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Hand and foot morphology maps invasion of terrestrial environments by pterosaurs in the mid-Mesozoic.
Curr Biol
November 2024
Centre for Palaeobiology & Biosphere Evolution, School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, 19 University Rd, Leicester LE1 7RF, UK.
Article Synopsis
- Pterosaurs, the first flying vertebrates, had a significant impact on Mesozoic ecosystems, but their ground movement and terrestrial ecology are not well understood.
- Research shows that pterosaurs had a diverse range of hand and foot structures, similar to modern birds, which indicates they adapted to various non-flying lifestyles, with early species showing traits for climbing and later ones for ground movement.
- The evolution of ground-based locomotion in pterosaurs involved changes in anatomy, allowing them to exploit terrestrial environments and leading to new feeding strategies and larger body sizes across different lineages.