The Rhamphorhynchoid Pterosaur
Scaphognathus crassirostris:
A "Living Fossil" Until the 17th Century
|
Author: John Goertzen |
Essays
by Author |
Adapted from a paper presented at the 1998 International
Conference on Creation, Geneva, PA
JOHN
GOERTZEN, MS
KEYWORDS: pterosaurs, paleocryptozoology,
classics, early history of science
ABSTRACT:
The new interdisciplinary science of
Paleocryptozoology seeks to study extinct animals based on historical records
and artifacts that may be compared with known fossils. The long-tailed flying
reptile Scaphognathus crassirostris is one such species that may be studied in
this manner. Archaeological items and ancient written accounts enable us to
understand its appearance. For comparison purposes, the two fossils of that
species that have been found are examined. The archaeological artifacts are
from Egypt and Europe together with written accounts. It is concluded that the
S. lived until the early 17'th century, based on the early scientist Meier's
sketch and other archaeological artifacts with similar morphological features
that cannot be explained except by eyewitness observation of the S. This study
helps to establish the recent existence of rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs; animals
that mainstream science believes became extinct about 140 million years ago.
INTRODUCTION
There is evidence that pterosaurs may have
flown the skies a couple thousand years ago. There are numerous depictions
precise enough to identify the pterosaur species, Scaphognathus
crassirostris, from several cultures of antiquity. Since that species is
the only long-tailed species with a head crest, it is readily identified.
Written accounts provide additional information about the ecological niche of
these animals and (for Luther and the scientists Alpin) details that are
consistent with the pictorial iconography. It is interesting that Charles
Darwin coined the term "living fossil" for other unexpected living
species also found in fossiliferous strata, though he noted that their
occurrence contradicted his theory (according to Ward [30, p. 10]).
The order Pterosauria consists of suborders
Rhamphorhynchoidea (long-tailed) and Pterodactyloidea (short-tailed
pterosaurs). Within the first named suborder is the family Rhamphorhynchidae
consisting of a number of genera. The genus that is important for this article
is the S. which consists of one known species, S. crassirostris.
Two fossil specimens are currently known; the first described in 1831 by the
German professor August Goldfuss (fig. 1). The second is a juvenile and is
intact, including the long tail that was missing from the first fossil (fig.
2). The S. is easily identified since it is the only long tailed
pterosaur with a head crest. Both fossils, currently known, were found in the
Solnhofen limestone in southern Germany and display a skeletal head crest.
Because the S. is the only rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur with a head crest,
ancient artifacts enable us to tell what the soft tissue of the head crest
looked like and identify ancient S. representations with a high degree of
confidence.
|
|
|
|
Figure 1 |
Figure 2 |
The remarkable thing about this animal is that
it was depicted in several cultures of antiquity. Artifacts identified with
this interesting pterosaur species include Roman-Alexandrian coins, an
Arabia-Philistia coin, a French wood carving, a German statue and coin, several
Middle Ages picture maps, and an enlightening sketch of a mounted animal in
Rome by the scientists Meier. Not all of these will be examined in the present
paper because of space constraints. The visual evidence is bolstered by written
accounts from ancient Greek and Latin authors and the leading European
naturalists of the early Renaissance.
Introduction to
Paleocryptozoology
Paleocryptozoology is a new science and
therefore offers the opportunity to achieve rapid progress and success. Mayor,
not a creationist, [25] initially proposed these types of studies of comparing
ancient written accounts with museum artifacts and fossils in order to
determine what extinct animals may have lived in various cultures at certain
times. However, the new science has not been much developed heretofore. In an
earlier article, still awaiting publication, I observed the Egyptian
representation of tail vanes with flying reptiles and concluded
that they must have observed pterosaurs or they would not have known to sketch
the tail vanes [16]. I also matched a flying reptile, observed in Egypt and
sketched by the outstanding Renaissance scientist Pierre Belon, with the Dimorphodon
genus known from the fossil record.
I would like to offer my own definition for
the new science of Paleocryptzoology: the comparative study of Paleontology
with archaeological artifacts and ancient records emphasizing common
morphological features.
I need to stress that the methodology of
Paleocryptozoology is not necessarily to find artifacts that look
like modern reconstructions of scientists based on fossils. Indeed, that may be
helpful and there may be some accuracy with some of the scientific
reconstructions. However, the best method for success is to search for distinct
morphological features that are difficult to explain by any other means
than that a particular fossil species was observed and accurately described or
depicted by its witnesses. An example of a distinct morphological feature is
the tail vane of some rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs. Also, it could be a
distinctive skull like that of a Dimorphodon. Both of those were
described by the present author in another effort [16]. For the S., the
distinctive feature is a rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur with a head crest.
