Microraptor Foot Fossil Proves Its Behavior Was Similar to Eagles When Catching Prey

Fosil Kaki Microraptor Buktikan Perilakunya Mirip Elang saat Menangkap Mangsa

Microraptor Foot Fossil Proves Its Behavior is Similar to Eagles When Catching Prey

"Modern birds evolved from dinosaurs, but it is still unclear to what extent the flying abilities of their dinosaur ancestors were. Now, through research on the fossilized footprints of one non-avian dinosaur, it has been found that the dinosaur may have hunted in the air, similar to some eagles today."

The crow-sized Microraptor had soft feet that were very similar to those of modern eagles capable of hunting in the air, according to researchers' reports on December 20 in the journal Nature Communications. This means that the four-winged dinosaur, reported by paleobiologist Michael Pittman from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and his colleagues, may have used its feet to catch flying prey.

The translation of "Memperkuat Hipotesis" to English is "Strengthening the Hypothesis".

A number of other researchers warn that the mere presence of feathered feet is not enough to declare Microraptor as an aerial hunter. However, if the claim is proven true, such a hunting style would reinforce the still-debated hypothesis that powered flight evolved multiple times among dinosaurs, a feat that was previously thought to be exclusive to birds.

"Soft foot is a stack of layered meat covered with scales at the bottom of a dinosaur's foot, similar to "paw" on dogs and cats."

"Because the footprints are the points where animals lived and interacted with the surface, footprints provide paleontologists with "an understanding of where reality occurs," said Alexander Dececchi, a paleontologist at Mount Marty University in Yankton, S.D., who was not involved in this new research."

The translated text is: "These contact points can provide a clearer picture of an animal's behavior by giving "details that will not be shown by the skeleton itself," said Thomas Holtz Jr., a dinosaur paleobiologist at the University of Maryland in College Park, who is involved in the research."

Microraptor Foot Fossil Proves Its Behavior Was Similar to Eagles When Catching Prey

"To investigate the soft feet of dinosaurs, Pittman and his colleagues traveled to the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in Linyi, China."

According to Pittman, this museum "may have the largest collection of feathered dinosaurs in the world, and, more importantly, they have not been extensively prepared."

"Many of these dinosaur skeletons are still surrounded by rocks, where soft tissues can be preserved."
The translated text is: "Specimen types like this "give us the best chance to discover this extraordinary soft network information," he said."

Source: Science New

"By using a special laser that makes soft tissues that are almost invisible in fossils shine, the team discovered 12 specimens with very well-preserved soft tissues among the thousands examined."

The team compared the fossil foot structure with 36 types of modern birds, whose foot structures vary according to their lifestyles. Predatory birds, for example, have prominent foot structures with spiky scales for catching prey, while ground birds that spend time walking and running have flatter foot structures. Analysis shows that the foot structure of Microraptor and other aspects of the foot, such as the shape of the toe joints and claws, are most similar to that of modern eagles.

The similarity indicates that these dinosaurs could hunt prey in the air and on the ground just like eagles do, said the research team.

Other dinosaurs, such as the feathered Anchiornis, had flatter foot pads and straighter claws, indicating a lifestyle on land. This aligns with the idea that these dinosaurs were poor flyers, said Pittman.

The translation of "Seperti Burung Elang" to English is "Like an Eagle."

The concept that Microraptor hunted like an eagle is consistent with other fossil evidence. One Microraptor fossil was found with a bird in its stomach, and the anatomy of the skeleton and soft tissues of Microraptor indicates powered flight capabilities.

"There is still much work to be done to understand how well the dinosaurs flew."
“Microraptor is not a bird, but a close relative. Just because it has legs like a raptor does not mean it has to catch prey in the same way,” said Pittman.

"However, the lifestyle of Microraptor that resembles an eagle “is a strong possibility,” he added."

The translation of "Manfaat Terbang bagi\u00a0Microraptor" to English is "Benefits of Flying for Microraptor".

"Flying could be beneficial for Microraptor when hunting, although not comparable to modern flying birds. Dececchi speculates that Microraptor's anatomy might prevent it from flying faster than birds, but it may help it surprise prey that would otherwise be difficult to reach, including flying and gliding animals."

"You just need to be fast enough or acrobatic to catch other things in your environment," said Holtz.
“Therefore, it is not impossible that [Microraptor] sometimes catches something in the air.”

Source: Science New

Some paleontologists are more skeptical about the idea that Microraptor hunted in the air. "For me, it would be a bit of an exaggeration to state that Microraptor chased prey in an aerial context," said Albert Chen, a paleobiologist at the University of Cambridge. This new finding only provides information about "how the legs were used." Alternative hypotheses, such as hunting styles that are entirely or partially terrestrial, could also fit the data, said Holtz, but "the legs certainly played a key role in capturing their prey," whether on land or in the air.

"Currently, the ecological picture of Microraptor is still unclear, but with the continuous improvement of image resolution through the use of lasers, our understanding of dinosaur flight may reach a new level."

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Microraptor Foot Fossil Proves Its Behavior is Similar to Eagles When Catching Prey

Microraptor Foot Fossil Proves Its Behavior is Similar to Eagles When Catching Prey

The translation of "Memperkuat Hipotesis" to English is "Strengthening the Hypothesis".

"Soft foot is a stack of layered meat covered with scales at the bottom of a dinosaur's foot, similar to "paw" on dogs and cats."

"Many of these dinosaur skeletons are still surrounded by rocks, where soft tissues can be preserved."The translated text is: "Specimen types like this "give us the best chance to discover this extraordinary soft network information," he said."

The similarity indicates that these dinosaurs could hunt prey in the air and on the ground just like eagles do, said the research team.

The translation of "Seperti Burung Elang" to English is "Like an Eagle."

"There is still much work to be done to understand how well the dinosaurs flew."“Microraptor is not a bird, but a close relative. Just because it has legs like a raptor does not mean it has to catch prey in the same way,” said Pittman.

The translation of "Manfaat Terbang bagi\u00a0Microraptor" to English is "Benefits of Flying for Microraptor".

"You just need to be fast enough or acrobatic to catch other things in your environment," said Holtz.“Therefore, it is not impossible that [Microraptor] sometimes catches something in the air.”

"Many of these dinosaur skeletons are still surrounded by rocks, where soft tissues can be preserved."
The translated text is: "Specimen types like this "give us the best chance to discover this extraordinary soft network information," he said."

"There is still much work to be done to understand how well the dinosaurs flew."
“Microraptor is not a bird, but a close relative. Just because it has legs like a raptor does not mean it has to catch prey in the same way,” said Pittman.

"You just need to be fast enough or acrobatic to catch other things in your environment," said Holtz.
“Therefore, it is not impossible that [Microraptor] sometimes catches something in the air.”