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

Loading metrics

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

Reader Comments

Post a new comment on this article

Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

Posted by Wyoming84 on 01 May 2009 at 17:42 GMT

The authors seem to have not considered the affects 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.

Subject Areas
?

For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click here.
We want your feedback. Do these Subject Areas make sense for this article? Click the target next to the incorrect Subject Area and let us know. Thanks for your help!

Bird flight
Is the Subject Area "Bird flight" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Animal flight
Is the Subject Area "Animal flight" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Animal wings
Is the Subject Area "Animal wings" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Pterosauria
Is the Subject Area "Pterosauria" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Birds
Is the Subject Area "Birds" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Petrels
Is the Subject Area "Petrels" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Foraging
Is the Subject Area "Foraging" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.
Physiological parameters
Is the Subject Area "Physiological parameters" applicable to this article?

Thanks for your feedback.

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

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

Reader Comments

Post Your Discussion Comment

Why should this posting be reviewed?

Thank You!

Pterosaurs could fly in a different atmosphere?

Posted by Wyoming84 on 01 May 2009 at 17:42 GMT