The Origin of Flight--What Use is Half a Wing? | HHMI BioInteractive Video

[@Alyenbird]

You could also look at modern flightless, and almost-flightless birds for clues. Many flightless birds, such as Ostriches, Rheas and Kagus use their wings for display - both to scare off threats, and to attract mates. The Kagus' highly patterned wings are the most colorful part of their otherwise drab grey bodies. These species also use their wings to cover their eggs during incubation. Tree-climbing Kakapo and Hoatzin chicks use their wings for clambering around and keeping their balance in densely forested habitat. Adult Hoatzin and Kokako are both very very poor fliers. They mostly jump or climb to get around. If they have to cross a large gap though, they will glide.

[@LoveatFirstHike]

Great comment! Wow, the Hoatzin is beautiful! It LOOKS prehistoric.

[@hokostudios]

This is an excellent video, and the research discussed here helps show that even primitive wings were still useful, and how they would have allowed for modern flight-capable wings to develop. But obviously wings didn't evolve just because of wing-assisted incline running-there had to be a point before which flapping your forelimbs would have been of any benefit, and I'm sure that's the point Alyenbird is trying to get at. Most likely, there were other benefits to having specialized pennaceous feathers on the arms that allowed them to evolve in the first place. Display, defense, and behaviors such as mantling-if present in early theropods-come to mind, and would have benefited from stiffer, more specialized feathers even before wing-assisted incline running could really become part of the equation. I'd also like to note that wings predate grass, not that that particularly matters. There's obviously nothing wrong with being able to cover your eggs in the first place, given that birds nest like champs and still do exactly that.

[@TheLuismaBeaTle]

Alyenbird but current flightless birds just had the ability stunted because it wasn’t needed. For example Ostriches traded flight for size

[@BoarhideGaming]

You could absolutely look to modern flightless birds like ostriches, but not for display but for running techniques. They will use their flightless wings to control the air currents around them, like fish do with their fins, something not a single other quick-running, terrestrial animal does, whether hunter or prey. It is, however, rather likely that at least some of the early winged bipedal dinosaurs would have used similar techniques. Interesting to note is that, despite having a similar body plan and general appearance, the quick hunters of the late Cretaceous and modern ostriches essentially a case of convergent evolution, despite being directly related. The only dinosaurs that survived the KT Massextinction were small, avian ones, who became todays birds. So flightless dinosaurs turned into avian birds turned back into flightless birds - due to favorable conditions. I love things like that

[@malnutritionboy]

Alyenbird peacock

[@DM-ql6ps]

I've seen my chickens do these kind of things. Its a bit surprising how high up into trees and on top of buildings they can get if they want to. They technically can't fly but they use their wings to assist in jumping and running up steep slopes to get where they want to go.

[@Vulpio7775]

Dorothy Menefee I’ve seen crows do it while climbing a palm tree.

[@enzolong9085]

Dorothy Menefee great example

[@elijahking1801]

pokenei when did anyone claim that chickens can fly?

[@LittleRainGames]

Eventually they will probably fly

[@JiveDadson]

My neighbor's chickens used to climb over the fence into my back yard, whereupon my two cute little doggies would go full Paleogene on their illums.

[@jasonheartthe4rth335]

That falcon at the end is absolutely amazed about this video.

[@grizzlymanverneteil4443]

Mind=Blown

[@cashel1111]

ahah that made me laugh yo, not that you have to believe me, this is anecdotal at best but i think from his breathing and the way he is sitting that he is 'mantling'. i think he just caught some food (or more likely his trainers lure) and had had a hard chase this time, his body is in overdrive cooling his systems with 3 breaths at once (one going in, one going out, one getting processed) while he instinctively looks around him to safeguard his meal and you thought evolving just a set of wings was hard :D

[@alkaholic4848]

8-O

[@RingRoadSessions]

LOL. That is one of those jokes that takes a second cause it was something you didn't really pay attention to until it was mentioned

[@TalkBeliefs]

Absolutely fascinating and great work. Beautiful animation by Stated Clearly.

[@christianlouiebalicante3901]

Talk Beliefs looks like the credits weren't "stated clearly"

[@leadersofthenewschool]

i LOVE stated clearly. one of the best educational youtube channels out there

[@snowman9555]

Except, this has been established for years. Maybe they can do an experiment next to prove boats can float on water.

[@QuartuvLarry]

This was brilliant! Love this video! The mystery of flighted wings! Darwin is saved to theorize another day! Praise Jesus!

[@faithtruth8036]

please show something that is a half wing or half scale or stop theses just so stories.

[@reuireuiop0]

"They cheated" That's exactly what those first fooled predators must've thought

[@AnkurLEGUM]

😂

[@derekbryceson7080]

Protection - Display - wall climbing - parachute - hanglider - flight. That's the simplified version of feather evolution.

