Scientists can finally reveal the secret of how pterosaurs took flight

[Still Waters]

The secret to pterosaurs taking flight long before birds and bats dominated the air was wasn't feathers or hollow bones.

Although those features no doubt helped, new research shows that a lattice-like structure stopped pterosaurs' broad-ended tails fluttering like flags in the wind and instead, once stiffened, helped guide these flying reptiles into the sky.

Pterosaurs took to the skies using powered flight about 215 million years ago, the first vertebrates to do so. Although they started out small, amongst their ranks were some of the largest flying animals in Earth's history.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-can-finally-reveal-the-secret-of-how-pterosaurs-took-flight

[Grim Reaper 6]

The study, carried out by scientists at the University of Bristol, Liverpool John Moores University, Universidade Federal do ABC and the University of Keele, follows years of analysis and modelling of how muscles interact with bones to create movement in other animals and is now being used to start answering the question of how the largest flying animals known managed to get off the ground.

The team created the first computer model for this kind of analysis of a pterosaur to test three different ways pterosaurs may have taken off: a vertical burst jump using just the legs like those used by primarily ground-dwelling birds, a less vertical jump using just the legs more similar to the jump used by birds that fly frequently, and a four-limbed jump using its wings as well in a motion more like the take-off jump of a bat..

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807122807.htm

[jmccr8]

10 hours ago, Grim Reaper 6 said:

The study, carried out by scientists at the University of Bristol, Liverpool John Moores University, Universidade Federal do ABC and the University of Keele, follows years of analysis and modelling of how muscles interact with bones to create movement in other animals and is now being used to start answering the question of how the largest flying animals known managed to get off the ground.

The team created the first computer model for this kind of analysis of a pterosaur to test three different ways pterosaurs may have taken off: a vertical burst jump using just the legs like those used by primarily ground-dwelling birds, a less vertical jump using just the legs more similar to the jump used by birds that fly frequently, and a four-limbed jump using its wings as well in a motion more like the take-off jump of a bat..

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807122807.htm

HI Grim

Not sure why but I always envisioned them living on high cliffs and just push off and catch wind to fly with and never really thought of them as landing and taking off from the ground. 

[Grim Reaper 6]

14 hours ago, jmccr8 said:

HI Grim

Not sure why but I always envisioned them living on high cliffs and just push off and catch wind to fly with and never really thought of them as landing and taking off from the ground. 

I did too before I read this article, but it now appears they could take off from the ground too.