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Decoupling body shape and mass distribution in birds and their dinosaurian ancestors

Author

Listed:
  • Sophie Macaulay

    (University of Liverpool)

  • Tatjana Hoehfurtner

    (University of Liverpool
    University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories)

  • Samuel R. R. Cross

    (University of Liverpool)

  • Ryan D. Marek

    (University College London)

  • John R. Hutchinson

    (Royal Veterinary College)

  • Emma R. Schachner

    (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center)

  • Alice E. Maher

    (University of Liverpool)

  • Karl T. Bates

    (University of Liverpool)

Abstract

It is accepted that non-avian theropod dinosaurs, with their long muscular tails and small forelimbs, had a centre-of-mass close to the hip, while extant birds, with their reduced tails and enlarged wings have their mass centred more cranially. Transition between these states is considered crucial to two key innovations in the avian locomotor system: crouched bipedalism and powered flight. Here we use image-based models to challenge this dichotomy. Rather than a phylogenetic distinction between ‘dinosaurian’ and ‘avian’ conditions, we find terrestrial versus volant taxa occupy distinct regions of centre-of-mass morphospace consistent with the disparate demands of terrestrial bipedalism and flight. We track this decoupled evolution of body shape and mass distribution through bird evolution, including the origin of centre-of-mass positions more advantageous for flight and major reversions coincident with terrestriality. We recover modularity in the evolution of limb proportions and centre-of-mass that suggests fully crouched bipedalism evolved after powered flight.

Suggested Citation

  • Sophie Macaulay & Tatjana Hoehfurtner & Samuel R. R. Cross & Ryan D. Marek & John R. Hutchinson & Emma R. Schachner & Alice E. Maher & Karl T. Bates, 2023. "Decoupling body shape and mass distribution in birds and their dinosaurian ancestors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37317-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37317-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vivian Allen & Karl T. Bates & Zhiheng Li & John R. Hutchinson, 2013. "Linking the evolution of body shape and locomotor biomechanics in bird-line archosaurs," Nature, Nature, vol. 497(7447), pages 104-107, May.
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    3. Xing Xu & Xiaoting Zheng & Corwin Sullivan & Xiaoli Wang & Lida Xing & Yan Wang & Xiaomei Zhang & Jingmai K. O’Connor & Fucheng Zhang & Yanhong Pan, 2015. "A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran theropod with preserved evidence of membranous wings," Nature, Nature, vol. 521(7550), pages 70-73, May.
    4. C. Harvey & V. B. Baliga & J. C. M. Wong & D. L. Altshuler & D. J. Inman, 2022. "Birds can transition between stable and unstable states via wing morphing," Nature, Nature, vol. 603(7902), pages 648-653, March.
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