The S. is the only long-tailed pterosaur presently known from the fossil record
with that feature. That will be examined in the present study.
Another species I have found is the Tyrannosaurus
rex with two distinct bumps on the head, known as pre-orbital spurs (it
should be noted that some T-rex skulls have that feature and some do not; that,
and perhaps other factors, has led some paleontologists to propose that the
T-rex should actually be classified as two species). The T-rex is awaiting
further research and publication. Another extinct marine reptile genus I have
found good evidence for is the Moasaurus that appears to have had cartilaginous
fins, like sharks, that have not been preserved with the fossil record in
addition to the four flippers that are known.
It is well known that scientists tend to
find what they are looking for. This is certainly true for paleocryptozoology.
I believe the reason this new science has had trouble getting started is
because scientists are conditioned by evolutionary geological thinking. They
only look for animals in locales where fossils have been found and where there
has not been a subsequent Ice Age. Also, few have looked for 'Jurassic' or
'Cretaceous' animals, thinking they could not have survived until recently.
Therefore many extinct animal artifacts that may otherwise have been spotted
have been missed.
A Creation perspective could be that most
fossils were caused by Noah's Flood and therefore the pre-Flood biogeographical
distribution is not necessarily the same as the post-Flood biogeographical distribution.
Because of that I have been looking for almost any type of extinct species from
almost any culture with considerable success. Perhaps, for some scientists, the
location of fossils would be considered an important guide for finding extinct
animal artifacts. I will suggest, though, that the fossil record is usually a
poor guide for successful locales for paleocryptozoological studies (though a
number of the scientists I have worked with have all thought that would help
them, apparently to their detriment).
Paleocryptozoology could suggest a total
revolution in the understanding of the geologic column where the age
of the strata is determined by the fossils found in it. Thus far I have found
about two dozen species of extinct animals, all thought to be extinct for
millions of years, but almost certainly accurately observed by man in the
recent past. Therefore the entire idea of the geological succession of many
of the layers of strata (different ages), based on index fossils, may soon
be untenable. Similarly, the idea of a gradual succession of life from simple
to complex (Darwinian evolution that was based on the idea of fossil
succession) may be challenged since most of the supposed early life forms may
soon be demonstrated to have lived recently.
Another problem for the standard model of
the geologic column and fossil succession is the method by which sedimentation
occurs. Guy Berthault, in many experiments and technical articles, and a
presentation at the 1998 International Conference on Creation, demonstrated
that long ages cannot explain the sedimentary rocks and that they are advance
with a moving water current.
Of course, scientists could believe in
geological succession and Darwinian gradualism even though the original basis
for those ideas may soon be disproved. They would have to believe that the
animals lived for millions, and/or tens of millions, of years without being
fossilized again and survived until man killed them off in recent history.
Ockham's razor would suggest, though, that all animals were created thousands
of years ago and that there is another explanation for the patterns of the
geologic strata (perhaps ecological zonation during the Genesis Flood).
Correlating Historical
Accounts
Herodotus, who visited Egypt from Greece
about 450 B.C., is undoubtedly the most important ancient witness. He was a
very reliable historian, stating his sources of information and empirically
verifying the stories he heard when able to. He cross-checked reports he heard
to obtain more accuracy. Lloyd [22], a modern commentator, has said
"Herodotus' inquiry is pursued in an astoundingly scientific spirit."
He provides the following account:
There is a place in
Arabia, situated very near the city of Buto, to which I went, on hearing of
some winged serpents; and when I arrived there, I saw bones and spines of
serpents, in such quantities as it would be impossible to describe. The form of
the serpent is like that of the water-snake; but he has wings without feathers,
and as like as possible to the wings of a bat [18; 2, 75-76].
The water-snake referred to by
Herodotus, udron, is identified as the Grass Snake (Natrix) or
Tropidonotus bilineatus, a non-poisonous European species which attains
a length of 1-3/4 meters (Gossen-Steier, cited by Lloyd, [22]). When the
Egyptians told Herodotus that the flying serpents had "wings like a
bat" they were most likely referring to the similar membrane
materiel used for both animals and not the skeletal frame that is different.
