Watanabe Explains How the Pterosaurs Flew

NYITCOM Associate Professor of Anatomy Akinobu Watanabe, Ph.D., is quoted in science news outlets Discover magazine and Phys.org about how the brains of pterosaurs, extinct flying reptiles that lived more than 230 million years ago, evolved to support their ability to fly.

The articles discuss new research, co-authored by Watanabe and published in the journal Current Biology, detailing how the scientists digitally reconstructed the brain cavities of more than 36 animals, including pterosaurs and their closest non-flying relatives. By comparing brain size and shape across species, the researchers tracked the changes in different brain regions over time.

“Then, using statistical analysis of the size and 3D shape of their cranial endocasts, we were able to map the stepwise changes in brain anatomy that accompanied the evolution of flight,” Watanabe told Discover.

Similar coverage is also featured on The Ironton Tribune and The Athens Messenger.