Science and Modern Pterosaurs

I recently communicated with a well known paleontologist (he has his own page on Wikipedia) who had written, some years earlier, a long blog post intended, apparently, to discourage anyone from believing that any pterosaur species lives in “the modern day.” It seems obvious that his opinion is unchanged as of mid-November, 2011. Also unchanged is this paleontologist’s proclivity for avoiding details: He avoids any detail in any dating of any particular pterosaur fossil and he avoids any detail in any relevant sighting of an apparent modern pterosaur. I avoid mentioning his name here because the problem lies with general axioms of standard-model Western paleontology (and poor thinking habits that seem to be popular, if not blatently encouraged, within this community), not with this particular scientist.

Misidentification and Pterosaur Sightings

Some followers of standard-model paleontology, among the professors who support those models and the students who also march in that file, have targeted the general concept of sightings of modern living pterosaurs. But they aim their arrows at the warehouse in which targets are stored, not at any official target. That is how they hit their “target,” for their arrows easily hit the large building. I don’t deny that those professors and students have hit what they were aiming for; one side of the building is full of arrows. I question why none of them walk up to that building (it is close enough), open the door (it is unlocked), and ask to use an official target (it is free to borrow).

I don’t deny that ordinary persons can misidentify something and believe, or at least suspect, that they had seen a modern pterosaur; I have lost count of those whom I have corrected, or tried to correct, regarding Frigate birds (some videos show obvious Frigate birds). But be aware: Those misidentifications are irrelevant to the critical sightings.

Duane Hodgkinson was in a jungle clearing that was only about one hundred feet across when he and his army buddy saw the flying creature run to get airborne. The creature had a wingspan similar to that of a Piper Tri-Pacer airplane and a tail “at least” ten or fifteen feet long. It had a long neck and a long appendage coming out of the back of the head. It was no Frigate bird.

Hodgkinson was no ordinary eyewitness. At the time of this sighting, he was a weather observer for artillery (New Guinea, 1944). In recent decades, he has been a flight instructor. For the past seven years (since I started interviewing this America World War II veteran) it seems that no standard-model paleontologist has mentioned the name “Hodgkinson” when referring to reports of apparent living pterosaurs; perhaps it might discredit, to some observers, standard-model paleontology.

No college degree in science can justify any professor’s lack of scientific reasoning regarding potential misidentifications of modern living pterosaurs (avoiding critical details is unscientific). The critical sightings, like the one by Hodgkinson, need attention, for they provide details that allow true scientific reasoning to take place.

The word “target” on the side of a building in which real targets are in storage—that is not an official target. And the general concept of misidentifications-for-live-pterosaurs—that is not a specific sighting report of an apparent pterosaur. Foggy thinking is not scientific, even if a science professor is unknowingly lost in that vagueness. Science lives on details and on human experience (even when the result is unpopular in ones culture); science can die in foggy thinking and in dogmatic popular imagination, even when paleontologists continue to use the word “science” to try to remain popular or to cover up their unscientific methods (even when those professors do so unknowingly). Human experience will prevail, in spite of professorial dogmas.

The third edition of the nonfiction cryptozoology book Live Pterosaurs in America is now available on Amazon. After reading the second edition of this book, one reader gave this Amazon review (completely unsolicited by the author):

“I couldn’t put this book down. It is absolutely fascinating to read about eyewitness accounts of the people who have seen these creatures. To learn about these testimonies from such an open minded perspective is refreshing in the extreme! The way that our school systems and scientists alike are indoctrinated is sad. There is so much money out there being used for research, if only they would use it for good. I highly recommend this book to anyone! People should know the truth about what is going on. No one ever hears anything about this unless they conduct extremely specific internet searches, even then, information is minimal. Jonathan Whitcomb needs to write more books!” (from StrangeDream, on Amazon.com, for 2nd ed. of the cryptozoology book)