He was also told that "at the beginning
of spring, winged serpents fly from Arabia towards Egypt; but that ibises, a
sort of bird, meet them at the pass, and do not allow the serpents to go by,
but kill them." The ibis (fig. 3) is described as "all over a
deep black, it has the legs of a crane, its beak is much curved, and it is
about the size of the crex." There are five main species of ibis birds
currently breeding in Africa. Meinertzhagen believes this particular one to be
the Hermit Ibis (Comatibis eremita) often called the Crested Ibis by Egyptologists
(cited by Lloyd, [22]). Unlike the other Ibis species, the Comatibis
does not inhabit watery places, but rocky and desolate mountain ranges, where
it feeds on insects, snails and reptiles. The description that Herodotus gives
is of the sacred ibis (Ibis aethiopica or, popularly, the Black Ibis)
and is highly accurate (Lloyd, [22]). This bird is not often found in Egypt
since 1800 A.D., but is still common in the Sudan.
|
|
|
|
Figure 3 |
Figure 4 |
When describing Arabia, Herodotus says
"winged serpents, small in size, and various in form, guard the trees that
bear frankincense, a great number around each tree. These are the same serpents
that invade Egypt" [18, 3, 107-8]. Weidemann and Keller have
suggested that perhaps Herodotus heard of the Draco volans (fig. 4) and
that his flying serpent description can be interpreted to match that animal
(cited by Lloyd, [22]). There are problems with this: the D. volans has
never been definitively known in Egypt, Nubia or Arabia; the accounts of the
flying serpent traveling long distances in the air; having membraned wings,
doesn't match Draco; and the pictorial evidence, including some that
will be examined below, does not match D. volans either.
It is thought that Josephus, the Jewish
historian who wrote in the 1'st century A.D., had access to ancient written
records; before the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. He provides the following
account of Moses leading an army from ancient Egypt against the Nubians:
...he gave a
wonderful demonstration of his sagacity; for when the ground was difficult to
be passed over because of the multitude of serpents, (which it produces in vast
numbers, and indeed is singular in some of those productions, ... such as are
worse than others in power and mischief, and an unusual fierceness of sight,
some of which ascend out of the ground unseen, and also fly in the air, and so
come upon men at unawares and do them mischief,) ... he made baskets, like unto
arks, of sedge, and filled them with ibes [ibises], and carried them along with
them; which animal is the greatest enemy to serpents imaginable, for they fly
from them when they come near them; and as they fly they are caught and
devoured by them [21, 2, 245].
It is known that Josephus was familiar with
Herodotus and it is likely that his mention of flying serpents could have been
prompted by the earlier allusion of the Greek historian and traveler. However,
that does not discredit the genuineness of Josephus's account. There are at
least another dozen accounts of flying serpents from the Middle East including
Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 (NASB, NRSV[20], KJV, the popular NIV is mistranslated.
See also the author's article "The Bible and Pterosaurs."). The
remaining historical accounts may be found in the author's other study [16]. A
partial summary is presented in Table 1. A study of the biblical, archaeological,
and linguistic context of Hebrew words for pterosaurs is currently being
prepared by the author [15].
Table 1 -- Correlation of Written Accounts of Flying
Reptiles
|
Author |
Date |
Location |
Predator |
Comments |
Nature of threat |
Source of information |
Been to Egypt |
|
Herodotus |
500 B.C. |
Arabia-Egypt |
black ibis |
variety/wings membraned |
dangerous |
observation oral report |
yes |
|
Aristotle |
300 B.C. |
Nubia |
|
|
|
oral report |
no |
|
Philae |
30 B.C. |
Arabia-Egypt |
ibis |
trees (Egypt) |
poisonous |
? |
yes-* |
|
Aelianus |
300 A.D. |
Arabia-Egypt |
black ibis |
|
dangerous |
? |
yes |
|
Ammianus |
400 A.D. |
Arabia-Egypt |
black ibis |
marshes |
poisonous |
? |
yes |
|
Mela |
100 A.D. |
fly to Egypt |
ibis |
variety/mud |
poisonous |
"fact," oral |
? |
|
Solinus |
300 A.D. |
Arabia-Egypt |
ibis |
marshes |
poisonous |
? |
? |
|
Cicero |
100 B.C. |
Libya-Egypt |
black ibis |
desert |
dangerous |
oral-* |
no-* |
|
Josephus |
(1500 B.C.) |
Nubia |
ibis |
variety |
dangerous |
written-* |
no |
|
Isaiah |
700 B.C. |
Sinai-Egypt |
|
|
poisonous |
? |
no |
* indicates a probable entry.
EGYPTIAN ARTIFACT
EVIDENCE
There are a number of seals with pterosaur
tail vanes presented in the author's earlier study [16]. Perhaps most
fascinating of all is a statue hidden in a Berlin museum from which I examined
xerox facsimiles from a museum photo. I was able to observe legs with toes and
claws; three wing claws; a prototagium (a portion of the wing above the arm
known from pterosaur fossil impressions); and a tail vane. The pterosaur was
hunting a falcon and appeared to have the dental structure of a S. I have not
included the picture with this study because of the low resolution of the
facsimile and because the head crest of a S. was not definitively present.
