Mystery of the flying pterosaurs is solved

Scientists believe they have solved the mystery surrounding how pterosaurs were once able to rule the skies. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that became extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs. Scientists already knew that pterosaurs had large, diamond-shaped structures at the ends of their tails. These structures, or “vanes”, were made from soft tissue. They stopped pterosaurs’ tails from fluttering like flags in the wind, helping to keep the reptiles stable while they soared through the skies. Scientists knew that for this to work, it was important for these vanes to remain stiff – but they weren’t sure how this was done, until now. A study led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, used a new technique called laser - stimulated fluorescence on the fossils of…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 476

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