On the origin of avian flight: Compromise and system approaches

Курочкин, Е. Н.; Bogdanovich, I. A.

doi:10.1134/s1062359008010019

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Owing to its functional and phylogenetic significance, the wing configuration and flight ability of Microraptor has been much debated. Previous interpretations have included the following: static interpretation of fossils 14 , computer-based flight performance modelling of fossils 15 , analysis of free-flying models 16 and scale model wind tunnel experiments 17 . No consensus on likely wing configurations (thus degree of stability and glide performance) has been attained as reflected in a factor of six range of predicted lift-to-drag (L/D) ratios in previous work (that is, in Chatterjee and Templin 15 : 15; Alexander et al 16 : 4.1; Koehl et al 17 : 3).…”

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Aerodynamic performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor and the evolution of feathered flight

et al. 2013

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Understanding the aerodynamic performance of feathered, non-avialan dinosaurs is critical to reconstructing the evolution of bird flight. Here we show that the Early Cretaceous five-winged paravian Microraptor is most stable when gliding at high-lift coefficients (low lift/ drag ratios). Wind tunnel experiments and flight simulations show that sustaining a high-lift coefficient at the expense of high drag would have been the most efficient strategy for Microraptor when gliding from, and between, low elevations. Analyses also demonstrate that anatomically plausible changes in wing configuration and leg position would have made little difference to aerodynamic performance. Significant to the evolution of flight, we show that Microraptor did not require a sophisticated, 'modern' wing morphology to undertake effective glides. This is congruent with the fossil record and also with the hypothesis that symmetric 'flight' feathers first evolved in dinosaurs for non-aerodynamic functions, later being adapted to form lifting surfaces.

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Aerodynamic performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor and the evolution of feathered flight

et al. 2013

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“…The "ornithization" of theropods took place at the same time [77]. Indeed, the fossils recently found in China and Mongolia suggest that feathered and, in some cases, flying animals had been formed in several different groups of theropods [77][78][79]. Certainly, these flying reptiles were not homoiotherms and their flight was a mere gliding that utilizes terrain features [22,[80][81][82][83].…”

Section: Evolutionary Scenario Of Origin and Development Of Homoiothermymentioning

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Origin and development of homoiothermy: A case study of avian energetics

Гаврилов¹

2013

ABB

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The study is based on the results of the integrated measurement of the energy expenditure at rest and common activity in birds belonging to various systematic groups. Homeothermy has formed in birds and mammals independently and in different geological ages. However, in both groups it originated as a side effect of selection for aerobic metabolism improvement that provided a higher level of activity. Advantages of having high and stable body temperature, which were inevitably related with metabolism intensification, led to development of thermoregulatory adaptations such as fur and feathers. This made it possible to retain the metabolically generated heat and reduce heat absorption in hot environments. Emergence of homeothermy with aerobic supply of motion activity, possibilities to regulate the level of metabolism and thermal conductance, has opened a lot of opportunities for homoeothermic animals. Achieving such a level of energy utilization allowed them to maintain activity for a longer time, while its sensory support led to complication and diversification of birds' behavioral repertoire (as well as that of mammals) facilitating the conquest of almost entire part of the biosphere that was suitable for living. This process was favored by the development of nurturing and passing on the information, collected throughout the life, to new generations. Formation of high levels of aerobic metabolism in birds and mammals was proceeding in parallel among different groups of reptilian ancestors. The level of homeothermy, at which aerobic metabolism was able to maintain prolonged activity, developed in birds and mammals in different ways: they had got dissimilar partitioning of venous and arterial networks, erythrocytes with or without a cell nucleus, different lungs design-but, at that, similar minimum metabolic power and rather close body temperatures which corresponded well to the environmental conditions on the Earth. Natural selection allowed animals with high energetic metabolism to increase their diversity and abundance, but only when homoeothermic animals could satisfy their demands for food resources, that had risen manifold. That happened in the middle of Cretaceous, in time with the appearance of angiosperms and expansion of related fauna of invertebrates.