An Interesting Egyptian
Seal
There are four pertinent Egyptian seals I
have found: three that depict the ibis hunting pterosaurs and one that could be
a S. hunting a gazelle. There are several interesting features to the
pterosaur hunting the gazelle (fig. 5 from Giveon, [14, p. 70]). The leaf
shaped tail vane is unmistakable. The long reptilian head has the double crest
of a S. above it. However the domed bony portion of the head crest is
not present, so it could be argued that the two "spikes" on the head
are ears (though if so, the engraver has exaggerated their size). There are two
legs and two wings like expected for a pterosaur. The level of detail is
similar to that for the gazelle that is also fairly clear. The pterosaur is
clearly hunting the gazelle, the seal dating to c. 1300-1150 B.C. The object
towards the right, with three strands hanging, is undetermined. The seal is now
in the Tel Aviv University, Institute of Archaeology. There are several
Egyptian seals and an artifact that appear to depict the ibis bird hunting
pterosaurs. Perhaps reflecting Moses's strategy, that Josephus recorded, in one
seal a seated Egyptian holds the distinctive curved beak of the ibis with a
rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur flying overhead (fig. 6). The figure to the left is
a terrestrial serpent. According to Josephus, the ibis cleared the ground of
both flying serpents and earth-bound serpents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Figure 7 (alternate view) |
|
|
|
||
Roman-Alexandrian Coins
Depict S.
The Roman-Alexandrian coin (fig 7) displays
pterosaurs with the head crest described by Alpin (see below). The piece of skin,
for the head crest, is seen above and behind the bony portion of the head
crest. Perhaps some species of the S. had a dual flap and some a single.
The wing is clearest behind the second pterosaur. The animal is clearly
Rhamphorhynchidae, that is long-tailed. As previously stated, the S.
crassirostris is the only species of this long-tailed suborder to have a
crest of any kind on its head.
The coin dates from 137/138 A.D. with the
Roman emperor Hadrian on the obverse side. "Triptolemus," a
mythological figure, is towed in the chariot. Other Roman-Alexandrian coins
with chariots being towed often depict real animals such as panthers, hippos,
and elephants. Emperor Trajan also minted an unmistakable S., towing a
chariot, depicted by a Roman Alexandrian coin (c. 117 A.D.). There is the
skeletal head crest and the dual flap, like Meier's sketch with the Trajan
coin. Triptolemus is not present in the chariot of the Trajan coin (see
author's picture of the coin from the Alexandria, Egypt museum, not included with
this study).
A Remarkable Account by
a 16'th Century Naturalist
Most written records of flying reptiles in
the middle east are rather generic and contain little distinguishing detail.
However, Prosper Alpin, an European scientist who wrote a natural history of
Egypt during the years 1581-4, has provided a masterful account. Alpin did not
observe these animals but recorded the following account:
...there is nothing
for sure about the basilic, but we have heard talk, nevertheless, that there is
a small serpent, as long as a palm branch, and thick like a small finger. It
has a small piece of skin, like a crest, on its head and, in the middle of the
back, two scales placed on one side and the other which serve as wings in order
to advance more quickly. Large numbers of people have said that these serpents
live in large quantities close to certain lakes in which the Nile has its
source. People don't travel close to those lakes because of the well-known
danger these serpents represent ... That is what is said by the Egyptians who
travel in Ethiopia and in Nubia [3, p. 407 (222)].
The most remarkable facet of this
description is the crest and small piece of skin on the head. Alpin's
description of the tail, "thick as a finger," is precisely how
paleontologist Malcolm Browne described the tails of rhamphorhynchoid
pterosaurs [7]. The length, "as long as a palm branch," is correct
for this pterosaur we are considering according to the fossils that are known.
Many of the ancient reports of these animals place them near water: lakes,
swamps, or rivers, corresponding with Alpin's record. Even more ancients speak
of these animals being dangerous (like Alpin's informants). It seems obvious
that the French scientist was slow to believe what he heard: these animals were
unheard of in Europe by this time, but, as he states, he verified these
sightings with large numbers of eyewitnesses (very likely with a great deal of
independence).
In an extremely important allusion, the
French naturalist refers to another morphological characteristic of the S.:
But the natives,
who have a premonition of the arrival of the savage beasts prepare a fire of a
plant the very Great and very Good God has abundantly grown in that region, as
a remedy. Also by virtue of the smell of the fumes, they are prepared and
escaped those reptiles and preserve the province from their incursions. The
youngster told me that this plant was short and robust, having a leaf
similar to that of the basilic and exudes a very unpleasant odor (emphasis
mine) [3, p. 409]
That is clearly referring to the tail vane
of the basilic that resembled the leaf of that particular plant. That important
detail helps to complete the written description of this animal.
