Historic Storms Wiped Out Child Pterosaurs, Their Fossils Inform the Story

Germany’s Solnhofen islands gave us a treasure trove of pterosaur fossils, so wealthy that they’ve formed how we image these historical flyers. But whereas the bones communicate volumes, the story of how they had been fossilized stays murky.

In a forensic twist 150 million years overdue, scientists on the University of Leicester pieced collectively the ultimate moments of two child pterosaurs. By mixing trauma evaluation with fossil decay knowledge, they cracked the case: historical storms had been the culprits, each killing and completely preserving these tiny flyers.

The identical storms that struck them down additionally laid the proper groundwork to fossilize their fragile kinds, preserving not simply their our bodies, however a complete prehistoric snapshot.

We consider the Mesozoic as a blockbuster period, dinosaurs stomping, sea beasts thrashing, pterosaurs hovering. But that’s simply the trailer. The actual solid? Mostly small, fragile creatures, quietly working the present behind the scenes.

Pterosaurs wanted toes on the bottom to turn out to be giants

The twist: fossilization performs favorites. Big bones survive the ages, whereas the fragile ones vanish with no hint. So our museums echo with giants, however the historical world was possible buzzing with tiny lives we’ll by no means totally know, Nature’s bias, written in stone.

Most tiny creatures of the Mesozoic vanished with no hint, however from time to time, Nature performed curator. In southern Germany, the Solnhofen lagoons grew to become a prehistoric preservation lab, capturing even essentially the most delicate life kinds in gorgeous element.

These 150-million-year-old limestone beds didn’t simply fossilize bones; they fossilized whispers. From fragile pterosaurs to soft-bodied secrets and techniques, they provide a uncommon glimpse into the quieter corners of the Age of Reptiles.

Solnhofen is filled with superbly preserved child pterosaurs, however the place are the adults? Bigger, more durable creatures ought to fossilize extra simply, but they’re largely lacking or present in bits and items. It’s a wierd twist: the delicate children survived the fossil document higher than their sturdy elders.

Large Pterosaurs had been extra nurturing than beforehand thought

Lead creator of the examine, Rab Smyth, from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council by the CENTA Doctoral Training Partnership

Rab mentioned, “Pterosaurs had incredibly lightweight skeletons. Hollow, thin-walled bones are ideal for flight but terrible for fossilization. The odds of preserving one are already slim, and finding a fossil that tells you how the animal died is even rarer.”

The discovery of two child pterosaurs with damaged wings has helped to unravel this thriller. These tiny fossils, although simply missed, are sturdy proof of historical tropical storms and the way they formed the fossil document.

Meet Lucky and Lucky II, tiny pterosaur hatchlings, every no greater than your hand, and among the many smallest ever found. Their skeletons are completely preserved, however each share a haunting clue: a twisted wing bone, possible snapped by fierce winds.

How pterosaurs managed to take flight regardless of far bigger sizes

Swept from the sky by a violent storm, they drowned within the churning lagoon under. But Nature had one final twist: those self same lethal waves buried them quick in wonderful mud, locking their fragile kinds in stone for 150 million years. Tragedy was timeless preservation.

“For centuries, scientists believed that small pterosaurs dominated the Solnhofen lagoon ecosystems,” mentioned Smyth. “But we now know this view is deeply biased. Many of these pterosaurs weren’t native to the lagoon at all. Most are inexperienced juveniles that were likely living on nearby islands that were unfortunately caught up in powerful storms.”

Co-author Dr David Unwin from the University of Leicester added: “When Rab spotted Lucky we were very excited but realized that it was a one-off. Was it representative in any way? A year later, when Rab noticed Lucky II we knew that it was no longer a freak find but evidence of how these animals were dying. Later still, when we had a chance to light-up Lucky II with our UV torches, it literally leapt out of the rock at us — and our hearts stopped. Neither of us will ever forget that moment.”

Journal Reference:

1. Robert S.H. Smyth, Rachel Belben, Richard Thomas, David M. Unwin. Fatal accidents in neonatal pterosaurs and selective sampling within the Solnhofen fossil assemblage. Current Biology, 5 September 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.006