|
|
Article: Flight
- Article from:
- Animal Sciences
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Flight
Three different groups of animals
—
insects, birds, and mammals
—
include species that have evolved the ability to fly. This ability developed independently in each group through separate evolutionary processes. Recent research
has shown that a fourth group of animals, the now-extinct winged reptiles known as Pterosaurs, were probably capable of true flight as well. Whereas the aerodynamics of flight apply equally to all types of flying animals, the mechanical details of flight vary significantly among the groups.
All insects, birds, and mammals that fly move themselves forward by flapping their wings. They do not depend exclusively on gliding and soaring to remain ...