Theropod trackways as indirect evidence of pre- avian aerial behavior

• 成果类型: Editorial Material
• 署名作者: Dececchi, T. Alexander; Kim, Kyung Soo; Lockley, Martin G.; Larsson, Hans C. E.; Holtz, Thomas R.; Farlow, James O.; Pittman, Michael
• 署名单位: Dakota State University; University of Colorado System; University of Colorado Denver; McGill University; University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History; Purdue University System; Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne; Chinese University of Hong Kong
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-10426
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2413810121
• 发表日期: 2024-10-29
• 关键词: flight

摘要

Body fossils set limits on feasible reconstructions of functional capacity and behavior in theropod dinosaurs, but do not document in- life behaviors. In contrast, trace fossils such as footprints preserve in- life behaviors that can potentially test and enhance existing reconstructions. Here, we demonstrate how theropod trackways can be used as indirect evidence of pre- avian aerial behavior, expanding the approaches available to study vertebrate flight origins. This involved exploring the behavioral implications of a two- toed Cretaceous- aged theropod trackway produced by a small, bird- like microraptorine moving at high speed. Applying first principle running biomechanics, we were able to conclude that the trackway is atypical, indirectly evidencing pre- avian aerial behavior. This trackway documents the evidence of wing- assisted aerodynamic force production during locomotion, supporting a broader distribution of this behavior than currently known. These findings support previously proposed aerial behavior in early bird- like theropods, showing how trackways will help to deepen our understanding of theropod flight origins.