Citation
Meseguer Ruiz, José and Chiappe, L. and Sanz García, José Luis and Ortega Coloma, Francisco and Sanz Andres, Angel Pedro and Pérez Grande, María Isabel and Franchini, Sebastián
(2012).
Lift devices in the flight of Archaeopteryx.
"Revista Española de Paleontología", v. 27
(n. 2);
pp. 125-130.
ISSN 2255-0550.
Abstract
Archaeopteryx has played a central role in the debates on the origins of avian (and dinosaurian) flight, even though as a flier it probably represents a relatively late stage in the beginnings of fl ight. We report on aerodynamic tests using a life-sized model of Archaeopteryx performing in a low turbulence wind tunnel. Our results indicate that tail deflection significantly decreased take-off velocity and power consumption, and that the first manual digit could have functioned as the structural precursor of the alula. Such results demonstrate that Archaeopteryx had already evolved high-lift devices, which are functional analogues of those present in today's birds.
