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Avian Wing Proportions and Flight Styles: First Step towards Predicting the Flight Modes of Mesozoic Birds

Avian Wing Proportions and Flight Styles: First Step towards Predicting the Flight Modes of Mesozoic Birds
Avian Wing Proportions and Flight Styles: First Step towards Predicting the Flight Modes of Mesozoic Birds
We investigated the relationship between wing element proportions and flight mode in a dataset of living avian species to provide a framework for making basic estimates of the range of flight styles evolved by Mesozoic birds. Our results show that feather length (fprim) and total arm length (ta) (sum of the humerus, ulna and manus length) ratios differ significantly between four flight style groups defined and widely used for living birds and as a result are predictive for fossils. This was confirmed using multivariate ordination analyses, with four wing elements (humerus, ulna/radius, manus, primary feathers), that discriminate the four broad flight styles within living birds. Among the variables tested, manus length is closely correlated with wing size, yet is the poorest predictor for flight style, suggesting that the shape of the bones in the hand wing is most important in determining flight style. Wing bone thickness (shape) must vary with wing beat strength, with weaker forces requiring less bone. Finally, we show that by incorporating data from Mesozoic birds, multivariate ordination analyses can be used to predict the flight styles of fossils.
1932-6203
e28672
Wang, Xia
05442af1-b96d-4271-8b58-b8515946656a
McGowan, Alistair J.
b47c15e4-ca6e-4111-96b0-fb088deda8d7
Dyke, Gareth J.
600ca61e-b40b-4c86-b8ae-13be4e331e94
Wang, Xia
05442af1-b96d-4271-8b58-b8515946656a
McGowan, Alistair J.
b47c15e4-ca6e-4111-96b0-fb088deda8d7
Dyke, Gareth J.
600ca61e-b40b-4c86-b8ae-13be4e331e94

Wang, Xia, McGowan, Alistair J. and Dyke, Gareth J. (2011) Avian Wing Proportions and Flight Styles: First Step towards Predicting the Flight Modes of Mesozoic Birds. PLoS ONE, 6 (12), e28672. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028672).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between wing element proportions and flight mode in a dataset of living avian species to provide a framework for making basic estimates of the range of flight styles evolved by Mesozoic birds. Our results show that feather length (fprim) and total arm length (ta) (sum of the humerus, ulna and manus length) ratios differ significantly between four flight style groups defined and widely used for living birds and as a result are predictive for fossils. This was confirmed using multivariate ordination analyses, with four wing elements (humerus, ulna/radius, manus, primary feathers), that discriminate the four broad flight styles within living birds. Among the variables tested, manus length is closely correlated with wing size, yet is the poorest predictor for flight style, suggesting that the shape of the bones in the hand wing is most important in determining flight style. Wing bone thickness (shape) must vary with wing beat strength, with weaker forces requiring less bone. Finally, we show that by incorporating data from Mesozoic birds, multivariate ordination analyses can be used to predict the flight styles of fossils.

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Published date: 2011
Organisations: Ocean Biochemistry & Ecosystems

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Local EPrints ID: 210897
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/210897
ISSN: 1932-6203
PURE UUID: 5b13cc68-2470-4c7c-bd16-97c03c9c9733

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Date deposited: 10 Feb 2012 13:44
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:50

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Contributors

Author: Xia Wang
Author: Alistair J. McGowan
Author: Gareth J. Dyke

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