Jonathan Whitcomb

I am a cryptozoologist, specializing in sightings of apparent living pterosaurs. I explored Umboi Island in 2004, interviewing many native eyewitesses of the nocturnal ropen. I have since written two nonfiction book on living pterosaurs.

Cryptozoology, science, and pterosaurs

Pterosaurs No Responses »

Sep 042010

On another blog, I replied to several comments by a critic of modern living-pterosaur investigations. But something else mentioned by Paul Pursglove caught my attention: “Basic science would suggest that these sightings are misguided.” That deserves attention. (The link to that original criticism by Pursglove is found on that Modern Pterosaurs Blogspot post: “Pterosaurs and Cryptozoology.”)

“Basic science” involves observations by humans, and human experience should be respected, even above a dogmatic tradition; that is the normal application of science. The professors who opposed Galileo’s support of a sun-centered system—those professors were trying to protect their traditions of earth-centeredness. Now many eyewitnesses of apparent pterosaurs tell us of their experiences; they are now opposed by critics who are trying to protect the traditions of universal dinosaur-pterosaur extinction. The point? Mr. Pursglove has taken a position similar to that taken by the professors who opposed Galileo.

What!? Cryptozoologists who search for flying creatures resembling living pterosaurs—those fringe-investigators are on the same side as Galileo? But that early Italian scientist had a telescope to show professors that Jupiter was circled by four moons, so he was using repeatable observations to convince those professors, right? Not exactly. For one thing, those moons of Jupiter do not really prove that the earth revolves around the sun (it only opens up thinking in that direction); in addition, professors cannot be forced to look into a telescope, even if they were open-minded about what they would see.

But cryptozoology, including sightings of living pterosaurs, is not repeatable science, it is unpredictable, right? Not exactly. Certain aspects of sightings in Papua New Guinea seem to be repeatable. A few months after Paul Nation videotaped two indava lights (late 2006), the television production crew for Destination Truth (with Joshua Gates) videotaped a similar light to the east (early 2007). Both sightings were on the mainland of Papua New Guinea. So why not support a major expedition, one with the expensive video equipment that might reveal the living pterosaurs that produce that incredible bioluminescence?

But science tells us that all pterosaurs became extinct many millions of years ago, right? NOT AT ALL! Not even one species can be determined to be extinct by examining fossils. Extinction is not something that fossils can tell us. It has been assumed that pterosaurs became extinct; the key word is “assumed.” Even if hundreds of species did become extinct long ago, there is nothing in “basic science” that tells us no pterosaur species could be presently living.

The truth is that the discoveries of fossils of new species of pterosaurs, discoveries over the decades, make an extant pterosaur species MORE likely. The more species that lived in the past, the more likely one or two species have survived into the present, right? RIGHT!

Human experience should not be swept away to protect old dogmas, and two of those old dogmas are earth-centeredness and universal pterosaur extinction.

Bulverism and living pterosaurs

Pterosaurs No Responses »

Aug 242010

C. S. Lewis invented the word “bulverism,” referring to the common practice of avoiding reasoning on a topic by explaining how an opponent is silly in a mistake. It relates to reports of some cryptids, in particular the ropen of Papua New Guinea (or reports of living pterosaurs in various parts of the world). According to Pterosaur Eyewitness (blog), “Bulverism and Pterosaur Sightings,” the popularity of this shifty device was popular in the mid-twentieth century but continues into the present:

Indeed, Loren, where does insanity lie? When many eyewitnesses testify of things coorelating, and those persons show that they are mentally healthy, where is there any insanity? Setting aside bulverism, what case can be made for pterosaur extinction when so many eyewitnesses testify that pterosaurs still live? If there is any insanity, it must be in those who insist on imagining ancient extinctions. Dogmatic adherence to universal pterosaur extinction may be the only place left where insanity might be relevant. Note, I don’t insist that my opponents must be insane; that would be bulverism. I only ask, “Where is there any insanity?”

Worthy of note is the testimony of eyewitness Brian Hennessy, who saw a large flying creature with a long tail and a head crest, in daylight. Mr. Hennessy is not insane; he is a psychologist.

Objective Ministries hoax and pterosaur "expedition"

Uncategorized No Responses »

Jul 312010

Over the past ten years, many expeditions in Papua New Guinea have made the word “ropen” better known in the Western world. But the ”Objective Ministries” web site has all the markings of a tremendous hoax. The supposed “expedition” planned for Africa seems to be just another sideline of the hoax. There is no university called “Fellowship University” anywhere and there is no such person “Dr. Richard Paley” who is both a creationist and a university professor, notwithstanding the apparent photograph on the Objective Ministries site about pterosaurs.

This site includes these words, all part of the hoax:

The goal of Project Pterosaur is to mount an expedition to locate and bring back to the United States living specimens of pterosaurs or their fertile eggs, which will be displayed in a Pterosaur Rookery that will be the center piece of the planned Fellowship Creation Science Museum and Research Institute (FCSMRI).

