According to a new computer model, pterosaurs (more commonly known as pterodactyls) had no trouble flying despite their massive size. Taking off, however, posed a big problem – and it probably kept these ancient reptiles from growing any bigger.
Pterosaurs had wingspans of up to 35 feet, and the largest of them may have weighed a quarter of a ton.
Some researchers have argued that the largest pterosaurs must have used similar hang-glider-like tricks, or not flown at all.
But now we know that pterosaurs simply flew differently than birds do. Instead of running and flapping their wings, the pterosaurs used all four limbs to launch themselves up into the air.
Researchers using 3-D scans of available fossilsfound that the creature could take off using the proposed four-limbed method, and that its flexible membrane-covered wings allowed it to modulate speed, slowing down enough to land safely.
But while a model with a wingspan of nearly 40 feet could still stay airborne, it couldn’t actually get itself off the ground. That four-limbed takeoff may have done some serious heavy lifting, but it had limits.
“Getting into the air ultimately limited pterosaur size,” Palmer said in a statement. “Even with their unique four-legged launch technique, the iron laws of physics eventually caught up with these all-time giants of the cretaceous skies.”
