New evidence helps solve how earliest birds took flight
The first bird to inhabit Earth used its robust hind legs to make two or three powerful leaps while flapping its way to flight, according to a study by the University of Southampton published in Developmental Biology.
Scientists have long puzzled over how the earliest bird, Archaeopteryx, managed to take flight. This 150-million-year-old reptile-like creature, with its feathered wings and dinosaur features, was incapable of achieving flight with a single jump, as modern birds do. New research from the University of Southampton suggests that Archaeopteryx took to the skies through a series of powerful leaps using its robust hind legs, supplemented by wing flapping.
Dr. Neil Gostling, a paleobiologist at the University of Southampton, explains that Archaeopteryx lacked the shoulder mobility and breastbone necessary for a quick takeoff. With these anatomical constraints, the creature couldn't rely on its wings alone to launch into the air. Instead, the study, published in Developmental Biology, indicates that the legs provided the majority of the initial force needed for takeoff.
By using computer modeling combined with observations of living birds like gulls, magpies, crows, and finches, the researchers estimated Archaeopteryx's takeoff velocity. They concluded that a midsize Archaeopteryx weighing around 400 grams could have achieved a sustainable flight speed of 7 meters per second after just two or three leaps. Alternatively, it could have used a leap followed by a downward flap between jumps to maintain its upward trajectory.
This discovery provides new insights into the evolution of flight in birds, showing that even in the earliest stages, the push from the legs played a crucial role in getting these ancient creatures airborne.
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