Posts by: nelsont

Clap-flinging to a faster lift-off

There are many different special tricks used to aid animals in flight. From dynamic soaring to gliding, animals have found numerous ways to get airborne. One trick in particular is whats called “clap-flinging.” It is a trick primarily used by insects, especially small ones, to increase lift during take-off. Without it they could not gain […]

Quetzalcoatlus: largest flying animal…or not?

Quetzalcoatlus was a type of pterosaur and is one of the largest flying animal of all time, or was it? A study by Sankar Chatterjee, a Texas Tech University professor, claims that the Quetzalcoatlus would not have been able to fly. Instead the pterosaur would soar and glide in a similar fashion as the albatross. Take-off […]