[This was written by Fran Siebrits and published online by Wild Magazine http://www.wildcard.co.za/, 2011]
Why do birds sometimes run and flap their wings up a steep hill rather than fly over it?
When researchers from the University of Montana first noticed chuckar chicks (a type of partridge) running up obstacles, they were intrigued. When locals confirmed that adult chuckars sometimes run uphill too, they knew they had to investigate.
Flying can take chicks months to perfect. Not only do they have to develop the muscles and skills required, but an enormous amount of energy is needed, which is unavailable when they are still so young.
Flap running, as it has been called by researchers, is used to save energy. The latest research has shown that muscles used during flap running need less than 10% of the energy needed in the muscles used during flight.
Once a bird runs up a very steep object, its wing muscles are ready to take over for the descent. The flap-run requires less energy compared to flying all the way over.
This is of particular importance in chicks learning to fly. By flap running up steep inclines, they prepare their muscles for flight. The flap run brings them close to the right flight action. Flap running could therefore be an essential stage in chicks learning how to fly.
“At some point birds came from bipedal dinosaurs with small forelimbs that evolved into small wings,” says researcher Brandon Jackson. He argues that flap running could have been a key stage in the evolution of flight. The flight muscles of these dinosaurs were not strong enough to power their large bodies, but were used instead to help them flap run up an embankment instead.
Flap running therefore appears to be a vital component in learning how to fly, but it may also be a major contributing factor to the evolution of flight.
Source:
Brandon E. Jackson, Bret W. Tobalske, Kenneth P. Dial. The broad range of contractile behaviour of the avian pectoralis: functional and evolutionary implications. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2011; 214: 2354-2361 DOI: 10.1242/%u200Bjeb.052829
Viewed online [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085951.htm]
Why do birds sometimes run and flap their wings up a steep hill rather than fly over it?
When researchers from the University of Montana first noticed chuckar chicks (a type of partridge) running up obstacles, they were intrigued. When locals confirmed that adult chuckars sometimes run uphill too, they knew they had to investigate.
Flying can take chicks months to perfect. Not only do they have to develop the muscles and skills required, but an enormous amount of energy is needed, which is unavailable when they are still so young.
Flap running, as it has been called by researchers, is used to save energy. The latest research has shown that muscles used during flap running need less than 10% of the energy needed in the muscles used during flight.
Once a bird runs up a very steep object, its wing muscles are ready to take over for the descent. The flap-run requires less energy compared to flying all the way over.
This is of particular importance in chicks learning to fly. By flap running up steep inclines, they prepare their muscles for flight. The flap run brings them close to the right flight action. Flap running could therefore be an essential stage in chicks learning how to fly.
“At some point birds came from bipedal dinosaurs with small forelimbs that evolved into small wings,” says researcher Brandon Jackson. He argues that flap running could have been a key stage in the evolution of flight. The flight muscles of these dinosaurs were not strong enough to power their large bodies, but were used instead to help them flap run up an embankment instead.
Flap running therefore appears to be a vital component in learning how to fly, but it may also be a major contributing factor to the evolution of flight.
Source:
Brandon E. Jackson, Bret W. Tobalske, Kenneth P. Dial. The broad range of contractile behaviour of the avian pectoralis: functional and evolutionary implications. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2011; 214: 2354-2361 DOI: 10.1242/%u200Bjeb.052829
Viewed online [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085951.htm]
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