[@shawnwales696]

Derek Bryceson You forgot insulation.

[@magiv4205]

Shawn Wales i think that goes under protection

[@bombtwenty3867]

That doesn't really explain stage 1, losing their forelimbs for propulsion. They could display with head or tail, feathers. Why would they loose a survival advantage in the first place?

[@Epicvampire800]

evolution is accidental. the first psuedo-wings were probably mutated forelimbs that didn't provide enough of a disadvantage to the dinosaurs to warrant their deaths. overtime these features became more and more pronounced until they were able to do things the original forelimbs couldn't and thus finally able to fulfill a niche so they didn't need the original forelimbs anymore.

[@bobdolesrevenge]

Bomb Twenty, the bipedal motion displayed by dinosaurs and birds occurred around 246 million years ago, when certain populations of archosaurs developed into the Clade known as Avemetatarsalia. This group, which eventually included pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and birds, developed a unique ankle which allowed for greater mobility. This, combined with a long tail for balance, allowed some Avemetatarsalians to efficiently stand and run on just their hind legs, freeing up their front limbs for grasping or additional balance, among other things. As time and selective pressure went on, eventually some of their descendants' forelimbs further developed into wings.

[@BFDT-4]

in nature, it's the survival long enough to successfully reproduce that counts. Not, the fittEST, just fit enough.

[@Ashingda]

survival of the fittest doesn't mean about our modern concept of health and fitness, it's about fitting into the environment such as a cactus fits with a dessert whereas a pine tree will just die.

[@southernsal3113]

Ja, whoever came up with that, didn't actually have a clue of what it takes to "survive". It's the population, not the individual itself.

[@michaelanderson7715]

@@Ashingda PhD zoologist here... Not only did you misunderstand the OP, your 'correction' is also wrong, fitness in the modern meaning regards reproductive success rates, not 'fitting into the environment'. And you won't find a cactus in your ice cream, either.

[@michaelanderson7715]

@@southernsal3113 ? Individuals need to survive to reproduce to perpetuate a population!

[@amacuro]

When I saw that animation with the winged dinosaur clinging from the tree to hunt I was absolutely mind blown! It makes absolute perfect sense, you are a genius

[@K.S.Khunkhao]

Incredible discovery. Incredible explanation. Incredible video. Nice work! :)

[@BLKBRDSR71]

Video title: The Origin of Flight Talks about birds Insects: ARE WE A JOKE TO YOU?

[@mikebe41]

and thus...the origins of spicey buffalo wings

[@ChuckCreagerJr]

Don't you need to evolve hot sauce as well?

[@Owyourhurtingme]

Hardy har har

[@n-wordjim1724]

Buffalo don't have wings mate.

[@MegaWarlus]

The origin of spiceys.

[@stalebread2997]

Yes they do.... I am a fish, so believe me.

[@deeelmore4560]

vertical? you mean BIRDical *gets stabbed*

[@rafaellucas5107]

Evolution is so amazing! Thank you for this work!

[@FoxyDrew]

@Armondo Cortez ignorance is bliss I envy you

[@b1aflatoxin]

This is one of those observations that just click in your head. Seems so obvious and intuitive, only after someone makes the discovery. Beautiful.

[@zetahoven4556]

This makes a lot of sense. Theropods typically had very strong legs and claws and often faced predation especially cannibalism. Most trees at the time were also extremely tall and any dinosaur big enough to reach was most likely not interest in tiny meat. Perhaps because of this smaller theropods retained this escape capability and through natural selection became smaller and more adept at flight.

[@Unique_Monk]

It makes sense ? They had strong legs ? You know this how ?? 😂

[@Reverendshot777]

​@@Unique_MonkFossil evidence.

[@Ceres4S2D1]

Your ignorance does not deny science, ​@@Unique_Monk

[@delmccormack7001]

Great video. I am impressed. I thought that same idea when I was around 8 years old. I'm 44 now.

[@DarthCaedus7]

Fantastic evolution content. Keep up the good work.

[@MylotheZooLovingScientist]

Biointeractive’s videos are endlessly fascinating.

[@southernsal3113]

I'm always late, but, this is awesome, and interesting. I'm noticing some interesting traits and characteristics in the birds in my area, and I'm enjoying watching them. Thanks for this.

[@biointeractive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@footfault1941]

A dilemma of incipient stages cleared beautifully. Darwin would convincingly be happy. Evolution might never be straightforward, but only after turns & twists. Thrilling!

[@andreisabe]

The beauty of evolution. Great video!