The name basilic, was not often used
by Latin writers in classical times to indicate a winged reptile (though the
Greeks may have intended that meaning), but the word seems to have changed
usage by the middle ages (when they were largely extinct). There is one notable
exception in the Symmachi version of the Greek Septuagint text for
Isaiah 30:6 [Greek, basilsk] [12]. (Is. 30:6 is one of the references in the
Bible to the "flying serpent" and this translation is correctly made
in almost every Bible version except the mistaken NIV [14].) Although the name basilic
sometimes took on mythical characteristics in middle-age Europe, at times it
clearly represents a real reptile with a crown or head crest. The
head crest is probably integral with the Greek word basilisk;
derived from the Greek word for a king (who wore a crown) basileu".
In modern times that name, Basilisk, denotes a genus of the lizard
family, also with a head crest.
Another French voyageur, Felix Fabri,
who visited Egypt in 1481-1483, a century earlier than Alpin, also mentioned
the basilic [12]. He mentions it when talking about various dangerous
animals that he saw during the day in the very hot regions of upper (southern)
Egypt. He does not provide any description.
S. on Middle Ages Maps
A clearly identifiable S. is found on the
Genoese 1457 world map at the lakes where the Nile has its source, just like
Alpin's informants claimed [2, p. 78]. The flying creature has a long narrow
tongue, the dual skin head crest, two wings, two legs, and a long tail (fig.
8). It is colored red and green. Cardanel (cited by Topsell) said the flying
reptiles he observed were very colorful (see the last section). There is also a
clearly identified giraffe, elephant, and Ethiopian present with the map. The
giraffe is accurately colored, brown and spotted, and so is the grey elephant.
The Ethiopian is black. There is a mammal and reptile that I am not able to
identify at present. The map is a portolano colored on sheepskin. The S. looks
just like that of figure 9, next paragraph, except for being in color.
Figure 8
The Borgia world map, of 1435, is named for Cardinal Borgia who bought
it for his museum from an antique shop (fig. 9) [2, p. 81]. There is a readily
identifiable elephant, camel, and horses. The camel is carrying a load and
being led by a caravaner. The S. is just as recognizable as the other three
animals. It has a long tail, two legs, two wings, a beard seen on some other
reptiles like the iguana, and the dual skin head crest. The appearance of the
S. is remarkably similar to the Meier sketch from Rome (fig. 11). The map may
well be from Africa, or perhaps India, since the elephant and camel are both
found there and not many other countries. There are also people on the map and
those below the S. wear the type of crown of the Ethiopian from the Genoese
1457 world map (see previous paragraph). However, the top left word of the
visible area of the Borgia map appears to be 'India.' The little 'castles'
represent towns and there are two churches, with crosses, present. There were
Middle Ages churches in both India and Ethiopia. Bochart and Cardanel (cited by
Topsell) both told of pterosaurs brought from India to Paris (see the last
section). The map is engraved on iron and the cartographer is unknown.
EUROPEAN S.
SURVIVORS
A French Wood Carving
A French wooden image, dating from the 16'th
century, displays remarkable features like the S. (fig. 10). There are
two wings that clearly appear to be membraned, not feathered, and two legs
slightly behind the wings as is proper. There is a distinct tail vane
represented. There appears to be a small head crest above and slightly in front
of the eyes and remarkably a hint of the twin skin flap above and behind the
bony crest that is much clearer with the Trajan and Hadrian coins, the Egyptian
seal, and the animal near Rome.
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
The nostril is plainly visible toward the front of the snout, with just
a hint of it on the Egyptian sculpture. The ear appears faintly just like the
Egyptian sculpture on the lower posterior of the skull. The same lateral ridge
appears on the dorsal skull, below and in front of the eye, that is seen on the
Egyptian sculpture. The legs, just like the Egyptin sculpture, are after the
fashion of the back legs of a quadruped. (Some scientists, notably Kevin
Padian, think pterosaurs had bird-like legs with the joint bending in the
opposite direction.) The tail is flexible contrary to the assertion that it
always was held rigidly straight. (That unrealistic idea is based on the
extrapolation of the ossified tendons of the tail found in fossil specimens.)
If someone examined the icon in person, perhaps further resemblance could be
discovered like the number of toes, etc.. The following account is given:
From the 6'th
century, St. Radegonde, the captive of the royal line that Clotaire had married
but wanted the marriage to be annulled, founded in Poiters a monastery for life
to flow with his companions in the practice of all the virtues. But he chanced
upon a flying dragon with an enormous tail who customarily lived in a cave (or
underground). This had been encountered previously by those who worked in the
monastery. and that monster devoured the monks who, too imprudently, approached
its privacy. Radegonde punished it: whereas it approached him, it took to wing
to run away, it spit to destroy him, but he made the sign of the cross.
