There were also modifications to the bones in the flight apparatus: the scapula was attached directly to fused vertebrae. This combination of a fused backbone and rigid attachment of the scapula provided a rigid and extremely strong brace that could resist the stresses associated with flapping of wings. |
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It could be supposed that the reason for these modifications is that Pterodactyloids grew to be much larger than the Rhamphorhynchoids. In order to reduce weight, they lost the tail which is replaced by having greater control over the wings, and strengthened the rigidity of the flight apparatus. |
Examples of Pterodactyloids1) Pterodaustro
2) Dsungaripterus
3) Quetzalcoatlus
4) Pteranodon
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© Patrick Lyons 1998. |