Lift devices in the flight of Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx has played a central role in the debates on the origins of avian (and dinosaurian) fl ight, even though as a fl ier it probably represents a relatively late stage in the beginnings of fl ight. We report on aerodynamic tests using a life-sized model of Archaeopteryx performing in a low turbulence wind tunnel. Our results indicate that tail defl ection signifi cantly decreased take-off velocity and power consumption, and that the first manual digit could have functioned as the structural precursor of the alula. Such results demonstrate that Archaeopteryx had already evolved high-lift devices, which are functional analogues of those present in today’s birds.

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