[@zegh8578]

Wing feathers have been used by theropods to cover nests and hatchlings, protecting them from the environment. Focusing too hard on the flight-aspect is risky, because it forces evolution to become "goal oriented". Dinosaurs didn't evolve wings "so that one day they might fly", but for reasons relevant there and then: Insulation, protection, display, covering

[@ABaumstumpf]

we now that. But from the point of warming the nest to being able to fully fly is a long way and we want to know why they evolved past that. And this is an explanation that might be one of the reasons for that.

[@JoBikotch]

This might be a small first step, but if they were used for coverage and protection of hatchlings only, the further evolution brings up some questions. Why should they evolve their limbs in a way that really only helps you when sitting in your nest, while losing the ability to do actual useful stuff? For pure protection these wings wouldn't have evolved to be highly precise limbs for movement on ground and later up in the air.

[@annoyed707]

Good points. If you don't escape, you don't get a chance to warm a nest.

[@WeAreSoPredictable]

I agree with the principle of not letting building a hypothesis and then trying to prove it with the goal of concluding it is the most valid hypothesis. But in this case, as ABaumstumpf said, this was focussed on establishing what bridged the gap between simple, feathered limbs and flight-capable wings. JoBikotch makes a good point, and shows precisely how evolution, not being goal-oriented, must be looked at from a functional viewpoint at each stage. If the function and value of preliminary wings had remained simply insulation, protection, display, and covering, then they would not have led to wings as we know it, but rather limbs that were better and better able to protect, insulate, display, and cover. The fact that they didn't is what drives inquiries like this. Studies like this are generally fine. It's the _media representations_ of such studies, which often spin the narratives to sound like the findings represent some leap forward in understanding, and the next chapter in the theoretical model, which ultimately causes most of the problems. Science is full of qualified statements and degrees of certainty that the media doesn't embrace. And, unfortunately, that just primes the unscientific masses to think scientists are a bunch of know-nothings who aren't sure of anything when they actually, finally get to hear a scientist explain things _their way._ :(

[@scottk1525]

YEEEESSSSSS!!!!! I've been wanting to know the answer to this for years. Thank you. Bravo.

[@swampertdeck]

Very Interesting. Ever since I was a kid I found the "now they can glide from trees" advantage a bit to weak of a survival skill for such a big evoluntionary change. Understanding this added advantage makes a lot of sense.

[@lucaslin7890]

Okay but that owl flying is the cutest thing ever

[@sabin97]

my parents have free range chickens. they sleep up a tree. there are some hens with chicks. once the chicks start getting feathers(they have almost like hair when they hatch) the hen clibs up the tree(they all do it by flying) and the chicks try to climb with their feet and wings. but when they are still little they never quite make it to the tree, so the hen takes them elsewhere to sleep. after they grow some more they are finally able to climb, and eventually fly to the tree. always the same tree, as the sun is going down. chicken can fly a very short distance, maybe 5-8 meters vertically......and then they kinda glide down.....it's like a really high jump...assisted with wings....

[@poppedweasel]

Considering the small size of Archeopteryx, the progenitor of birds were likely small and arborial. Not like the Deinonychus shown running at the beginning of the video and implied in the narration. Sugar gliders and flying squirrels are a good example of how a non flying animal can evolve into a flying one. Early therapod fliers had not yet developed the breast bone and flight muscles to perform the ways shown in these examples. Using a grouse that already has these developments sours the experiment. It makes far more sense that wings first evolved as a gliding instrument and evolved to flap with stronger and stronger beats as the mechanics and biology of flight was honed over time.

[@jamesreinke4721]

maybe this is how they developed breast bones to become more effective at running up inclinded surfaces

[@gn3441]

The fact that there is a instinct to climb running helped by its wings is very compelling.

[@MrStensnask]

Flapping their feathered forelimbs fast enough to assist them would still be entirely possible without the large musculature of today's birds. The larger musculature was developed for sustained flight, not just assisting in climbing. I think the experiment is highly valid despite using a modern theropod (i.e. bird)

[@zimautanimation]

yes its more make sense they develop breast bone this way than just gliding, since glide dont require flaping at all

[@DogFoxHybrid]

Baby birds don't have well-developed flight muscles yet either.

[@timeloop13]

Blown away, this makes me think this was absolutely the case. So simple yet so effective. Love seeing discovery like this. Great work!

[@biointeractive]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Karagianis]

I've heard of this before, it's known as WAIR (wing assisted incline running). Sounds like a pretty good explination to me for how wings may have been used before becoming flight capable. It was probably of use to adults of smaller species theropods too, not just young, as the smaller theropods were predators but also prey for larger species.

[@naverilllang]

Wow, a very insightful video. I feel like i learned something every minute of it.

[@swarupkumar2]

so you saying you can fly now???

