Fossil Brain Scans Show Pterosaurs Evolved Flight in a Flash

Fossil brain scans show pterosaurs evolved flight in a flash

Ancient pterosaurs may have taken to the skies far earlier and more explosively than birds, evolving flight at their very origin despite having relatively small brains. Using advanced CT imaging, scientists reconstructed the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and their close relatives, uncovering surprising clues—such as enlarged optic lobes—that hint at a rapid leap into powered flight. Their findings contrast sharply with the slow, stepwise e…

Unlike birds, these dinos evolved to fly in a 'burst'

"Our study shows that pterosaurs evolved flight early on in their existence and that they did so with a smaller brain similar to true non-flying dinosaurs."