The earliest ancestors of pterosaurs were a species of small, wingless reptile called lagerpetids that lived 237 million years ago, a new study reveals. Computed tomographic (CT) scans of fossils reveal similarities between the winged pterosaurs and wingless lagerpetids, which had characteristically long hind-legs. Although one could fly and the other couldn’t, pterosaurs and lagerpetids shared some … Read more
Insects today have wings because their primitive crustacean ancestors moved to land about 300 million years ago, a new study has revealed. The wings originally evolved from a random outgrowth or ‘lobe’ on the legs of the crustacean ancestors, US researchers claim. Sections of the crustacean’s leg were gradually pushed back into its body to support … Read more
Rescued barn owl falls asleep in the arms of a firefighter after its wings were scorched during raging wildfires in California A barn owl was found by firefighters in the Silverado Fire on Tuesday evening Footage shows the bird falling asleep on one of their laps inside a helicopter The bird was taken to Serrano … Read more
When in flight, a bird’s wings are capable of acting like an automatic suspension system, dampening the effects of turbulence even in stormy conditions. Working with a trained owl, British researchers found that birds change their wing shape and posture to essentially ‘reject’ gusts of wind. The findings of the study, the team said, could … Read more
Water-repellent surfaces that mimic insects’ wings could be used to develop PPE that is resistant to coronavirus-laden saliva droplets Analysis of insect structures reveals a previously undiscovered nanostructure Scientists hope this could be used to create water repellent coatings Would be useful in developing PPE which is impervious to saliva droplets By Joe Pinkstone For Mailonline … Read more
Giant condors can travel more than 100 miles without flapping their wings and spend most of their time gliding on thermal updrafts. UK biologists deployed logging devices on the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the heaviest known soaring bird, to show how it flies with limited flapping. Incredibly, one bird flew continuously for more than five … Read more
Tyson Fury pulled out all the stops for Saturday night dinner over the Easter weekend when he spent over £500 on take-out. The boxer, 31, ordered the massive feast to his home in Morecambe, Lancashire, to feed his wife Paris, her parents and their five children – who are holed up at home together during … Read more
The wings of the nightingale — famed for its beautiful birdsong — are shrinking in response to climate change, a study has found. This change will make its long migrations to Africa more arduous and threaten its very survival, scientists have warned. Male nightingales, in particular, are known to sing for hours on end each night … Read more
STUNNING video shows an owl passing through a cloud of tiny helium bubbles in ultra slow motion, revealing how birds stay aloft by creating small circular flows of air beneath their wings Scientists at the Royal Veterinary College outside London studied bird flight They filmed two owls and a hawk as they flew through small … Read more