[@KknownUnkknown]

4:01 should be a meme

[@randomisedrandomness]

i was about to write "4:00 u wot m8"

[@bettya.k.abetty8259]

When you're engaged in arguing and the other person mutters something under their breath

[@MRTN13]

"What a fascinating story, please tell us more" Fits.

[@professorhal8098]

"Just walked. No wing necessary." hmmm ideas, ideas... "Just passed a test. No studying necessary." "Just beat the final boss. No saving progress beforehand necessary." "Just beat hunger games. No berries necessary."

[@Oxxyjoe]

When you are overqualified for what they want from you

[@oacho3]

Ken is an absolute #1 in the field. Please make more videos like this.

[@marvinm.7634]

so instead of lifting them in the air, the wings are used like spoilers in a car, creating downforce and therefore more grip :D

[@MrtinVarela]

*car's rear wing. If it's meant for downforce, it's not spoiler. But your point is valid nonetheless.

[@AngelEmfrbl]

I know this is 3 years later, but yeah... Any advantage is a advantage no matter how small.

[@yseson_]

That is the exact behavior of the Hoatzin in South America these birds retain claws on their wings for climbing and their young use the climb/glide method for defense when their parents are flying off to forage for food

[@WhoElseButZane]

irreducible complexity by its very definition is a failure to understand the simple fact that before it was used for flight it was used for something else. like duh.

[@garsayfsomali]

have your views changed since?

[@LysolPionex]

The little baby therapod is adorable!

[@grendel8342]

birds are still a type of theropod dinosaur

[@surfDaddy]

No. They have similarities, but there is no evidence at all that dinosaur physiology was in an way similar to that of birds, other than egg - laying. What about respiratory organs? Birds appear to be unrelated to dinosaurs in that department. The theory is a laughing joke. It is not theory but a ludicrous hypothesis. See my main post today.

[@JadeElf]

Actually thats incorrect. dinosaurs did have a avian respiratory system including a 4 chambered heart, hollow bones, and air sacs. it's because of their very efficient respiratory system that dinosaurs were able to get so large. none of this is new news either.

[@mikezeitgeist2]

Ya; and all animals with back bones are just different types of fish.

[@rongpirson5250]

warm blood, feathers, three main toes and one small one, wishbones, hollow bones, and eggs are all features of birds and other maniraptors such as dromeasaurs and troodontids

[@dustinheese]

Absolutely. Birds are dinosaurs.

[@LuistrAmalgo]

I have wondered this for such a long time! Thanks for your amazing work.

[@absolutebloodyunit7269]

+Lindsey Esparza the avian dinosaurs probably became smaller to escape the kt extinction also a larger animal would have to use more energy to flap/fly

[@Antuan444]

haytham Messaoudi No, the avian dinosaurs survived because they were small, they did not have the time to evolve into smaller species, the K/T extinction was a very fast process.

[@MattGarZero]

Birds came about in the Jurassic.

[@shawnwales696]

haytham Messaoudi Don't forget the inverse square law.

[@brainer4194]

Yo that juvenile theropod at 7:13 was the cutest thing i've ever seen

[@messyng4561]

Astounding work! I'm subscribing

[@bryangabbard2469]

It has been a long time since I've seen something truly interesting. Thank you.

[@boreopithecus]

The tree down/glider hypothesis seems a lot more plausible. We see it in tree-living mammals, and we have found winged dinosaurs that were gliders.

[@seamuscallaghan8851]

That more likely occurred at a later stage in the evolution of true flight

[@enzolong9085]

I disagree the evolution of the wing itself is probably more likely due to the final theory small wings evidently serve little purpose for gliding

[@sofialaya596]

it could be both why not!

[@pedrogomezid]

But small wings are infinitely more useful for climbing and pretty much useless for gliding.

[@JoBikotch]

The problem is: To really make us of gliding, these animals would have to get up an elevation in the first place. So I assume that given the size of many of those bird predecessors could've never really used them for gliding. Maybe to lengthen a jump or something, but surely not for real gliding. Them evolving wings to get up on stuff and then others evolving wings to glide down stuff seems much more likely.

[@embryophytelove]

I love the passion these scientists show for there research.

[@hellboy7424]

So ... velociraptor claw was not for hunting , was for climbing .

[@Morrigi192]

Why not both?

[@germanvisitor2]

Everything has only one purpose. Like you have one leg for walking and one for jumping.

[@stevetennispro]

@@germanvisitor2 I love that reasoning! He obviously does not have 'a leg to stand on' now! ;)

[@helios7170]

My friend and I were discussing this recently. Thanks for the awesome info!

[@aniekanumoren6088]

I READ THIS STORY IN THE SAT!!!!!!!!! It was so interesting, it made me waste time on it and fail the practice test lol

[@lexedmonds9075]

I always figured it was to steer them in mid air when leaping onto prey. Neat. Congratulations on your research.

