshells in recently described material from Argentina and China we conclude that pterosaurs buried their eggs. Egg-burying imposes theoretical restrictions on the distribution of pterosaurs, both geographically and spatially, raises the possibility of thermal sex determination and supports previous suggestions that they exhibited nesting fidelity. Some features associated with egg-burying, such as weight savings, are likely to have been fortuitous pre-adaptations for these flying reptiles, but others may have disadvantaged them relative to avian competitors or increased their vulnerability to extinction in a cooling climate.

Keywords:

• Eggshell vapor conductance
• eggshell structure
• nesting behaviour
• egg
• pterosauria

Acknowledgements

We thank C. McHenry, R. Shine and F. Seebacher and two anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. G. Grellet-Tinner acknowledges the LACM for the use of the SEM and USC and SDSMT for their past and present financial support.