Reconstruction of the Hindlimb Locomotion of Confuciusornis (Aves) and Its Implication for the Origin of Avian Flight
Keywords:
Early birds; habit behavior; take-off; musculoskeletal system; simulation techniques
Abstract
As one of the most basal avian clades, the Confuciusornithids are ideal in revealing the early evolution of avian flight. Birds’ hindlimbs are functionally diverse and contain a wealth of information about their behavior. The hindlimb of Confuciusornis, however, has only been studied in detail in terms of functional morphology, and quantitative studies that directly assess locomotor ability are relatively lacking. This has led to certain controversies on the behavior of Confuciusornis. This paper reviews the debates over the life habits and take-off ability of Confuciusornis, which are closely related to their hindlimb function. Several methodologies adopted engineering techniques, including the geometrical analysis of long bones, physiological reconstruction of muscles, kinematic and kinetic characteristics estimating, and appendage locomotor mechanism analysis, are recommended for estimating the hindlimb functions of Confuciusornis. Considering that the fossil bones are fragile, irregular in shape, and usually deformed, it is appropriate to apply computer numerical simulation techniques to such studies. A sufficient functional quantitative study will help clarify early bird locomotor behavior, which will provide clues and evidence for further exploration of the origin of bird flight and early bird movement.
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9. Abourachid, A., Höfling, E. (2012). The legs: A key to bird evolutionary success. Journal of Ornithology, 153, 193–198.
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11. Wang, M., O’Connor, J., Zhou, Z. (2019). A taxonomical revision of the confuciusornithiformes (Aves: Pygostylia). Vertebrata Palasiatica, 57, 1–37.
12. Hou, L., Zhou, Z., Martin, L. D., Feduccia, A. (1995). A beaked bird from the Jurassic of China. Nature, 377, 616–618.
13. Chiappe, L. M., Ji, S. A., Ji, Q., Norell, M. A. (1999). Anatomy and systematics of the confuciusornithidae (Theropoda, Aves) from the late Mesozoic of Northeastern China. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 242, 1–89.
14. Sun, M. (2018). Aerodynamics of animal flight. Acta Aerodynamica Sinica, 36, 122–128.
15. Chatterjee, S., Templin, R. J. (2012). Palaeoecology, aerodynamics, and the origin of avian flight. In: Talent, J. A. (Ed.), Earth and life: global biodiversity, extinction intervals and biogeographic perturbations through time, pp. 585–612. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
16. Hou, L., Martin, L. D., Zhou, Z., Feduccia, A., Zhang, F. (1999). A diapsid skull in a new species of the primitive bird Confuciusornis. Nature, 399, 679–682.
17. Zhang, F., Zhou, Z., Benton, M. J. (2008). A primitive confuciusornithid bird from China and its implications for early avian flight. Science China Earth Sciences, 51, 625–639.
18. Zhang, F., Zhou, Z., Li, D., Li, Z. (2009). The present situation of confuciusornithids research. Chinese Journal of Nature, 31, 8–11.
19. Ji, Q., Chiappe, L. M., Ji, S. (1999). A new late Mesozoic confuciusornithid bird from China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 19, 1–7.
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21. McIntosh, A. P. (2017). Geometric morphometric analysis of the pedal claw of the early cretaceous bird confuciusornis sanctus (Confuciusornithidae) and its functional and behavioral implications (Master of Science). DePaul University.
22. Falk, A. R., Lamsdell, J. C., Gong, E. (2021). Principal component analysis of avian hind limb and foot morphometrics and the relationship between ecology and phylogeny. Paleobiology, 47, 314–336.
23. Zhou, Z., Farlow, J. (2001). Flight capability and habits of Confuciusornis. In: Gauthier, J. A., Gall, L. F. (Eds.), New perspectives on the origin and early evolution of birds, pp. 237–254. New Haven: Yale University Press.
24. Longrich, N. R., Vinther, J., Meng, Q., Li, Q., Russell, A. P. (2012). Primitive wing feather arrangement in Archaeopteryx Lithographica and Anchiornis Huxleyi. Current Biology, 22, 2262–2267.
25. Falk, A. R., Kaye, T. G., Zhou, Z., Burnham, D. A. (2016). Laser fluorescence illuminates the soft tissue and life habits of the early cretaceous bird Confuciusornis. PLoS One, 11, e0167284.
26. Zheng, X., O’Connor, J. K., Wang, X., Pan, Y., Wang, Y. et al. (2017). Exceptional preservation of soft tissue in a new specimen of Eoconfuciusornis and its biological implications. National Science Review, 4, 441–452.
27. Nudds, R. L., Dyke, G. J. (2010). Narrow primary feather rachises in Confuciusornis and Archaeopteryx suggest poor flight ability. Science, 328, 887–889.
28. Paul, G. S. (2010). Comment on “Narrow Primary Feather Rachises in Confuciusornis and Archaeopteryx suggest poor flight ability”. Science, 330, 320.
29. Lees, J., Garner, T., Cooper, G., Nudds, R. (2017). Rachis morphology cannot accurately predict the mechanical performance of primary feathers in extant (and therefore fossil) feathered flyers. Royal Society Open Science, 4, 160927.
30. Guo, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhou, Y., Yang, J., Wang, Y. et al. (2021). Computational fluid dynamics will shed a new light on functional-morphological studies of confuciusornithids (Aves) in Eastern Asia during early cretaceous. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 36, 7470–7475.
31. Wang, I., Guo, Y., An, X., Zhao, Y., Wang, J. (2019). Three-dimensional reconstruction and numerical simulation of flight performance of Confuciusornis. Open Journal of Natural Sciences, 7, 590–595.
32. Pittman, M., Kaye, T. G., Wang, X., Zheng, X., Dececchi, T. A. et al. (2022). Preserved soft anatomy confirms shoulder-powered upstroke of early theropod flyers, reveals enhanced early pygostylian upstroke, and explains early sternum loss. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119, e2205476119.
33. Bonser, R., Rayner, J. (1996). Measuring leg thrust forces in the common starling. Journal of Experimental Biology, 199, 435–439.
34. Earls, K. D. (2000). Kinematics and mechanics of ground take-off in the starling Sturnis Vulgaris and the quail Coturnix coturnix. Journal of Experimental Biology, 203, 725–739.
35. Heppner, F. H., Anderson, J. G. T. (1985). Leg thrust important in flight take-off in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Biology, 114, 285–288.
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Published
2023-09-15
How to Cite
Wei, X., Guo, Y., & Zhao, Y. (2023). Reconstruction of the Hindlimb Locomotion of Confuciusornis (Aves) and Its Implication for the Origin of Avian Flight. Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, 20(2), 49-61. Retrieved from https://ojs.sin-chn.com/index.php/mcb/article/view/55
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