Tradition has given the name of the dragon "the Grand Goule." ...
From olden days in the ancient cities are those who recount that they would
assemble in ceremonial parades carrying the representations of the vanquished
dragons. In the 15'th century the good king Rene of Anjou ruled himself the
ceremonial procession of the Tarasque and the carrying of the image in
Tarescon. Coming immediately after the cross, in the retinue of the parade, are
images of the dragons symbolizing Satan vanquished and each his conqueror. Like
in the triumphal marches of the victorious Caesars, the king's enemies, subdued
and condemned, each bound to the chariot of the conqueror. The ceremonial image
of the Grand Goule of Poiters is actually in the Museum of that town
(translated by the author from [8]).
Sketch of S. In
Rome
A dragon was said to live in the wetlands
near Rome in December, 1691. The animal lived in a cave and terrorized the
local population. A sketch of the skeleton has survived in the possession of
Ingegniero Cornelio Meyer (figure 11). The most remarkable thing about the animal
is the clear head crest and the dual piece of skin from the crest.
Five digits were clearly visible for each
foot, of the proper length and with the first shorter and offset from the rest
as is proper for the S.. The upper arm bone can be seen at the front of
the wing as well as the hint of the prototagium (in front of the lighter
colored upper arm of the near wing). There is a hint of a wing claw on the far
wing where it curves forward. The tail vane is not visible, however that is not
a skeletal feature and the dermal layer does not appear to have been preserved
there. The aktinofibrils could be sketched in the wing that is clearly
membraned. The wings are in front of the legs, on the vertebrae, matching the
fossils.
The femur is properly shown as a single
bone. The tibia and fibula, the twin lower leg bones, are visible too. Some
have suggested that it could be a fossil or faked composite. It is much too
accurate to be considered a fabrication. The survival of the skin suggests that
it is not a fossil since it includes accurate wing features, a head crest, and
the ears.
S. Depicted by a German
Coin
The coin is a 1622 Taler from the German
city Mansfield. A German knight has dispatched the S. with a pike (fig.
12). The S. crassirostris of the coin has two legs and two wings, only
one of which is pictured. There is clearly a long reptilian tail for the
rhamphorhynchoid sub-order and an unmistakable head crest, with one flap of
skin visible, for a S. crassirostris.
Fig. 12
Gesner, the leading German zoologist of the
16'th century, recorded that in 1543 within Germany near Stiria, serpents with wings
and legs did bite and wound many men incurably (recorded by Topsell [28]). The
mention of poisonous flying reptiles matches many ancient accounts.
Luther provides a fascinating description of
an apparent S. when talking about the cherubim guarding Eden in Gen.
3:23-24[23, p. 230]. He says, "Similarly in Acts 2:3 it is related that
the tongues of the apostles appeared to be divided, like fire;
such is also the appearance of the flying dragons." That appears to be a
certain mention of the twin head crest of the S. looking like the tongues of
fire on the heads of the apostles in Acts. Perhaps the best picture to see what
Luther was describing is Meier's sketch (fig. 11) or the maps (figs. 8-9).
European Accounts of
Pterosaurs
Aldrovandi [4], considered the leading
naturalist of the early Renaissance, tells us:
Julius Scaliger
described a savage type of serpent of four feet in length, and thick as a human
fore-arm and was told that flexible wings of gristle are attached.
Edward Topsell [28], English naturalist and
one of the top five zoologists of 16'th century Europe, mentions the following
accounts of flying serpents (some of them may have come from Gesner):
Neither have we in Europe only heard
of dragons and never seen them but also even in our own country there have (by
the testimony of sundry writers) many been encountered and killed. And first of
all there was a dragon or winged serpent brought unto Francis the French king
when he lay at sanction by a certain country man who had slain the fame serpent
himself with a spade when it set upon him in the fields to kill him. And this
thing was witnessed by many learned and credible men which saw the same and
thought it was not bred in that country but rather driven by the wind from some
foreign nation.
Among the Pyrenees also, there is a
cruel kind of serpent, not past four feet long and as thick as a man's arm out
of whose sides grow wings much like unto gristles.
Cardanel [in De Varietate Rerum]
also describeth certain serpents with wings which he saw at Paris whose dead
bodies were in the hands of Guilielmus Musicus. He says that they had two legs
and small wings so that they could scarce fly. The head was little and like to
the head of a serpent. Their color was bright and they were without hair or feathers.
