Live Pterosaur
Media Center
Scientific Papers
David Woetzel of New Hampshire and Jonathan Whitcomb of California
may be the only writers who have published, in a peer-reviewed journal,
scientific papers supporting the idea of modern living pterosaurs. Both of the
American cryptozoologists explored Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, in
two separate expeditions, late in 2004, and interviewed native eyewitnesses
of the ropen.
The more recent scientific article, by Whitcomb, was published in the
Creation Research Society Quarterly, Volume 45, Winter 2009: “Reports of
Living Pterosaurs in the Southwest Pacific.” It mostly examines sightings in
Papua New Guinea within the past few years and decades. (To quote:)
“Following publication of the book Searching for Ropens in mid-2006,
Paul Nation’s late-2006 expedition resulted in video evidence of what
is believed to be bioluminescence of an unidentified flying creature.
This interested the producers of Destination Truth on the Sci-Fi
Channel enough that they mounted a video expedition in early 2007
that recorded another instance of this unidentified light. Thanks to the
broadcast of that episode in mid-2007, the public has been exposed
to the possibility of living pterosaurs.
“. . . Jonah Jim and Jonathan Ragu, both of Umboi, made separate
sightings in different areas of Umboi. However, both described a
glowing, flying creature. When shown many illustrated silhouettes of
birds, bats, and pterosaurs, both chose the Sordes Pilosus, a
Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur as best fitting what they had seen
(Woetzel-Guessman expedition).
“. . . the first noncreationist ropen expedition team—the television
production, Destination Truth, led by Josh Gates—videotaped a light
similar to that videotaped by Nation. Two forensic experts could not
explain the evidence.”
Woetzel’s scientific paper, “The Fiery Flying Serpent,” published in the
Creation Research Society Quarterly, Volume 42, March, 2006, on the other
hand, mostly examines old or ancient accounts of possible pterosaurs:
“Over the years Biblical scholars have speculated about the nature of
the creature described in the Authorized Version [of the English Bible]
as “the fiery flying serpent.” The nexus of modern archaeological
discoveries, ancient historical accounts, and recent cryptozoological
research provides new insights into the identification and
characteristics of this creature.”
###
The opinions expressed are those of Jonathan David Whitcomb.
Media professionals may use these paragraphs in whole or in part for news distribution.
All of the images on this page may also be used by the news media.
Other Resources
This village leader saw the
ropen light: a brilliant flash
From the 2009 peer-reviewed scientific paper
“Reports of Living Pterosaurs in the Southwest
Pacific” (by Jonathan D. Whitcomb, CRSQ,
Volume 45, Winter 2009):
“Most ropen sightings are of a bright but brief
glow that moves approximately horizontally at
about 330 ft (100 m) above ground level, often
against a mountain background. Based on
interviews from the 2004 expeditions . . . an
estimated several hundred Umboi Islanders
have seen this light. . . .”
First of thirteen pages of the scientific paper by Jonathan D. Whitcomb
According to paleontology research, involving
fossils, the Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur tail is
mostly inflexible except at the base where it
connects to the body of the creature. This is in
harmony with findings by the expedition of
Woetzel and Guessman (in 2004) regarding the
ropen of Umboi Island. The ropen was said to
have a tail that does not bend except around
the base of the tail.
Searching for Ropens and Finding God (in its
fourth edition), by Jonathan Whitcomb, may
be called the “Bible of modern pterosaurs.”