Pterosaur: Difference between revisions

The '''Pterosaur''' in Flightgear uses a [[JSBSim]] model of flapping wings based on research papers. The Pterosaur model sports the ALS organic wingflex effect. Combined with Flightgear's [https://www.flightgear.org/tours/advanced-weather-v1-4-in-flightgear-2-6/ terrain-driven] weather modelling including [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Soaring thermals] with [[Advanced_weather|Advanced Weather]], the Pterosaur allows you to some access to the experience flying with natural (flapping) wings, perhaps as you might have wondered about in the past when there was no such simulation available.

Pterosaurs were vetebrates that lived during the Mezozoic era, from 228 to 66 Million years ago. Pterosaurians evolved wings made of skin, fine hair-like down, muscle and sinew. They were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight, some 228 million years before humans did with assistance from technology and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_on_the_Flight_of_Birds inspiration] from those vertebrates that had come before.  

Pterosaurians are not closely related to the Theropod dinosaur lineage that evolved feathers as is commonly misconceived, and they mostly evolved independently. They were the first of 3 solutions by vetebrates to flight with the other two being birds (Avians) and the mammalian bats (Chiropterans), and Pterosaurians utilised a wing running from ankles to the fourth finger.