There never was such a “project” and there never was any plan for a ”Fellowship Creation Science Museum . . .” A number of people had begun to catch on to the hoax by around 2005, and I (cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb) became suspicious when my email inquiry was not answered. Years passed without any apparent progress in the planned “project” of “Objective Ministries.” It was suggested by one person that the photograph of “Dr. Richard Paley” is a doctored photo, perhaps modified using Photoshop.

Regardless, “hoax” seems the best word to describe “Objective Ministries.” I hope the person responsible removes the web pages and admits the joke. Too many persons have been deceived by this monstrosity.

Real investigations of real persons who report real sightings of strange flying creatures (sightings really suggesting real pterosaurs)—those are what I enjoy investigating, not a hoax titled “Objective Ministries.”

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Live Pterosaurs in America

The nonfiction cryptozoology book Live Pterosaurs in America is the undisputed best seller among nonfiction books that have much content about apparent living pterosaurs (Amazon.com, late 2009 through mid-2010). Purchase your own copy and learn about these amazing eyewitness accounts of large “pterodactyls” flying through the skies of California, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, New York state, South Carolina, and elsewhere in the United States.

It has been found, through researching description details, that the overall sighting reports could not have come from any hoax or combination of hoaxes. The sightings are genuine encounters.

"Prehistoric" creature witnessed alive by psychologist

Pterosaurs, Southwest Pacific No Responses »

Jul 212010

Brian Hennessy is employed as a psychologist for the Chongqing University of Medical Sciences in China. In 1971, he saw a “prehistoric-looking” flying creature in New Guinea (now the nation of Papua New Guinea), on the island of Bougainville. The serious nature of his profession makes this sighting report highly unlikely to have been a hoax.

Early in the morning, but in plain daylight, on a dirt road leading down to the coast, Hennessy heard the “slow flapping” and looked up to see a “very big” creature with a pointed ”horn” on the back of its head. Describing this flying creature in an interview with a cryptozoologist, years later, he mentioned that there was ”not a feather in sight.”

In 2006, Hennessy was interviewed by Jonathan Whitcomb; before that interview he had been unaware of cryptozoological expeditions in Papua New Guinea. He had no idea that Americans had been investigating creatures described like living pterosaurs. Hennessy was also unaware that many natives have names for giant flying creatures: indava, seklo-bali, wawanar, and ropen.

The UFO sighting in China may have no relationship to Hennessy except that one sighting was in Chongqing.

Glowing creature of the night

North America, Pterosaurs, Southwest Pacific 1 Response »

Jul 152010

Flying Creature of the Night

“Remember your worst nightmare? Were you glad to wake up? Be grateful. In the early morning hours of February 23, 2010, a few miles or so southwest of Marfa, Texas, the victims were terrified by what awakened them. I am not the eyewitness, but a few days after this event, I interviewed my friend James, who had been driving through Southern Texas; he had stopped at the Marfa Lights viewing platform to see whatever he could.”

Flying Creature in San Fernando Valley

A report of a large flying creature in Sherman Oaks, California, suggests similarities to the [glowing] ropen of Papua New Guinea. A man reported the creature after he and his girlfriend observed it while taking a walk at about 10:30 p.m., on September 21, 2009. He reported, “It was a very large, winged creature that was gliding maybe 100 yards above us. . . . it beat its wings, once, before going out of view.” . . . The man estimated the wingspan: ten to fifteen feet; the girlfriend estimated twenty feet. The wings appeared more like those of bats than birds . . .

Entomologist Observed Strange Lights in New Guinea

. . . a British entomologist . . . in the 1930′s, was puzzled by strange lights . . . [on the] mainland of New Guinea. She later wrote a book . . . in which she described the flash . . . It would be decades later that a few American cryptozoologists would explore several areas of Papua New Guinea, searching for bioluminescent Rhamphorhynchoid (long-tailed) pterosaurs. . . .

Biologist observed strange lights in New Guinea

Southwest Pacific No Responses »

Jun 292010

Evelyn Cheesman (1881-1969), a British entomologist (biologist who studies insects) in the 1930′s, was puzzled by strange lights on a ridge deep in the interior of the tropical mainland of New Guinea. She later wrote a book (The Two Roads of Papua) in which she described the flash: It lasted “about four or five seconds, but that flash had been a little distance away from the first. Flashes continued at intervals. . . . by no possibility could there be human beings out there using flash-lamps at intervals . . .”

It would be decades later that a few American cryptozoologists would explore several areas of Papua New Guinea, searching for bioluminescent Rhamphorhynchoid (long-tailed) pterosaurs. Rarely have Western visitors had a good view of the features of these strange nocturnal dragon-like flying creatures, but Paul Nation, in 2006, videotaped two of the “indava” lights that he was observing only a few mountain ranges south of where the British biologist had observed strange lights many decades earlier.

Although searching for extant pterosaur cryptids has not necessarily been popular with all cryptozoologists, a few American adventurers have explored Papua New Guinea, searching for them. This seems to be a sideline of cryptozoology, not as popular as Big Foot searches.

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