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#quetzalcoatlus
How the World’s Largest Pterosaur Took Off to Fly
The pterosaur named Quetzalcoatlus northropi is the largest animal to ever fly. The “Texas Pterosaur” had a wingspan of nearly 40 feet, which is larger than some airplanes. In the 50 years since Q. northropi fossils were first discovered, two smaller species of Quetzalcoatlus have been found, with more complete skeletons. Scientists have long been sure this terrifying pterosaur could fly, but it still took a long time to figure out how such a large creature managed to get itself airborne. Did it jump off high cliffs or hills? Did it get a running start? The question itself is intriguing, as it brings up questions of how prehistoric animals ever learned to fly in the first place. A biomechanics study has determined that Quetzalcoatlus took a leap up to around eight feet above ground, which gave it room enough to spread those huge wings and propel itself higher. A new study from the University of Texas at Austin combines several Quetzalcoatlus studies and was published by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. UT Austin is the home of Quetzalcoatlus, as the genus was first discovered by one of its graduate students in 1971. Read about the research into this huge pterosaur at UT. -via Damn Interesting#Quetzalcoatlus #pterosaur #flyingreptile
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