Scaling of Soaring Seabirds and Implications for Flight Abilities of Giant Pterosaurs

Katsufumi Sato; Kentaro Q. Sakamoto; Yutaka Watanuki; Akinori Takahashi; Nobuhiro Katsumata; Charles-André Bost; Henri Weimerskirch

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005400

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Scaling of Soaring Seabirds and Implications for Flight Abilities of Giant Pterosaurs

Katsufumi Sato ,

* E-mail: katsu@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Affiliation International Coastal Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan
⨯
Kentaro Q. Sakamoto,

Affiliation Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
⨯
Yutaka Watanuki,

Affiliation Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
⨯
Akinori Takahashi,

Affiliation National Institute of Polar Research, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
⨯
Nobuhiro Katsumata,

Affiliation International Coastal Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan
⨯
Charles-André Bost,

Affiliation Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-CNRS, Villier en Bois, Beauvoir/Niort, France
⨯
Henri Weimerskirch

Affiliation Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-CNRS, Villier en Bois, Beauvoir/Niort, France
⨯

Scaling of Soaring Seabirds and Implications for Flight Abilities of Giant Pterosaurs

Katsufumi Sato,
Kentaro Q. Sakamoto,
Yutaka Watanuki,
Akinori Takahashi,
Nobuhiro Katsumata,
Charles-André Bost,
Henri Weimerskirch

Published: April 29, 2009
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005400

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Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

Posted by Wyoming84 on 01 May 2009 at 17:48 GMT

The authors seem to have not considered the effects on Pterosaur flight in an atmoshphere that likely contained more oxygen and carbon dioxide, providing more lift for their flapping wings. The Mesozoic atmosphere was not exactly like the present as the ancient world was experiencing a global greenhouse during this time.

No competing interests declared.

RE: Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

katsu replied to Wyoming84 on 08 May 2009 at 09:41 GMT

We indicated possibilities of changes in environmental factors over geological time (P4 R61-64). I am very glad if you indicate information source of the Mesozoic atmosphere. How much oxygen and carbon dioxide were contained? How much the air density at that time?

No competing interests declared.

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Scaling of Soaring Seabirds and Implications for Flight Abilities of Giant Pterosaurs

Scaling of Soaring Seabirds and Implications for Flight Abilities of Giant Pterosaurs

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Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

Posted by Wyoming84 on 01 May 2009 at 17:48 GMT

RE: Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

katsu replied to Wyoming84 on 08 May 2009 at 09:41 GMT