Biomechanics of the unique pterosaur pteroid

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Volumn 277, Issue 1684, 2010, Pages 1121-1127

  Palmer, Colin ^a   Dyke, Gareth J ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN   (Ireland)

Author keywords

Aerodynamics; Anhanguera; Coloborhynchus; Flight; Ornithocheirids; Wing membrane

Indexed keywords

AERODYNAMICS; BIOMECHANICS; BODY MASS; BONE; FLIGHT ACTIVITY; MEMBRANE; MESOZOIC; PALEONTOLOGY; PTEROSAUR; RECONSTRUCTION; WING MORPHOLOGY;

ANHANGUERA; PTERODACTYLOIDEA; REPTILIA;

EID: 77950817181     PISSN: 09628452     EISSN: 14712970     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1899     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. Barrett, P. M., Butler, R. J., Edwards, N. P. & Milner, A. R. 2008 Pterosaur distribution in space and time. Zitteliana B28, 67-107.
2. Bennett, S. C. 1996 The phylogenetic position of the Pterosauria within the Archosauromorpha. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 118, 261-308. (doi:10.1111/j.l096- 3642.1996.tb01267.x)
3. Bennett, S. C. 2001 The osteology and functional morphology of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon. Palaeontographica Abt. A 260, 1-153.
4. Bennett, S. C. 2007 Articulation and function of the pteroid bone of pterosaurs. J. Vert. Paleo. 27, 881-891. (doi:10. 1671/0272-4634(2007)27[881: AAFOTP]2.0.CO;2)
5. Biewener, A. A. & Dial, K. P. 1995 In vivo strain in the humerus of pigeons (Columba livia) during flight. J Morphol. 225, 61-75. (doi:10.1002/jmor.1052250106)
6. Bramwell, C. D. & Whitfield, G. R. 1974 Biomechanics of Pteranodon. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 267, 503-581. (doi: 10.1098/rstb.1974.0007)
7. Brower, J. C. & Venius, J. 1981 Allometry in pterosaurs. Univ. Kansas Paleontol. Contrih 105, 1-32.
8. Butler, R. J., Barrett, P. M., Nowbath, S. & Upchurch, P. 2009 Estimating the effects of sampling biases on pterosaur diversity patterns: implications for hypotheses of bird/pterosaur competitive replacement. Paleobiology 35, 432-446. (doi:10.1666/0094-8373-35.3.432)
9. Chatterjee, S. & Templin, R. J. 2004 Posture, locomotion, and paleoecology of pterosaurs. Boulder, CO: Geological Society of America.
10. Chatterjee, C., Templin, R. J. & Campbell, K. E. 2007 The aerodynamics of Argentavis, the world's largest flying bird from the Miocene of Argentina. PNAS 104, 1239812403. (doi:10.1073/pnas.0702040104)
11. Currey, J. D. 2004 Tensile yield in compact bone is determined by strain, post-yield behaviour by mineral content. J. Biomech. 37, 549-556. (doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2003. 08.008)
12. Dyke, G. J., McGowan, A. J., Nudds, R. L. & Smith, D. 2009 The shape of pterosaur evolution: evidence from the fossil record. J. Evol. Biol. 22, 890-898. (doi:10. 1111/J.1420-9101.2008.01682.x)
13. Frey, E. & Riess, J. 1981 A new reconstruction of the pterosaur wing. N Jb. Geol. Paläont Abh. 161, 1-27.
14. Frey, E., Tischlinger, H., Buchy, M.-C. & Martill, D. M. 2003 New specimens of Pterosauria (Reptilia) with soft parts with implications from pterosaurian anatomy and locomotion. In Evolution and palaeobiology of pterosaurs (eds E. Buffetaut & J.-M. Mazin), pp. 233-266. London, UK: Geological Society.
15. Frey, E., Buchy, M.-C., Stinnesbeck, W., González, A. G. & di Stefano, A. 2006 Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis n.g., n. sp., a nyctosaurid pterosaur with soft tissue preservation from the Coniacian (Late Cretaceous) of northeast Mexico (Coahuila). Oryctos 6, 19-40.
16. Hankin, E. H. 1912 The development of animal flight. Aero. J 16, 24-40.
17. Hankin, E. H. & Watson, D. M. S. 1914 On the flight of pterodactyls. Aero. J. 18, 24-335.
18. Hepperle, M. 2008 Javafoil - analysis of airfoils. See http://www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/javafoil.htm.
