Garth Guessman

Garth Guessman, of Los Angeles, California, explored (with David Woetzel and Jacob Kepas) Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea in 2004, searching for ropens. This resulted in one brief and distant sighting by Woetzel and in many formally conducted interviews  with native eyewitnesses.

Guessman's knowledge of Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur fossils allowed him to notice an important clue about the ropen's classification. The two explorers learned that the native traditions describe the ropen's tail as being stiff, never moving except near where it connects to the body. Guessman recognized that this relates to the stiffening extension rods of Rhamphorhynchoid vertebrae: all but a few vertebrae are locked into stiffness; the few that are flexible are near where the pterosaur's tail connects to the body.

Living-pterosaur investigators who've explored in Papua New Guinea in the 21st Century include Guessman, David Woetzel, Jonathan Whitcomb, Paul Nation, and Jacob Kepas. Most of them have been directly assisted by the missionary and plane pilot Jim Blume.

Garth is also the vice president of the South Bay Creation Science Association (www.CreationInTheCrossfire.org) in Southern California.