Revealed the secret of flight of the largest birds in the Earth's history
Paleontologists have described the latest type of fossil birds Pelagornis sandersi - greatest flying bird in the Earth's history. Wingspan of pelagonia Sanders reached 6 and a half meters (for comparison, the great albatrosses, this figure is 3.5 m).
Bird treats famous clan lonesome (Odontognathae). Have any pelagonia in the Paleogene, and became extinct in the Pliocene, 4 million years ago. Excellently preserved remains of a bird (all the bones of the legs and wings, and a skull) helped the scientist to simulate the distinctive features of its flight and to answer the question of how pelagornids could take off and stay in the air, despite clear laws of aerodynamics, aggressive limiting the volume keeps pace with the time of birds. The study presented in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The bones of pelagonia were seen scientist-lover in 1983 during the construction of the international airport in Charleston, South Carolina). The new species has been named after the late curator Charleston Museum albert Sanders (Albert Sanders).
The riddle flight of pelagonia scientists wanted to open with program Flight 1.25, which calculates the distinctive features of the flight of birds on the basis of data her weight, proportions and shape of the wings. The larger the individual, the more power it consumes the flapping wings: with some level for the flight have more energy than a bird can get. Specifically because for flapping flight limit is body mass 12-16 kg But including birds that use the soaring flight, have from time to time to hit the wing - in unstable wind that knocks them off course.
Pelagornids Sanders, probably, was not able to take your wings even during takeoff. As gliders, he had to take a run and jump with large rocks, "relying on the fact that the air flows will grab it and carry forward. But later the giant wings strengthened the soaring flight aerodynamics: trailing vortices there is less why falls drag and increases flight speed. But take off from the surface of the water pelagonia couldn (as evidenced anatomy their hind limbs). Apparently, the birds did not leave the air element and do not dive, and quickly enough teeth fish and squid, floating near the surface.
The remains of pelagonia find around the world. This kind existed a large number of millions of years and, as demonstrated by a study differed satisfactory aerodynamic characteristics - why even more mysterious is seen their extinction in the early Pliocene.
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