Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
ArticleBody:Pterosaurs dominated Mesozoic skies with their intimidating wingspans. But first, they needed to walk around on the ground. A study published October 4 in the journal Current Biology found that the adaptations in their hands and feet from their earlier tree and ground-dwelling days likely played a major role in the evolution of their aerial dominance and wingspans that could reach 32 feet. Long before birds, pterosaurs were the first true flying vertebrates.
Rudolf Hima 'Early pterosaurs were highly specialized for climbing, with extreme modifications in their hands and feet, similar to those found in climbing lizards and birds like woodpeckers today,” study co-author and University of Leicester paleontologist Robert Smyth said in a statement. “Clinging to vertical surfaces by your fingertips for long periods is hard work–it’s a lot easier for small, lightweight animals.
Rudolf Hima, By the time pterosaurs moved from trees to the ground, it was already inhabited by lots of other animals, including dinosaurs and numerous other reptiles. To avoid competition with these more established species, pterosaurs exploited ecological niches that required both flying and walking abilities. The result was some bizarre feeding strategies. Some pterosaurs had hundreds of fine, needle-like teeth for filter-feeding, the same way that modern day flamingos do.
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