The newly hatched pterosaur may already fly

 

According to a new study, newly hatched pterosaurs may fly, but their flying ability may be different from that of adult pterosaurs
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Pterosaurs are a group of flying reptiles that lived in the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods (228 million to 66 million years ago)
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Since the fossils of pterosaur eggs and embryos are very rare, and it is difficult to distinguish between newly hatched pterosaurs and small adult pterosaurs, it is unclear whether newly hatched pterosaurs can fly

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the University of Bristol, as well as paleontologist Darren Naish, discovered that the humerus of newly hatched pterosaurs is stronger than that of many adult pterosaurs, which suggests that they may be strong enough to fly
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In this study published in Scientific Reports, the researchers used two previously obtained pterosaurs-Pterodaustro guinazui and Dong Chinese pterosaurs (Sinopterus dongi)- -The four determined hatching and embryonic fossil wings measurement data simulate the flying ability of the cubs
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They also compared the size of these wings with adult pterosaurs from the same species, and compared the strength of the humerus of three pterosaur juveniles with the strength of the humerus of 22 adult pterosaurs

Research co-author Dr.
Mark Witton from the University of Portsmouth said: “Although we have known pterosaurs for more than two centuries, we did not obtain their embryos and cub fossils until 2004.

We are still trying Understand the early stages of the life of these animals
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One focus of discussion is whether pterosaurs can fly as soon as they hatch, or, like most birds and bats, they need to be longer to take off

"We found that these small animals-with a wingspan of 25 cm and a body that can fit on your hand-are very strong and capable of flying
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Their bones are strong enough to support flapping and take-off, and their wings are very shaped.
Suitable for powered flight (rather than gliding)

Dr.
Liz Martin Silverstone from the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol said: “The question of whether pterosaurs can fly has been debated many times, but this is the first time that it has been studied from the perspective of biomechanics
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What’s exciting is that, Although their wings may be small, their structure makes them strong enough to fly

Researchers found that although the wings of juvenile pterosaurs were long and narrow, suitable for long-distance flight, their wings were shorter than those of adult pterosaurs.
Compared with the weight and size of juvenile pterosaurs, the area of ​​wings of juvenile pterosaurs was larger
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The size of these wings may make hatched pterosaurs less efficient than adult pterosaurs during long-distance travel, but it may also cause them to fly more agile, allowing them to suddenly change direction and speed

The author speculates that the agile flight of newly hatched pterosaurs may enable them to quickly escape from predators, making them more suitable than adult pterosaurs for chasing more agile prey and flying in dense vegetation
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Dr.
Witton said: "This gave us a lot of thinking about the ecology of flying reptiles
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How independent are the larvae from their parents? Does the way of flight affect the choice of habitat, and do these change with the growth of pterosaurs? About these There is still a lot to know about the life history of animals, but we believe that no matter what they do when they grow up, they will be able to fly from the moment they hatch

Powered flight in hatchling pterosaurs: evidence from wing form and bone strength

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