Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”?
Despite the long-time history of studies of origin and early evolution of the birds, some issues remain open. One of them is the evolutional reasons for the hallux reversion in the bird foot. Some functional sequences of such hallux orientation and its possible importance in evolution of birds are s...
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Інститут зоології ім. І.І. Шмальгаузена НАН України
2007
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| Cite this: | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? / A.I. Bogdanovich // Вестник зоологии. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 3. — С. 283–284. — Бібліогр.: 14 назв. — англ |
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Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine| _version_ | 1860083208153989120 |
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| author | Bogdanovich, A.I. |
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| citation_txt | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? / A.I. Bogdanovich // Вестник зоологии. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 3. — С. 283–284. — Бібліогр.: 14 назв. — англ |
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| description | Despite the long-time history of studies of origin and early evolution of the birds, some issues remain open. One of them is the evolutional reasons for the hallux reversion in the bird foot. Some functional sequences of such hallux orientation and its possible importance in evolution of birds are shown. In our opinion, the functional universalism of the anisodactyl foot with well-developed, low placed and opposable hallux allows to unit, in certain sense, the theories of “arboreal” and “terrestrial” origin of birds and flight.
Несмотря на многолетнюю историю изучения происхождения и ранней эволюции птиц, некоторые вопросы остаются не вполне понятными. Один из них касается эволюционного смысла разворота первого пальца стопы. Мы попытались показать некоторые последствия такой ориентации hallux и их возможное значение в эволюции класса. Функциональный универсализм анизодактильной стопы с хорошо развитым, низко расположенным и противопоставленным первым пальцем позволяет, на наш взгляд, в определенном смысле обьединить «наземную» и «древесную» теории происхождения птиц и полета.
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| first_indexed | 2025-12-07T17:17:51Z |
| format | Article |
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UDC 598.2:636.01+591.47
ONCE MORE ABOUT ORIGIN OF BIRDS AND FLIGHT:
“CURSORIAL” OR “ARBOREAL”?
A. I. Bogdanovich
Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine,
Bogdan Chmielnicky str., 15, Kyiv, 01601 Ukraine
Accepted 1 March 2007
Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? Bogdanovich I. A. — Despite
the long-time history of studies of origin and early evolution of the birds, some issues remain open.
One of them is the evolutional reasons for the hallux reversion in the bird foot. Some functional
sequences of such hallux orientation and its possible importance in evolution of birds are shown. In our
opinion, the functional universalism of the anisodactyl foot with well-developed, low placed and
opposable hallux allows to unit, in certain sense, the theories of “arboreal” and “terrestrial” origin of
birds and flight.
Ke y wo r d s: birds, flight, evolution.
Åùå ðàç î ïðîèñõîæäåíèè ïòèö è ïîëåòà: «íàçåìíîå» èëè «äðåâåñíîå»? Áîãäàíîâè÷ È. À. —
Íåñìîòðÿ íà ìíîãîëåòíþþ èñòîðèþ èçó÷åíèÿ ïðîèñõîæäåíèÿ è ðàííåé ýâîëþöèè ïòèö,
íåêîòîðûå âîïðîñû îñòàþòñÿ íå âïîëíå ïîíÿòíûìè. Îäèí èç íèõ êàñàåòñÿ ýâîëþöèîííîãî
ñìûñëà ðàçâîðîòà ïåðâîãî ïàëüöà ñòîïû. Ìû ïîïûòàëèñü ïîêàçàòü íåêîòîðûå ïîñëåäñòâèÿ
òàêîé îðèåíòàöèè hallux è èõ âîçìîæíîå çíà÷åíèå â ýâîëþöèè êëàññà. Ôóíêöèîíàëüíûé
óíèâåðñàëèçì àíèçîäàêòèëüíîé ñòîïû ñ õîðîøî ðàçâèòûì, íèçêî ðàñïîëîæåííûì è
ïðîòèâîïîñòàâëåííûì ïåðâûì ïàëüöåì ïîçâîëÿåò, íà íàø âçãëÿä, â îïðåäåëåííîì ñìûñëå
îáüåäèíèòü «íàçåìíóþ» è «äðåâåñíóþ» òåîðèè ïðîèñõîæäåíèÿ ïòèö è ïîëåòà.
