Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15310%2F18%3A73592178" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15310/18:73592178 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03296-8" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03296-8</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03296-8" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41467-018-03296-8</a>

Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx
Original language description
Archaeopteryx is an iconic fossil taxon with feathered wings from the Late Jurassic of Germany that occupies a crucial position for understanding the early evolution of avian flight. After over 150 years of study, its mosaic anatomy unifying characters of both non-flying dinosaurs and flying birds has remained challenging to interpret in a locomotory context. Here, we compare new data from three Archaeopteryx specimens obtained through phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography to a representative sample of archosaurs employing a diverse array of locomotory strategies. Our analyses reveal that the architecture of Archaeopteryx's wing bones consistently exhibits a combination of cross-sectional geometric properties uniquely shared with volant birds, particularly those occasionally utilising short-distance flapping. We therefore interpret that Archaeopteryx actively employed wing flapping to take to the air through a more anterodorsally posteroventrally oriented flight stroke than used by modern birds. This unexpected outcome implies that avian powered flight must have originated before the latest Jurassic.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10620 - Other biological topics

Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year
2018
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

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