Getting into the Air
Before birds and bats, pterosaurs were the first flying vertebrates in Earth's history. When they were first discovered, most scientists recognized that they were flying animals, but just how they got into the air was a mystery.
Early ideas about pterosaurs considered them to be gliders or poor fliers that needed to jump from trees or cliffs to get airborne. Others thought that they needed to run while flapping, like many large birds.
Modern computer modeling of pterosaur skeletons shows that they could not get airborne by running and flapping, but instead used something called a Quad Launch.
Quad Launch
- 1
Pterosaurs started out by crouching with their knees and elbows bent and body held low to the ground. See how this Arcticodactylus is close to the ground and looks like it's about to hop into the air?
- 2
Then they jumped up and forward with their legs, and straightened their arms, vaulting over their hands. All pterosaurs could launch into the air using this method, from the sparrow-sized Arcticodactylus to giraffe-sized Quetzalcoatlus.
- 3
At this point they have just launched into the air and are ready to use their arms to start flapping. Like birds, their flight is mostly powered by their own muscles. Some pterosaurs might have flown long-distance using columns of hot air called thermals to save energy.
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