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Modelling take-off moment arms in an ornithocheiraean pterosaur.
- Source :
-
PeerJ [PeerJ] 2024 Aug 05; Vol. 12, pp. e17678. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 05 (Print Publication: 2024). - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Take-off is a vital part of powered flight which likely constrains the size of birds, yet extinct pterosaurs are known to have reached far larger sizes. Three different hypothesised take-off motions (bipedal burst launching, bipedal countermotion launching, and quadrupedal launching) have been proposed as explanations for how pterosaurs became airborne and circumvented this proposed morphological limit. We have constructed a computational musculoskeletal model of a 5 m wingspan ornithocheiraean pterosaur, reconstructing thirty-four key muscles to estimate the muscle moment arms throughout the three hypothesised take-off motions. Range of motion constrained hypothetical kinematic sequences for bipedal and quadrupedal take-off motions were modelled after extant flying vertebrates. Across our simulations we did not find higher hindlimb moment arms for bipedal take-off motions or noticeably higher forelimb moment arms in the forelimb for quadrupedal take-off motions. Despite this, in all our models we found the muscles utilised in the quadrupedal take-off have the largest total launch applicable moment arms throughout the entire take-off sequences and for the take-off pose. This indicates the potential availability of higher leverage for a quadrupedal take-off than hypothesised bipedal motions in pterosaurs pending further examination of muscle forces.<br />Competing Interests: Colin Palmer is an Academic Editor for PeerJ.<br /> (©2024 Griffin et al.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2167-8359
- Volume :
- 12
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- PeerJ
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 39119105
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17678