[@mexicancartel4333]

I'm gonna show this to my dad because my dad was convinced that God created everything and evolution is a hoax he doesn't understand how wings evolved for eyes or complicated organs

[@joshuahinds6746]

why does it matter if he believes in god

[@CJCroen1393]

+anjo the banjo Well, you can believe in god and still accept evolution as a fact. A lot of prominent people do, including some scientists (Robert T. Bakker, one of the most famous paleontologists out there and a well-known proponent of birds being dinosaurs, is one such example).

[@shawnwales696]

Mexican cartel ! I strongly recommend "Why Evolution is True" by J Coyne, it does an excellent job of explaining the evidence supporting Evolution. Also, Neil Shubin's "Your Inner Fish" that explains the transition from fish to tetropods.

[@rp338]

I would recommend the book “endless forms most beautiful “ to explain how complex organs like eyes can evolve. Many structures have evolved independently in unrelated species.

[@SC-zq6cu]

If he has made up his mind about evolution being a hoax then don't bother.

[@jimjimsauce]

Excellently amazing video. You really do learn something new every day, and it makes so much sense as well! The creators of this video did a great job, and really inspired me to inflect on the topic(:

[@DivineBanana]

Seems like a sound theory. You should create some sort of experiment or study and submit it for peer review if you have not already. Have you heard of the Raptor Prey Restraint model? (journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0028964) It is another explanation for the evolution of flight. It seems plausible that the vertical climbing would be useful for adolescents, when escaping predators is a necessary survival skill and Raptor Prey Restraint is more useful as a hunting, feeding, adult. Perhaps the truth here is some combination of both?

[@DivineBanana]

The research I linked says "that basal paravians exhibited a range of flapping behaviours unrelated to flight." and even calls for "Further investigation ... into other flapping behaviours that do not involve flight, including stability flapping executed outside of a predatory role."

[@Thedamped]

scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=Dial+flight&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C37&as_sdtp=

[@trevorh6438]

Yes, it does seem to sound very much like a theory. Just like Evolution. Now show me all the experiments that prove Macroevolution actually happens.

[@paulmag91]

There's probably thousands of experiments about evolution. Do some searching yourself in a scientific archive if you want to see more.

[@anxez]

Well my friend, if you have troubles seeing how small changes slowly add up to large changes, perhaps you should try living a couple million years. Or you know, finding journals from humans a couple million years old that have been meticulously updated every few generations.

[@MrPelafio]

What an interesting hypothesis and how enjoyable must it be to form and prove a never-seen-before one!

[@BambaZillah]

amazing work!

[@luciacriscuolo9379]

This is just so amazing. I asked myself why would feathers become a feature in evolution.

[@germanvisitor2]

Oh feathers came a lot earlier into the game and were used like hair for managing body heat.

[@mvsawyer]

Science will always find the answer to the irreducible complexity argument. Richard Dawkins gives a lecture in early 90's that demonstrates how "half a wing" could be beneficial in tree species by slowing down an animal upon falling. He used xmas ornaments and a paper "wing"

[@dzimbeck]

that's nice now find a species with half a wing, what a joke

[@mercantilistwhomper5180]

Creatures that can glide, like squirrels, lizards? Partially flightless birds use this today, like chickens, booby's, and the chicks of conventional flying species like they just showed. It's a survival tactic for escaping predators on the ground like wolves

[@liberalbias4462]

Fake news.

[@OriginalOmgCow]

dzimbeck You are a joke. If we kept reducing the argument to "find me the middle ground of every single evolutionary leap" we'd be sitting up to our knees in useless arguments. We have proven slow changes via dated fossil records, proven the theory of evolution in fruit flies, proven it via causal experiments on computers, selective breeding of dogs and hundreds of thousands of other such tests. What else do you need???

[@Fairfax40DaysforLife]

I'm pretty sure most of the things you listed haven't actually been proven at all.

[@jemmapellemma8185]

Absolutely excellent! Fantastic footage. Thank you!

[@fCauneau]

It's a small step for a chick, but a great step for the humankind. Thanks for sharing with us this important moment in Science !

[@ct1762]

Fascinating... but on the vertical test, the quail is clearly not SOLEY using its wings to push itself on the log for grip. It's also flying to some degree, but does still present a strong argument for why half-wings are advantageous to none at all.

[@chingizzhylkybayev8575]

"How flight evolved" - you mean how flight in birds evolved. Insects had been flying for hundreds of millions of years by then.

[@germanvisitor2]

And pterosaurs.

[@lolsurprise7185]

And cows? Jk

[@blorkpovud1576]

@@lolsurprise7185 I thought it was pigs?

