Tracing the footsteps of flight
A new study led by researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Dakota State University has shed new light on the locomotion of pre-avian dinosaurs. The research analysed a fossil trackway from South Korea, revealing that these ancient creatures used a technique called "flap running" to achieve high speeds.
The team, headed by Dr Michael Pittman from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Dr Alex Dececchi from Dakota State University, examined the footprints of a small microraptorine theropod dinosaur, Dromaeosauriformipes rarus, preserved in 106-million-year-old rock. The trackway, excavated by Professor Kyung Soo Kim of Chinju National University of Education in South Korea, showed an exceptionally high stride-to-footprint length ratio, suggesting speeds that would be unrealistic for an animal of its size using only its legs.
The researchers propose that D. rarus, roughly the size of a sparrow, used its feathered arms to generate aerodynamic force, elongating its stride and achieving higher speeds. This "flap running" behaviour likely preceded takeoff or followed landing, indicating an important stage in the evolution of flight.
The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirms that wing-assisted locomotion was not limited to birds, opening new avenues for research into which species possessed these abilities and how they developed over time.
This research marks a crucial step in unravelling the complex story of how dinosaurs eventually took to the skies, providing valuable insights into the evolutionary path that led to modern birds.