19. Heptonstall, W. B. 1971 An analysis of the flight of the Cretaceous pterodactyl Pteranodon ingens. Scott. J. Geol. 7, 61-78.
20. Hoerner, S. F. 1985 Fluid-dynamic lift. Lawrence, KS: DARcorporation.
21. Kirkpatrick, S. J. 1994 Scale effects on the stresses and safety factors in the wing bones of birds and bats. J. Exp. Biol. 190, 195-215.
22. Marsh, O. C. 1882 The wings of pterodactyles. Am. J. Sci. Ser. 3, 251-256.
23. Padian, K. 1984 A large pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Two Medicine Formation (Campanian) of Montana. J. Vert. Paleontol. 4, 516-524.
24. Padian, K. & Rayner, J. M. V. 1993 The wings of pterosaurs. Am. J. Sci. Ser. 293, 91-166.
25. Pennycuick, C. J. 1967 The strength of the pigeon's wing bones in relation to their function. J Exp. Biol. 46, 219-233.
26. Pennycuick, C. J. 1983 Thermal soaring compared in three dissimilar tropical bird species, Fregata magnificens, Pelecanus occidentalis and Coragyps atratus. J. Exp. Biol. 102, 307-325.
27. Pennycuick, C. J. 1988 On the reconstruction of pterosaurs and their manner of flight, with notes on vortex wakes. Biol. Rev. 63, 209-231.
28. Prondvai, E. & Hone, D. W. E. 2008 New models for the wing extension in pterosaurs. Hist. Biol. 20, 237-254. (doi: 10.1080/08912960902859334)
29. Sneyd, A. D., Bundock, M. S. & Reid, D. 1982 Possible effects of wing flexibility on the aerodynamics of Pteranodon. Am. Nat. 120, 455-477. (doi:10.1086/ 284005)
30. Steel, L. 2008 The paleohistology of pterosaur bone: an overview. Zitteliana B28, 109-125.
31. Stein, R. S. 1975 Dynamic analysis of Pteranodon ingens: a reptilian adaptation for flight. J. Paleontol. 49, 534-548.
32. Swartz, S. M., Groves, M. S., Kim, H. D. & Walsh, W. R. 1996 Mechanical properties of bat wing membrane skin. J Zool. Soc. Lond. 239, 357-378. (doi: 10.1111/j. 1469-7998.1996.tb05455.x)
33. Unwin, D. M. 2003 On the phylogeny and evolutionary history of pterosaurs. In Evolution and palaeobiology of pterosaurs (eds E. Buffetaut & J.-M. Mazin), pp. 139-190. London, UK: Geological Society.
34. Unwin, D. M. 2006 The pterosaurs from deep time. New York, NY: Pi Press.
35. Unwin, D. M., Frey, E., Martill, D. M., Clarke, J. B. & Riess, J. 1996 On the nature of the pteroid in pterosaurs. Proc. R Soc. Lond. B 263, 45-52. (doi:10.1098/rspb.l996.0008)
36. Wagner, A. 1858 Neue Beitrage zur Kenntnis der urweltlichen Fauna des lithographischen Schiefers. 1. Abteilung, Saurier. Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Wissenschaftlichen Klasse, Abhandlungen 8, 417-528.
37. Wellnhofer, P. 1968 Tiber Pterodactylus kochi (Wagner 1837). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paliiontologie, Abhandlung 132, 97-126.
38. Wellnhofer, P. 1985 Neue pterosaurier aus der Santana-Formation (Apt) der Chapada do Araripe, Brasilien. Palaeontographica A 187, 105-182.
39. Wellnhofer, P. 1991a The illustrated encyclopedia of pterosaurs. London, UK: Salamander Books.
40. Wellnhofer, P. 1991b Weitere Pterosaurierfunde aus der Santana-Formation (Apt) der Chapada do Araripe, Brasilien. Palaeontographica A 215, 43-101.
41. Wilkinson, M. T. 2007 Sailing the skies: The improbable aeronautical success of the pterosaurs. J. Exp. Biol. 210, 1663-1671. (doi:10.1242/jeb. 000307)
42. Wilkinson, M. T. 2008 Three-dimensional geometry of a pterosaur wing skeleton, and its implications for aerial and terrestrial locomotion. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 154, 27-69. (doi:10.1111/j.l096-3642.2008.00409.x)
43. Wilkinson, M. T., Unwin, D. M. & Ellington, C. P. 2006 High lift function of the pteroid bone and forewing of pterosaurs. Proc. R. Soc. B 273, 119-126. (doi:10.1098/ rspb.2005.3278)
44. Witton, M. P. 2008 A new approach to determining pterosaur body mass and its implications for pterosaur flight. Zitteliana B28, 143-159.