[@johndredge8330]

It's fascinating how we can see several options for evolutionary paths, and the continuation of change all around us today. Ostriches evolving where there were not as many trees, were forced to survive by virtue of longer legs, necks, and claws. Finch beaks diversifying from island to island based on what is most helpful for obtaining local food (the most famous example). Lizards that didn't go the feathered route at all, but instead developed tougher skin or stronger jaws. Life is amazing.

[@thedubstepaddict3675]

this was beautiful

[@a-bird-lover]

I also like the idea that wings were useful on older theropods as well, but instead as aerodynamic "rudders" (for lack of a better word) that would help them turn more quickly to catch prey or escape. This purpose for wings, along with display, is used by modern day ostriches.

[@jackbaylis2849]

so, basically, as theropods became smaller in order to survive, they used their "half-wings" as a way to escape predators?

[@flygawnebardoflight]

the theory in the video states that while they WERE smaller the half-wings were more useful. As to why birds are so small I can only assume theropods became smaller as a species in general to climb higher on the tree to escape more nimble predators or/and to consume less oxygen (like bugs).

[@samrizzardi2213]

Assuming all theropods were big?

[@elonbaartar9468]

I am very appreciative that I stand educated by this video, fascinating work and well done sir!

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

Insects where flying long before dinosaurs where even a thing

[@asdfghjklzxcvbnm6874]

*were

[@risingmagpie9199]

insect illuminati Get shrekt Evolve the fly from arms is for boy. Evolve the fly from the gills is for man.

[@FrancisR420]

I wish dragonflies would get off their high horse

[@mybackhurts7020]

I was thinking the same thing

[@fitnessandnutritionharshit1897]

insects have different structual bodies than birds .

[@SavedFromJesus]

Great demonstration and research. If these early wing structures could help a creature run up steep angles it could even help for running on ground. Attacking prey or fleeing predators.

[@IcarusCAE]

I knew Walter White didn't die!!

[@pdoylemi]

Excellent work! Yet another possible, and dare I say likely, answer to the question!

[@mrnickbig1]

Ground up is a very stupid idea. Early birds clearly evolved from small gliding arboreal dinosaurs. Many features of maniraptors CLEARLY are adaptions for climbing. The long clawed hands, the ability to splay the legs, the terrible claw on the inside of the foot, the very flexible neck, which allowed a high degree of head rotation, et cetera, are all examples that are still found on contemporary climbing animals, like squirrels.

[@sofialaya596]

so this is nothing new and that little wings are just help to climb the trees and jump between branches?

[@TheBloodyloon]

mrnickbig1 giant feathered death squirrels

[@unclekanethetiberiummain1994]

Arboreal theropods *diverge* from terrestial theropods. You are looking at the wrong point of evolution and not getting the message.

[@RainCheck797]

Well...he has a video and you are just in the comments, so whose idea is really more stupid? 😏

[@pedrogomezid]

Gliding animals are specialized for gliding and their anatomy is useless for flying, so no

[@seanlewis3381]

First thought is what a cheeky question to ask Darwin. But honestly its a great question to be asked and I wasn't expecting the answer. Before watching this video I could not think of a use for half a wing.

[@xXsakkelaoXx]

In nature it's often survival of the luckiest, not the fittest.

[@andone01red]

There is no sure way to tell luck and fitness apart though

[@maxjohn6012]

Random assortment during meioisis means that luck contributes to fitness!

[@MrStensnask]

There is no such thing as luck. There is only being shaped - both physically and genetically - in such a way that you are the most adaptable. That is why species survive and thrive. Because they are adaptable. If they aren't they wont be around for more than a couple of million years.

[@maximsavage]

The fittest doesn't mean the strongest, it means the most adapted to their environment. Adaptation to environment occurs over generations through genetic mutations, and changes in the environment will favor different adaptations.

[@CMDKeenCZ]

Statistically, luck averages out. You can roll a six-sided die ten times and get a 6 every time, but over a million rolls the average will come close to 3. Similarly the survival of an individual animal may be decided by luck, but the entire population's fate will be decided by its fitness.

[@djdeertz5450]

Not to mention the atmosphere was much more dense millions of years ago at one point being 8 atmospheres of pressure. Meaning the smaller wings would be even more effective than they are today.

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

By the time of the dinosaurs? I don't think so. How do you get this from?

[@peeblekitty5780]

Here I go, into the comments, bracing myself for complaints of "pigeon abuse"

[@TheOneLichemperor]

Okay - so long as it doesn't converge with the fortnightly Chav and Delinquent hunts!

[@michellemah2758]

What species are those young birds in the clip from 2:09-2:29? They look like some sort of eagle?

[@biointeractive]

I think they are hawks--we licensed some footage from this Cornell piece: vimeo.com/130351619

[@michellemah2758]

biointeractive Thank you!

