This picture shows the reconstruction of the Amb Patrax in a glide. Credit: Gabriel Yuguto
Despite having bat-like wings, the two small dinosaurs, Yi and Ambety Patrex, struggled to fly, clinging ruggedly to the trees where they lived, researchers report in the journal Today (October 22, 2020). Eye Science. Unable to compete with other tree-dwelling dinosaurs and early birds, they became extinct after only a few million years. The findings support that dinosaur flight evolved in many different ways before the evolution of modern birds.
“Once the birds got into the air, these two species were so weak to stay in the air that they just got out,” says Thomas Desiche, an assistant professor of biology at Mount Marty University. “Maybe you can survive a few million years of exposure, but you have predators from the top, competition from the bottom, and even some small mammals add to it, until they disappear.”
Yi and Embop Patrex were small animals of late Jurassic China, lived about 160 million years ago. Weighing in at less than two pounds, they are unusual examples of throbop dinosaurs, which excite group birds. Most of the Thropods were land-loving carnivores, but the Yi and the Ambety Patrix were home to trees and lived on a diet of insects, seeds and other plants.
This graphic summarizes the main findings of this paper. Credit: Thomas Alexander DeSechi
Curious about how these animals fly, Disecchi and his colleagues scanned the remains using laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF), a technique that uses laser light to select soft-tissue details using a standard white Cannot be seen by light. Later, the team tested many different variables, such as weight, wings, and muscle space, using mathematical models to predict how they would fly.
“They can’t really operate a flight. You have to give them very generous assumptions about how they can flutter their wings. “You basically have to model them as the biggest bats, make them the least weight, make them fly as fast as a really fast bird, and give them the muscles they need to cross that threshold,” Deesechi said. Says. “They could glide, but their gliding wasn’t the best either.”
While gliding is not an efficient form of flight, as it can only be done if the animal has already climbed to a point, it helps to avoid danger while Yi and Amboptrax are alive.
This graphic shows a map of the skeleton and soft tissues of Yi Quina. LSF stands for Laser-Induced Fluorescence. Credit: Thomas Alexander DeSechi / I Science
“If for some reason the animal needs to travel long distances, gliding initially costs a little more, but it is faster. It can also be used as an escape hatch. It’s not a big deal to do, but sometimes it’s a choice between losing a little energy and eating, ”says DeSachi. “Once they are under pressure, they just lose their place. They could not win on the ground. They could not win in the air. They are gone. ”
Researchers are now focusing on the muscles of the yi and the embryo patrix to create an accurate image of these strange little creatures. “I’ve been getting into the habit of working with ancient birds, and we already have an idea of what they looked like,” says Dishechi. “We’re just trying to figure out the possibilities for a strange creature. There’s a kind of fun to work there.”
Reference: t. “Aerodynamics Show Membrane-Winged Theropods” by Alexander DeSechi, Arindam Roy, Michael Pitman, Thomas GK, Xing Zoo, Michael B. Habib, Hans CE Larson, Xiaoli Wang and Zioting were a Weak Gliding Dead, 2020 Eye Science.
DOI: 10.1016 / j.isci.2020.101574
The authors were endorsed by Mount Marty University and the University of Hong Kong.