They did not exceed the size of a cony and they were said to be brought out of
India. [Bochart, see next paragraph, says that a certain Lutetiae saw them and
that they are similar to animals described by Megasthenes (Megasthenes wrote an
account in Greek of a trip to India that briefly mentioned flying reptiles;
c.300 BC) The Borgia map, fig. 8, may indicate the existence of the S. in India
The 'bright color,' described by Cardanel, could correspond with the S.
depiction on the Genoese map (see above).]
Bochart (writing in c.1650) was an
outstanding scholar, competent in Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin and wrote,
perhaps, the most outstanding study of biblical animals ever penned. After
arguing that the flying serpents of Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 were still alive, he
relates several accounts [6]:
To what extent the flying snakes are
... remaining is confirmed by many of our generation: and in fact in France
itself toward the Pyrenees Bigerrones there is a genus of serpents usually
hiding, with pointed wings spread out appearing to be made of cartilage.
And Odoardus Barbosa from mountain
territory who separated them into Malabar [apparently from the Latin
word mala meaning "jaws of death"] and Narsinga
[apparently derived from the Latin naris which means "nose"].
If on your travels you encounter the
serpent with wings who circles and hurls himself at you, the flying snake, hide
yourself because of its reputation. Lie down when the snake appears and guard
yourself in alarm for that snake's manner is to go away calm, considering it a
victory (the Malabar I believe).
There are winged and flying serpents
that can be found who are venomous, who snort, and are savage and kill with
pain worse than fire, their reputation is (the Narsinga I believe).
And Vincent le Blanc says in Peregrinationum
chapter 25; At the eastern lakes of Chiamay [Chamonix, I think] there are large
forests and vast swamps, and there among them is danger: there are serpents who
are very degenerate and, just as it becomes evening, they fly rising over the
land, and rest on the end of their tail, rapidly going into motion. They are
set in motion around that location at times in large numbers in a desolate area
of the province.
The size of the Pyrenees pterosaur roughly
matches the adult S. fossil that is known (66 cm.). It also fits Alpin's
description (the length of a palm branch). The wings are clearly membraned and
not feathered for both the Pyrenees serpent and the Paris specimens. These
accounts are contemporary with the French carving. The legs are mentioned for
the German animals and the corpses from India. The body (as thick as a
fore-arm) is accurate for the S. if it is distinguished from the tail
that was thinner than that.
CONCLUSION
The remarkable correlation of the head crest
from the French carving, Meyer's animal near Rome, the Hadrian
Roman-Alexandrian coin, the Mansfield taler, the Borgia map, the color map, and
other artifacts matching Alpin's and Luther's written description is remarkable
evidence for the soft tissue appearance of S.. The evidence indicates
that the ancient Egyptians and Europeans did indeed observe the
rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur S. crassirostris.
The detailed indigenous accounts that were
carefully investigated by a practicing Renaissance naturalist (Alpin) can best
be identified as the very animal of the statue and fossils examined by this
article; especially by virtue of the long tail, tail vane, and small head
crest. Luther's description of the dual head crest, like a divided tongue of
flame, occasionaly represented with artifacts, is also fascinating. Other, less
specific accounts from other 16'th/17'th century naturalists, who are
acknowledged to have been the scientific leaders of their generation, could
have been the S. or, perhaps, other rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur species. In
light of the archaeological and corresponding paleontological evidence, their
accounts must now be taken seriously.
Mainstream scientific interpretation of the
geologic column gives a most recent age of about 144 million years before
present for the S. according to Wellnhofer [32, p. 166]. The formations
in which Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur fossils are found are the Triassic and
Jurassic. If these artifacts and Alpin's corresponding description (as well as
other scientists like Meier) are considered to be strong evidence for the
recent existence of S., then mainstream science is faced with 144
million years of silence for these animals, followed by their sudden
reappearance.
The model of a young earth, recently created
and with most fossils formed during a worldwide flood, is a more tenable
hypothesis in light of the "living fossils" that have been found.
Pterosaurs were very likely preserved on Noah's ark and survived in Egypt and
Europe (and probably elsewhere) until recent times. The careful
paleocryptozoological study of many nations around the world could probably
reveal similar evidence for the survival of pterosaurs and other
"Jurassic" species. Indeed there are many other species I have found
that are awaiting further work and publication.
Paleocryptozoological studies have the
potential to establish the recent existence of many fossil species. When that
is done, the basis of Darwinian theory of change over time in the fossil record
may be strongly challenged and a different model for historical geology will be
needed. We may also learn much about the ecological niche, biogeographical
distribution, and soft-tissue appearance of extinct species from careful study
of the archaeological evidence and the corresponding paleontological
information.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to thank Dr. Erich Von Fange
who suggested [29] that ancient dinosaur artifacts and accounts could be a
fruitful field for Creation research.
REFERENCES
[1] Aelian, On the
Characteristics of Animals, 1959, Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, MA, tr. A. F. Scholfield.