[@ewan80]

Hasn't the guy that asked Darwin that question seen a chicken? They can't fly, so what's with the wings?

[@arit8009]

I think the wild ones could fly, but the domestic ones are too heavy because they are obese little guys, or maybe they were ground dwelling before? Chickens are tasty at least.

[@jordanlink7020]

Kara Smith amen.

[@LuisAldamiz]

Fowl can fly but limitedly so: they're basically land animals with the ability for short flights to climb up to safety.

[@FrancisR420]

I assume they could fly better at some point in their lineage considering they do have fully developed wings And chickens in industrial Farms can hardly walk with how they've been bred

[@charlesmccoy3519]

Chicken DO fly and fly very well, even long distance.

[@jonathanhoughton7588]

So good, thank you! I'm an academic myself on the marine side of things but found this video following a question from my eight year old daughter who just found out she has dyslexia. Out of the blue she asked me 'Dad, I get how birds fly....but my question is, why do they fly? They have legs like a lot of other animals so why did they need this extra 'skill'?' I had a stab at the answer but quickly realised my own limitations on the subject. We absolutely loved your ideas and enthusiasm so I wanted to say thanks (as a dad and a scientist) for sharing your research...very cool!

[@ITI-xi5zx]

...lol

[@RaptorJesus.]

i'm disappointed with the lack of entertaining religious comments, where you at creationists? i need a laugh! XD

[@Dorian_sapiens]

They're all over, just take another look around.

[@blorkpovud1576]

I've had enough of them. I'm glad if they aren't around.

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

Check the subcomments.😎

[@FreedomTalkMedia]

Lots of gliding animals don't even glide to the ground. I just watched a video of a lizard that was being chased by a snake. It jumped from the tree it was in and glided about 100 feet to another tree nearby. I suspect flight has evolved several times in several ways.

[@danijelaivezic453]

only 781 likes?

[@colinp2238]

A very interesting study.

[@Ping0479]

Yeah and how dragonfly has a wing?

[@ryhisner]

Thermal regulation. I'm really surprised they didn't mention this hypothesis in the video.

[@pauldeddens5349]

aquatic juveniles is almost always due to past aquatic nature, eggs are essentially just lumps with ocean in it, so animals didnt have to lay eggs in the water as for wings, id assume it was part of a gill like structure, or antennae, although if that is the case it does make me wonder why there arent species of tiny flying crabs

[@mercantilistwhomper5180]

Different beast altogether. Birds and insects evolved wings separately, and the way they function are completely different. If you're truly curious, look up your question and try to find the answer

[@ReelBigC]

this is the coolest youtube video ive seen in months

[@ghostgutarist5234]

Evolution is a myth, Noah gave birth to dinos actually.

[@biointeractive]

That must have hurt.

[@AwesomeYena]

Gave birth to birds?! What the heck!

[@Garrettviolaisverycool]

ridiculously interesting, thx for the video!!

[@biointeractive]

Glad you liked it!

[@kingdom9623]

I guess Ostriches and Penguins are still evolving.

[@brianmonks8657]

all living things are still evolving.

[@craigmccullough7333]

Ostriches and penguin ancestors could "fly". But the prototype ostrich and the prototype penguin found an ecological niche on which the ability to fly was not required or a hindrance and retaining the unused ability was a waste of much needed resources. So the flying wings have been "diverted" to more useful activities.

[@RefreshinglyMyself]

Penguins use their wings as flippers to swim

[@nicosmind3]

Although penguins don't fly in the air they've adapted to "fly" or swim under water really fast. If they were still able to fly in the air then perhaps they would have gone instinct. Not able to catch enough fish or out run predators. But since they adapted they were able to tap an abundant food source which allowed them to live places no other animals could live, and that dramatically reduced competition from other animals too. So good job they lost the ability. Oh and maybe the common ancestor of flying penguins and regular penguins still exist out there. Like a pelican or something similar. It flies, it fishes, etc.

[@smartart3097]

KINGDOM omg...if an ostrich could fly now I would be in complete terror! It’s already scary when the chase you at 45mph 😂

[@ericvigen]

Very informative documentary. Thanks for uploading.

[@MrOhWhatTheHeck]

But even this requires a fairly highly developed set of wings. Unless you believe that these 'half-wings' were evolved in a single mutation, the question still hasn't been answered.

[@ginokwick6057]

Prey needs only a slightly higher developed set of wings than that of the predator. Not a "fairly highly developed set of wings". It is an arms race. Can you imagine that?

[@MrOhWhatTheHeck]

My point is that it isn't sufficient to show that a half-wing is useful: You also need to demonstrate that a quarter-wing, an eighth-wing, a 16th-wing etc.provide enough of an advantage to explain them being passed on to the next generation through natural selection.