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“…Today, the transition to bipedal locomotion with full exemption of thoracic limbs from the support function is considered as a stage that preceded the origin of fl apping fl ight of birds (Long et al, 2003;Kurochkin, Bogdanovich, 2008, 2010. In another point of view the gliding (when in process of air locomotion both fore and hind limbs are involved) is much better suited as a transitional stage to fl apping fl ight than bipedalism, which only leads to reduction of muscles and thoracic limbs as whole (Panyutina et al, 2015).…”

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“…Su ch design is stronger and aerodynamically advantageous as does not create a gap between the fl ying surface and the body (K urochkin, Bogdanovich, 2010). In birds ancestors exactly on the most distal segments of the forelimbs fi rst simple feathers appeared, initially as a demonstration structures (Cowen, Lipps, 1982;Kurochkin, Bogdanovich, 2008). As mentioned above, the appearance of feathers (regardless of reasons), could have been useful both for terrestrial bipedal locomotion and for the movement on tree branches or bushes (Kurochkin, Bogdanovich, 2008).…”

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“…Th erefore, the active fl ight arising from the fl uttering movements of feathered thoracic limbs, perhaps not so much "drew off " muscular mass from an alternative system of pelvic limbs, and was not correlated with the growth of the fl ying membrane. Both favored subsequently per se parallel development of both systems (Bogdanovich, 2000;Kurochkin, Bogdanovich, 2008, 2010. In turn, the same high specialization of two autonomous enough locomotor systems of birds (fl ight and terrestrial locomotion), has provided an extensive adaptive radiation of representatives of the class.…”

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Preadaptive Stage for Flight Origin

Bogdanovich¹

2017

Vestnik Zoologii

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Pr eadaptive Stage for Flight Origin. Bogdanovich, I. A. -Bipedalism as a preadaptive stage for bird's fl ight is considered. We attribute the formation of full bipedalism in bird ancestors with pelvic limbs transition from segmental to parasagittal position. Th is transition was fast enough. We can assume that the pectoral limbs freed from the support remained while laterally spaced and gave set of transformations with diff erent degrees of reduction. Th us morphologically "winglike" version of the thoracic limbs could appear. Parasagittal pelvic limbs allowed birds ancestors fast and maneuverable running, while the movements of free and highly movable thoracic limbs (feathered unrelated to fl ight) provided dynamic stability of the animal. In addition, their fl uttering movements facilitate hopping from one branch to another and the descent from the trees. On the bottom branches protobirds could jump with perching just by the pelvic anisodactyl limbs, not by thoracic as had supposed earlier. Ac tive interaction of the primary simple feathers with air as well as its protective function could become an impetus for their transformation into diff erentiated structures. Unlike gliding (as preadaptive stage for active fl ight) bipedalism with free feathered forelimbs provides per se parallel development of two autonomous enough locomotor systems of birds (fl ight and terrestrial locomotion) and extensive adaptive radiation of representatives of the class. Key words: bipedalism, fl ight, birds.Despite the long history of the study of the origin of birds and fl ight, the origin and subsequent evolution of feathered wings remains one of the most controversial topics in the vertebrate paleontology (Kaiser, Dyke, 2014). For example, the question of preadaptive stage preceding the fl ight is not entirely unambiguous. As such the terrestrial, through the running and jumping (Dececchi et al., 2016), and arboreal, through gliding (Czercas, Feduccia, 2014) hypotheses are still being discussed.Up to a certain time it was common belief that the way of becoming the birds as a taxon, the transformation of thoracic limbs into wings led to bipedalism (Du Brul, 1962;Ilichyov et al., 1982). Today, the transition to bipedal locomotion with full exemption of thoracic limbs from the support function is considered as a stage that preceded the origin of fl apping fl ight of birds (Long et al., 2003;Kurochkin, Bogdanovich, 2008, 2010. In another point of view the gliding (when in process of air locomotion both fore and hind limbs are involved) is much better suited as a transitional stage to fl apping fl ight than bipedalism, which only leads to reduction of muscles and thoracic limbs as whole (Panyutina et al., 2015). It is impossible not to admit that the exemption of the thoracic limbs from the support-locomotor function was followed by their partial reduction. It is known that reduced organs demonstrate a very large and diverse variability of their parts due to the termination or weakening of natural selection and preservation of indep...

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On the origin of avian flight: Compromise and system approaches

Cited by 14 publications

References 52 publications

Aerodynamic performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor and the evolution of feathered flight

Aerodynamic performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor and the evolution of feathered flight

Origin and development of homoiothermy: A case study of avian energetics

Preadaptive Stage for Flight Origin

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