[2] Allen, J. and Griffiths, J., The
Book of the Dragon, 1979, Orbis Publishing Ltd., London.
[3] Alpin, P., Histoire Naturelle
de l'Egypte, 1979, L'institut Francais D'Archaeologie Orientale, Caire, translated from Latin to French by R. de
Fenoyl.
[4] Aldrovandi, U., The Historie
of Serpents and Dragons, 1608, Italy.
[5] Aristotle, Historia Animalum,
1965, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, tr. A. L. Peck.
[6] Bochart, Hierozoicon: sive,
De animalibus Sacre Scripturae, 1793-1796, In Libraria Weidmannia, Lipsiae.
[7] Browne, M., W., 1994, Debate
May Force a Redrawing of Flying Reptile from Jurassic,
Science Times (New York
Times) Vol. 143 (September 6), pp. B5, C1.
[8] Charbonneau-Lassay, L., Le
Bestiaire du Christ, 1940, Desolee De Brouwer & Cie, France.
[9] Cicero, De Natura Deorum,
1933, William Heineman, Ltd., London, tr. H. Rackher.
[10] Collins, A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds
Represented in English Church Architecture, 1914, New York,
[11] Cooper, B., After the Flood, 1995,
New Wine Press, Chichester, West Sussex, England.
[12] Fabri, F., Voyage en Egypte de Felix
Fabri, 1483, 1975, Institut Francais D'Archaeologie, Caire,Orientale du Caire.
[13] Field, F., editor, Origenis Hexapla Tomus
II Jobus - Malachias, 1875, Alexandrum Macmillan, London.
[14] Giveon, R., Scarabs From Recent
Excavations in Israel, Orbis biblicus et Orientalis 83, 1988, Universitatsverlag Freigurg Schweiz
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Gottingen.
[15] Goertzen, J. C., The Bible and
Pterosaurs, Presentation at the 1998 midwestern chapter of the Evangelical Theological Society, March 20,
Grand Rapids, MI. (in preparation)
[16] Goertzen, J. C., Shadows of Rhamphorhynchoid
Pterosaurs in Ancient Egypt and Nubia, Cryptozoology,
Vol 13 (1998) (in preparation).
[17] Grossman, M. and Hamlet, J., Birds of
Prey of the World, 1964, Bonanza Books, New York.
[18] Herodotus, Historiae, 1850, Henry G.
Bohn, London, tr. Henry Clay.
[19] Hornemann, B. Types of Ancient Egyptian
Statuary, 1957, Munksgaard, Copenhagen.
[20] Isaiah: New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV), 1989, Oxford University Press, New York.
[21] Josephus, F., Antiquities of the Jews,
1964, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, tr. William Whiston.
[22] Lloyd, A., Herodotus Book II:
Introduction and Commentary, 1975, E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands.
[23] Luther, M., Complete Works Vol. 1,
1958, Concordia, St. Louis, MO, trans. by J. Pelikan.
[24] Mela, P., De Chorographia, 1988,
Belles Lettres, Paris.
[25] Mayor, A., Paleocryptozoology: A Call For
Collaboration between Classicists and Cryptozoologists,
Cryptozoology, Vol. 8 (1989), pp. 12-26.
[26] Philae, M., de animalium proprietate,
1862, Lehrs-Dubner editors, Instituti Imperialis Franciae, Paris.
[27] Solinus, C. The Excellent and Pleasant
Work, (1587, 1955), Scholars Facsimiles and Reprints, Gainsville, FL, tr. Arthur Golding.
[28] Topsell, E., The Historie of Foure-Footed
Beasts, 1607, (collected out of the writings of Conrad Gesner and other writings). W. Iaggard,
London.
[29] Von Fange, E., Genesis and the Dinosaur,
1990, Living Word Services, Syracuse, IN.
[30] Ward, P. D., On Methuselah's Trail:
Living Fossils and the Great Extinctions, 1992, Freeman &
Co., New York.
[31] Wellnhofer, P. Die Rhamphorhynchoidea
(Pterosauria) Der Oberjura-Plattenkalke Suddeutschlands.
Teil II. Paleontographica, Vol. 148 (1975), pp. 132-186.
[32] Wellnhofer, P., The Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, 1991, Crescent Books, New York, tr. from the German by Michael Robinson
Return to the top of this Essay
The Creation
Bookstore
Revolution
Against Evolution TV Show
Creation
Essays
Seminars and
Class Schedule
Online Books
Other online
resources
Frequently Asked
Questions
The
Amy Foundation Website
Mount
Hope Church
The Revolution Against Evolution has had over one million visitors since 4/28/97.
Contact rae.org or send comments about this page HERE.