Evolution Of Flight

Question 1

Intro hook

Answer 1

-The evolution of flight in animals has been long debated and different hypothesis have been suggested for their origins (Norbert, 2007)
-most impressive niche in evolution, occurred independently insects,pterosaurs,birds,bats
-Chronological order of when they evolved, describing adaptations which enabled them to

Question 2

Insects - info

Answer 2

1st fliers, Carboniferous period, preadaptation of wings(cannot be produced by small changes)-evolve for one purpose used for another-from exoskeletal extensions (Flegr,2023), lightweight exoskeleton allows flight, pollution of plants + escape predators

Question 3

Insects - example

Answer 3

-Arthropods e.g. Meganeura, huge to increase O2 supply to fly, relates to dragonflies, 70cm wingspan (Nel, 2018)
-preds of other insects

Question 4

Pterosaurs - info

Answer 4

-1st flying vertebrates (true flapping flight), Triassic, means ‘wing-lizard’, evolved from tree climbing insectivores, wings formed by a membrane of skin stretching from 4th finger to body

Question 5

Pterosaurs - example

Answer 5

-Huge varieties = Quetzalcoatlus - huge, Archaeopteryx - asymmetrical feathers, last surviving theropod dino
-radiated into lots of forms, warm blooded, insulated, good fliers

Question 6

Birds - info

Answer 6

-from small theropod dinos, developed an enhanced upstroke = new method of flight relying on shoulder muscles, significant step (Pittman, 2022), adaptation from insulation for feathers co-opted for flight, modified forelimbs for wings, fused/elongated bones

Question 7

Birds - example/extra info

Answer 7

-Became highly diverse and occupied ecological niches, such as aerial predation and long distance migration

Question 8

Bats - info

Answer 8

Only true flying mammals, adpatation-echolocation,fly/hunt in dark, spread almost everywhere, avian dinos/birds retained air dominance, originally tree climbing insectivores, gliding between trees

Question 9

Bats - example/extra info

Answer 9

-macro-bats also known as flying foxes - shows where path began
-very diverse >1400 species, quarter of all mammalian species (Anderson, 2020)

Question 10

Conc

Answer 10

-summarise and how they differ, flight expanded ecological possibilities + reshaped ecosystems, driving co - evolution and diversification
-Flights importance = evolution miracle - reflects the extent it can go and natural selection