title: Aerodynamic performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor and the evolution of feathered flight.
abstract: Understanding the aerodynamic performance of feathered, non-avialan dinosaurs is critical to reconstructing the evolution of bird flight. Here we show that the Early Cretaceous five-winged paravian Microraptor is most stable when gliding at high-lift coefficients (low lift/drag ratios). Wind tunnel experiments and flight simulations show that sustaining a high-lift coefficient at the expense of high drag would have been the most efficient strategy for Microraptor when gliding from, and between, low elevations. Analyses also demonstrate that anatomically plausible changes in wing configuration and leg position would have made little difference to aerodynamic performance. Significant to the evolution of flight, we show that Microraptor did not require a sophisticated, 'modern' wing morphology to undertake effective glides. This is congruent with the fossil record and also with the hypothesis that symmetric 'flight' feathers first evolved in dinosaurs for non-aerodynamic functions, later being adapted to form lifting surfaces.
authors.affiliation: 1] Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK [2] Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dyke
authors.forename: Roeland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Kat
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Kindere
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naish
authors.forename: Bharathram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ganapathisubramani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005241:Feathers / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005426:Flight, Animal; D005580:Fossils; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D010802:Phylogeny; D014919:Wind; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology