Weigeltisaurids: first vertebrates to glide
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Researchers in South Africa and Germany determined that Weigeltisaurids, reptiles living around 260 million years ago, were the first vertebrates capable of gliding flight.
The team, led by Valentin Buffa at the University of the Witwatersrand, examined fossilized remains to understand how these creatures achieved lift. They discovered that Weigeltisaurids used a wing structure, called a patagium, supported by 25 to 30 slender bony rods on each side of their body.
These wing bones connected to the gastralia, bones that support the abdomen, but the researchers found the patagial bones developed independently from the gastralia, unlike similar structures in modern gliding lizards. The positioning of the wings, anchored in the external oblique muscles lower on the body, likely gave Weigeltisaurids greater maneuverability than some modern gliders, though perhaps at the cost of stability. The study also revised estimates of the reptile’s weight.
One species, Coelurosauravus elivensis, likely weighed only 135 grams, making it lighter and a more effective glider than previously believed, comparable to a northern flying squirrel and faster than Draco lizards. These findings reveal a unique wing design not found in any other vertebrate and offer new insights into the evolution of flight.
