How to ride a pterosaur, according to science - BBC REEL

During the Late Cretaceous, winged prehistoric creatures called pterosaurs dominated the air. They were the first vertebrates to master flight. They were not dinosaurs but closely related. Some were tiny, but some were the biggest creatures ever to have flown. We ask a question you've all been wondering, could we ride one, and if so, how?

Video by Pierangelo Pirak
Commissioning Editor: Melissa Hogenboom

#bbcreel #bbc #bbcnews #Pterosaurs

[patrickjohnson]

Its legs and feet are unsettlingly human.

[Hazearil]

Ah yes, the Quetzal, a pterosaur capable of flight while carrying a thick metal platform on its back of roughly 6 by 9 meters with a hut built on top of it.

[ZemplinTemplar]

It's incredible that James Gurney made a smart guess about a hypothetical pterosaur saddle already back in the early 1990s. Goes to show he understands the anatomy of pterosaurs.

The weight issue is obvious, though. A saddle and a full-grown human would probably encumber even the hugest pterosaur to an extent where it would find it hard to take off.

[ytrew]

what a great way to explain things! Super creative!

[JaneXemylixa]

I love the accurate downstroke-forward wing animations! Yes please!

[b.h.abbott-motley]

Habib and Witton's model of Quetzalcoatlus northropi's assumed 72kg of fat over the 200kg "empty" weight. That suggests that a sufficiently lean large pterosaur would be able to fly well enough with the extra weight of a reasonably light adult human, assuming some sort of riding position that doesn't add too much drag.

[davidtapp]

Ah Quetzalcoatulus! My favourite pterasaur. Wingspan similar to that of a human carrying glider.

[rabbitdawg]

I loved this video so much, I have it bookmarked. The creativity was delightfully dizzying, and an excellent example of dry British humor.
More, please!

[ThomasSpettel]

Like with horse racing, you'd have to be small and light to ride on a pterosaur. Jockeys maybe

[foovay]

So about the idea a child could ride; for one thing, there are humans who remain quite small as adults. Your average race horse jockey is much smaller and lighter than the man shown in the demos.

But my main thought is that in some countries children ride race horses because they are smaller and lighter, so as long as we are fantasizing why not a courier service - similar perhaps to the Pony Express who also often hired children as smaller, lighter riders. So, I suppose the average adult couldn't ride off to North America, but they could send a letter.

[BigBadVulture]

The animations and visuals on this were amazing!

[kingbladerZed]

Treat the saddle as if you're riding a race horse or a motorcycle to give pterosaur morespead.

[OliverJazzz]

This was both fun and interesting, thanks! 😄

[chris-hayes]

When he pulls out the saddle 🤣
I love dragons and I can't believe the thought of humans riding pterosaurs never occured to me. I love the idea.

[TheMegAxolatl]

Hey maybe in a million years we can do the same with bats and I’ll be name him Bob

[eddrianlima]

A giant walking prehistoric mini airplane

[harthooft]

Awesome and underrated video. Answered the questions I had about these unbelievable creatures.

[tonqico]

The map shows Indonesia twice. One in Europe and one in Asia but in reverse. 😜

[lindaqu]

in love w/ the song anyone care to drop the title???

[za.z.]

Please, more videos like that, it's awesome!