Re: pterosaurs in trees...

[tlford@ix.netcom.com (Tracy Ford)]

You wrote: 
>
>>
>
>Perhaps because flapping makes it a better glider?  Most pterosaurs are
>thought to have been shore and sea-creatures, analogous in many ways to
>seagulls, albatrosses, frigatebirds, and the like.  These birds are
>expert gliders, maintaining altitude and airspeed by subtle adjustments
>of the wings relative to the airflow, so skillfully that given no more
>than a moderate wind of 10-15 knots they can drop ground speed to almost
>nil without stalling.  Also, it would seem to me that long-range gliding
>actually requires better, more efficient wings than does powered
>flapping flight.
>

But they are already flappers! They flap to get into the air then glide, not 
gliding to flapping. I argue against gliding to flapping, not flapping to 
gliding. 

Tracy

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