Êëþ÷åâûå ñ ëîâ à: ïòèöû, ïîëåò, ýâîëþöèÿ.
A particular question of the general theory of the origin of birds is the formation
and importance of hallux orientation. One of conclusions from recent analyses of mor-
phological and functional patterns of the hallux reversion is that “… more questions
than answers may appear to be present…” (Middleton, 2001: 59).
Finding of Protoavis texensis by S. Chatterjee (1991, 1995) somewhat refreshed a
long-term discussion about origin of birds and bird flight. We consider one of the
important features of Protoavis morphology to be analysed once again in functional and
evolutional aspects with respect to “arboreal” or “cursorial” flight origin. It is the well-
developed and low-placed reversed digit I — anisodactyl foot (Chatterjee, 1995).
The arboreal theory somewhat unified by W. Bock (1965) has been criticized by
J. Ostrom (1979); his own cursorial theory, however, was also criticized then by
L. Martyn (1983). As concerns to the hallux condition, its reversion in birds was
defined as a first adaptation to perching (arboreal habitat) from pamprodactyl foot of
thecodontian ancestors (Bock, Miller, 1959). Similarly, functional sense of such a hal-
lux condition in bipedal ornitischian Hypsilophodon was defined as an adaptation for
arboreal habitat; but later conclusion about lack of its reversion was explained in favour
of cursorial Hypsilophodon adaptation (Galton, 1971). At the same time, we know
recent birds with anisodactyl foot that successfully combines arboreal and terrestrial
locomotion (many of Passeriformes, Cracidae and Megapodiidae of Galliformes and
others).
Vestnik zoologii, 41(3): 283–284, 2007
© A. I. Bogdanovich, 2007
The beginning of hallux reversion we can see for example in Triassic thecodontian
Scleromochlus, where it was displaced aside from others (Woodward, 1907). The com-
pletion of reversion to a fully opposable hallux condition in birds trend (contrary to the
dinosaur lineage) with true anisodactyl foot formation had certain evolutionary impor-
tance. Such a limb was equally adapted to both terrestrial and arboreal locomotion with
perching of branches just by the pelvic limb, not by fore as had supposed earlier
(Martyn, 1983). Besides, the long reversed hallux provided more efficient posterior sup-
port for front-back balancing compared to the long and heavy tail in dinosaurian ances-
tors, while their body centre of gravity had change-over because of transition to per-
manent bipedalism. One of its consequences is the reduction of tail and the other is
emancipation of fore limbs for flapping.
That hypothetical scenario partly dismiss the L. Martyn’s objection against a
bipedal bird ancestor acceptance: “It must be difficult for an obligate biped that can-
not fly to climb vertical trees” (Martyn, 1983: 121); and A. Walker’s objection: “…long
before a purely terrestrial biped had acquired the necessary muscle-power and wing area
for take-off from the ground, it would have become completely inadaptive and at great
risk from predators” (Walker, 1977: 346). Some confirmation of our reasoning is the
ability of Cracidae (Galliformes) — more primitive flying birds — to spring into the
lower branches of a tree and to hop from limb to limb on the branches (Bent, 1932).
It is well known fact of feather acquisition in dinosaurian ancestors (common with
that of birds) without relation with flight (Ostrom, 1979; Mayr, 1960; Xu et al., 1999).
We regard as quite logical the presence of fore limbs flapping moves to assist in arbo-
real locomotion in “protobirds”, as noted above. Especially on the condition of insol-
ubility of the question about real functional reasons of fore limb emancipation, all of
these (including flight) had to be considered only as consequences of such emancipa-
tion (Hutchinson, 2001).
Thus, the functional universalism of the anisodactyl foot with well-developed and
opposable hallux allow, in our opinion, to unit both “arboreal” and “terrestrial” theo-
ries of origin of birds and flight.
Bent A. C. Life histories of North American Gallinaceous Birds. Family Cracidae // U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. —
1932. — 162. — P. 345–352.
Bock W. The role of adaptive mechanisms in the origin of higher levels of organization // Syst. Zool. —
1965. — 14. — P. 272–287.