[@ginokwick6057]

Sure. A quarter-wing is better than an eighth of a wing. It is an arms race. starting at zero wing. Can you imagine that?

[@seamuscallaghan8851]

I was in a wind storm today. I was almost able to get lift with just my arms and jacket.

[@johnsontan345]

The thing is, these dinosaurs already had the feathers needed to assist in climbing as they were used for warmth or perhaps for display in mating. flapping their feathered arms would've provided some kind of assistance, and the minute changes would've built up over generations.

[@john.roseboro]

why is there no fossil record of a half wing, or rather thousands of halfwings? or how about the fossils of species becoming different species.. that's a lot of missing links..

[@tgstudio85]

How do you know there aren't?

[@christopherparks4342]

John Roseboro Archaeopteryx is a feathered forelimb. Thats a half wing for ya.

[@davidjozsefferenczi826]

I still don't get it ... an animal trying to reach higher areas (getting a bugs or escaping predators), why is evolution focusing on turning their claws/arms/finns into wings instead of boosting their Jumping muscles? Every creature that can fly, starts with a jump... unevolved creatures without wings, are jumping a lot. Why not evolving into a Kangoroo-like creature instead of their arms transforming into wings? Imagine humans catching butterflies for generations : jumping around flapping their arms. I'm pretty sure we would have ultimate leg muscles after many generations and evolving instead of getting wings.

[@seamuscallaghan8851]

The basic feathers were already there to work with. Plus, flapping your way up a log gets you farther with less than trying to precisely jump all the way up to a branch, so it allows for more fitness in the intermediates. At least, that's my speculation.

[@xibucksgrindset6379]

I know it's been a month but I would like to tell you that this isn't how evolution works, if Humans would catch butterflies for 100 generations it wouldnt change anything. It only changes something if an aquired trait boost our reproductive fitness, which in itself is rather redundant in modern society since almost everyone has the chance to reproduce. Read up on natural selection and reproductive fitness - Evolution doesn't "focus" on something, it sorts out depending on who is capable of surviving and who isn't.

[@trevorphillips3075]

Shenox 17 100 generations is nothing. Evolution takes millions of years.

[@LuisAldamiz]

Nobody said that evolution did not enhance their jumping muscles as well, actually birds do jump to kickstart the flight (else nothing happens or they need a cliff to jump from as albatrosses do), but guess that's not enough except for tiny animals like fleas: if you want to get high enough wile weighting it seems you need to fly or climb. Similarly we humans have developed airplanes, rockets and lifters but so far no technology relies on "jumping" or springs alone: not efficient enough.

[@FrancisR420]

There are no unevolved creatures every animal has evolved for same amount of time and all are equally suited to their environments

[@NardiPaffon]

Amazing. Thank you so much for publishing this

[@biointeractive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Nellsus]

Really neat video! But for flying mammals such as bats, did they evolve from something like a flying squirrel gliding from tree to tree, or was it similar to the way birds evolved?

[@goneviral8814]

Amazing research

[@Zoutsteen]

I tried to google "bird wing shade" and "peacock tail" and "victoria's riflebird" and "widowbirds" ... so many half wing uses. that are useful for attracting mates or finding food.

[@mikeelektra]

That is wright! As million of years have passed, among terapodes, the ones mutant with larger portion of their arms covered with feathers, were more successfull both to scape from enemies as well as to hunt their preys at higher altitude obstacles, until they started to fly.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

biointeractive - Question: Is the argument at ~7:10 that the little wings were incapable of conferring a selective advantage to adult animals-and, if so, is that because they were proportionally too small, or for some other reason?

[@biointeractive]

I believe that your interpretation is correct... the wings helped the immature theropods more so than the adults. Ken Dial makes the argument that the adult legs were sufficient to help against predators.

[@Halophage]

One could argue that they would also be "showy" for reproductive purposes. Bigger wings in this case would mean the offspring would be more likely to survive, so theropods with bigger wings would be more attractive.

[@saintvictorie]

Great observation and video. Makes so much sense.

[@buithach4084]

Great find. Nice!

[@alkismavridis1]

Birds are such AWESOME creatures! Thanks for the video...

[@little_isalina]

I've always wondered, aren't these small wings also useful in running on the ground? Perticularly i'm thinking about dromaeosaurids which are also known to have a fan of tailfeathers. I would think they could use their wings and tails to adjust their direction while running. That would help them hunt small and fast animals that don't have as much mass to redirect and can therefore turn very sharply and suddenly.

[@travelers8607]

I remember reading about your research in a GED or SAT training book. :D

[@hermanlai6035]

Yeah I read about it in one of the sat past papers lmao