Different ways of flying, such as soaring, gliding, and flapping, have evolved in birds over time. The evolution of these diverse flight styles has changed the range of motion of different species’ wings, but not their wing shape, suggests a study published in Science Advances Wednesday (October 23). Doug Altshuler, comparative physiologist at the University of British Columbia, and colleagues determined the range of motion of wings from 124 bird cadavers representing 61 species. They also observed live birds in flight. The researchers then developed a model to determine how bird flight behavior and body mass could explain variations in wing shape or range of motion in the wings.
Birds that use flapping, bounding (short bursts of flapping alternated with wings folded against the body), or gliding tended to have a lower body mass and greater range of motion in the wings compared with birds that use air currents to ...