Bock W. J., Miller W., De W. The scansorial foot of woodpeckers with comments on the evolution of perching
and climbing feet in birds // Amer. Mus. Nov. — 1959. — 1931. — P. 1–45.
Chatterjee S. Cranial anatomy and relationships of a new Triassic bird from Texas // Phil. Trans. R. Soc.
Zon. Biol. Sci. (London). — 1991. — 1256. — P. 277–346.
Chatterjee S. The Triassic bird Protoavis // Archaeopteryx. — 1995. — 13. — P. 15–31.
Galton P. M. Hypsilophodon, the cursorial non-arboreal dinosaur // Nature. — 1971. — 231. — P. 159–161.
Hutchinson J. R., Gatesy S. M. Bipedalism // Encyclopedia of life sciences. — 2001. — P. 1–6.
Martyn L. The origin of birds and of avian flight // Current Ornithology. — New York ; London, 1983. —
V. 1. — P. 105–129
Mayr E. The emergence of evolutionary novelties // The evolution of life. — Chicago : Univ. Chicago press,
1960. — P. 349–380.
Middleton K. M. The morphological basis of hallucal orientation in extant birds // J. Morphol. — 2001. —
250. — P. 51–60.
Ostrom J. H. Bird flight: how did it begin? // Am. Sci. — 1979. — 67. — P. 46–56.
Walker A. D. Evolution of the pelvis in bird and dinosaurs // Problems in Vertebrate Evolution. — London :
Acad. Press, 1977. — P. 319–358.
Woodward A. S. On a new dinosaurian reptile (Scleromochlus taylory nov. gen., sp.) from the Trias of
Lossiemouth. Elgin. // Quart. J. Geol. Soc. London. — 1907. — 63. — P. 140–144.
Xu X., Wang X.-L., Wu X.-C. A dromaeosaurid dinosaur with a filamentous integument from the Yixian
formation of China // Nature (London). — 1999. — 401 (6750). — P. 262–266.
284 A. I. Bogdanovich
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| id | nasplib_isofts_kiev_ua-123456789-65256 |
| institution | Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
| issn | 0084-5604 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-12-07T17:17:51Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| publisher | Інститут зоології ім. І.І. Шмальгаузена НАН України |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | Bogdanovich, A.I. 2014-06-23T13:25:40Z 2014-06-23T13:25:40Z 2007 Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? / A.I. Bogdanovich // Вестник зоологии. — 2007. — Т. 41, № 3. — С. 283–284. — Бібліогр.: 14 назв. — англ 0084-5604 https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/65256 598.2:636.01+591.47 Despite the long-time history of studies of origin and early evolution of the birds, some issues remain open. One of them is the evolutional reasons for the hallux reversion in the bird foot. Some functional sequences of such hallux orientation and its possible importance in evolution of birds are shown. In our opinion, the functional universalism of the anisodactyl foot with well-developed, low placed and opposable hallux allows to unit, in certain sense, the theories of “arboreal” and “terrestrial” origin of birds and flight. Несмотря на многолетнюю историю изучения происхождения и ранней эволюции птиц, некоторые вопросы остаются не вполне понятными. Один из них касается эволюционного смысла разворота первого пальца стопы. Мы попытались показать некоторые последствия такой ориентации hallux и их возможное значение в эволюции класса. Функциональный универсализм анизодактильной стопы с хорошо развитым, низко расположенным и противопоставленным первым пальцем позволяет, на наш взгляд, в определенном смысле обьединить «наземную» и «древесную» теории происхождения птиц и полета. en Інститут зоології ім. І.І. Шмальгаузена НАН України Вестник зоологии Краткие сообщения Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? Еще раз о происхождении птиц и полета: «наземное» или «древесное»? Article published earlier |
| spellingShingle | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? Bogdanovich, A.I. Краткие сообщения |
| title | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? |
| title_alt | Еще раз о происхождении птиц и полета: «наземное» или «древесное»? |
| title_full | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? |
| title_fullStr | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? |
| title_short | Once More About Origin of Birds and Flight: “Cursorial” or “Arboreal”? |
| title_sort | once more about origin of birds and flight: “cursorial” or “arboreal”? |
| topic | Краткие сообщения |
| topic_facet | Краткие сообщения |
| url | https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/65256 |
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