Istiodactylus was a pterosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous. The first fossil of the genus was discovered on the Isle of Wight in England. More specimens were later found, including a species from China, I. sinensis, which possibly belongs to a different genus. Istiodactylus (from Greek for "sail finger") was a large pterosaur; estimates of its wingspan range from 4.3 to 5 metres (14 to 16 ft) long. Its skull was about 45 centimetres (18 in) long, and was relatively short and broad for a pterosaur. The front of the snout was low and blunt, and bore a semicircle of 48 interlocked teeth. It had very large forelimbs, with a wing-membrane distended by a long wing- finger, but the hindlimbs were very short. It was a scavenger that may have used its distinctive teeth to sever morsels from large carcasses. The wings may have been adapted for soaring, which would have helped it find carcasses. Istiodactylus is known from the Wessex Formation and the younger Vectis Formation.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiodactylus

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1833:

Noongar warrior Yagan (statue pictured), wanted for leading attacks on white colonists in Western Australia, was killed, becoming a symbol of the unjust and sometimes brutal treatment of the indigenous peoples of Australia by colonial settlers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagan

1921:

Former President of the United States William Howard Taft was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, making him the only person to ever hold both positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft

1943:

The bloodiest day of a massive ethnic cleansing operation took place, where units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army attacked and burned various Polish villages in the Volhynia region of present-day Ukraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacres_of_Poles_in_Volhynia_and_Eastern_Galicia

1991:

Shortly after takeoff from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 caught fire and crashed, killing all 261 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Airways_Flight_2120

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

athanor: (historical) A furnace or stove designed and used to maintain uniform heat, primarily used by alchemists. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/athanor

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.   --E. B. White https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/E._B._White