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From grasping arms to flying wingsMost theropod dinosaurs had short arms and long, fast-running legs, but some had developed very long arms. These include Protarchaeopteryx, Velociraptor and Sinornithosaurus. The arms of Sinornithosaurus were 80 percent of the length of its legs - the longest arms of any known non-flying theropod. These dinosaurs had also developed a special bone in the wrist that enabled them to fold their long arms against their body, just as birds do today. It also allowed them to move their hands in a broad fan-shaped motion and to snap their long arms and grasping fingers forward to grab fleeing prey. This powerful, flapping motion has today become an important part of the flight stroke in modern birds.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002 |
