Live Pterosaur Post Tags

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The following are some of the more common post-tags of this blog:

Bioluminescence

The ropen of Umboi Island, as well as other apparent pterosaurs known by other names in other places, appears to have an intrinsic bioluminescent capacity. It glows for a few seconds at a time, often during flight.

Book

A number of nonfiction books have been written on modern non-extinct pterosaurs, including these:

  • Searching for Ropens and Finding God
  • Live Pterosaurs in America
  • Live Pterosaurs in Papua New Guinea and in Australia

Bulverism

C. S. Lewis invented this word, which refers to a particular kind of faulty reasoning.

California

Many important sightings of live pterosaurs have been in California. In addition, two of the living-pterosaur investigators have lived for many years in that state: Garth Guessman and Jonathan Whitcomb.

Cheesman

The British biologist Evelyn Cheesman, working in the early-to-mid 20th century, observed strange flying lights on the mainland of what is now Papua New Guinea. Ropen investigators now believe she saw bioluminescent pterosaurs.

Cuba

Two important ropen sightings were in Cuba: 1965 and 1971.

Extinction

Living-pterosaur cryptozoologists like Jonathan Whitcomb do not believe that a majority of species of these flying creatures known from fossils are still living. They believe that a limited number of species of pterosaurs are still living.

Georgia

Many sightings of apparent pterosaurs have been reported in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Hoax

In any field of cryptozoological investigation, whether it involves the Bigfoot or ropen field, a hoax may deceive some people in a particular case. With living-pterosaur investigations, however, Whitcomb has shown a number of independent methods that show, mathematically, that hoaxes could not have played any significant role in the overall sighting records as a whole.

Hodgkinson

The late Duane Hodgkinson was an important eyewitness because of his sighting in 1944 in New Guinea.

Indava

The local native name for large glowing flying creatures, in and around Tawa Village, Papua New Guinea, is indava. These possible living pterosaurs may be related to the ropen of Umboi Island and to the Cheesman lights.

Long tails

The great majority of modern apparent pterosaurs have long tails, often reported with a structure at tail end, suggesting a Rhamphorhynchoid tail flange.

Marfa Lights

Many of the flying lights observed by tourists in the Marfa area of Texas are actually headlights of cars on a highway. On the other hand, a few times each year, truly mysterious flying lights defy simplistic explanations. The overall best explanation is that these are the bioluminescent glow of a species of nocturnal flying predators, possibly related to the ropen.

Misidentification

Various explanations have been offered for the general phenomenon of sightings of apparent living pterosaurs around the world. More common than the hoax explanation is misidentification. The overall data from many sightings, however, does not fit well with this speculation of misidentified birds or bats or remote-controlled model planes.

Nocturnal

The overall picture, from many years of investigation, looks like modern pterosaurs are nocturnal, flying and feeding at night, although there may be a few exceptions.

North Carolina

A number of sighting have been reported in this state, including in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ohio

Many pterosaur sightings have been reported in Ohio over the years.

Papua New Guinea

Modern living-pterosaur investigations began with expeditions in Papua New Guinea in the 1990’s.

Paul Nation

From Granbury, Texas, Paul Nation is one of the most experienced explorers in ropen expeditions in Papua New Guinea, including his searching for indavas. His video footage of two indava lights may have been the first visual evidence to get back to the United States, evidence for bioluminescent flying creatures that may be living pterosaurs.

Rhamphorhynchoid

To most paleontologists, Rhamphorhynchoid refers to a basal pterosaur. The ropen appears to be that type of long-tailed pterosaur, far outnumbering apparent modern Pterodactyloids.

Ropen

The word originally comes from natives who use the Kovai language on Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea. Ropen is now being used in English for a modern living long-tailed pterosaur whose tail suggests it is a Rhamphorhynchoid.

Texas

Along with California, Texas has many sightings of modern pterosaurs. This may be from a combination of large land area and large populations in those two states.

Umboi Island

Here a number of Americans, over a period of years, have searched for the glowing ropen. This island is just northeast of the mainland of New Guinea.

Virginia

Many sightings have been reported in Virginia and in surrounding states.