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Re: New bird /pterosaur flight paper in PLoS ONE

Actually, that doesn't cover it. Most pterosaurs would rely far more on dynamic soaring and/or microlift. They were not constrained by thermal lift.
JimC
----- Original Message ----- From: "don ohmes" <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: New bird /pterosaur flight paper in PLoS ONE




--- On Wed, 4/29/09, jrc <jrccea@bellsouth.net> wrote:

Note that sailplanes with wingspans, wing areas, aspect
ratios, and gross weights similar to those of the largest
pterosaurs are repeatedly capable of soaring non-stop for
hundreds of kilometers on an average day, and they don't
have the ability to flap at all.

Actually, they cover that -- "The present study does not deny the possibility that they (the large pterosaurs) might rely on warmed rising air of thermals..."

Don