Biomecânica da locomoção terrestre em Anhanguera e Tupandactylus (Pterosauria, Archosauria)
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Data
2025-07-16
Autores
Hörmanseder, Beatriz Marinho
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Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Resumo
Pterosaurs remain relatively understudied compared to closely related groups such as birds and crocodilians. Until the late 20th century, biomechanical studies on pterosaur terrestrial locomotion were based solely on osteological analyses. The present study assessed the biomechanical advantage of hip musculature and compared possible inferred poses related to terrestrial locomotion in two pterosaur species: Tupandactylus navigans and Anhanguera piscator. This research presents the first musculoskeletal reconstruction of T. navigans, based on a three-dimensional model of its osteological elements, along with a comparative analysis of muscle moment arms (MMAs) to evaluate the biomechanical advantage of reconstructed pelvic girdle muscles in both taxa. The detailed analysis of MMAs in A. piscator and T. navigans revealed ranges of motion compatible with adaptations for both terrestrial locomotion and flight, reflecting locomotor versatility in both species. In T. navigans, a longer stride length, greater muscular input, and the attachment of abductor muscles to a broad puboischiatic plate support previous interpretations suggesting scansorial or arboreal adaptations typical of the Tapejaridae clade, which includes T. navigans. In contrast, A. piscator exhibited a predominance of movement patterns associated with abduction–adduction and morphological structures indicating specializations primarily for flight, consistent with general interpretations of a coastal or pelagic lifestyle. This study represents an initial step toward reconstructing the locomotor function of T. navigans and contributes to our understanding of the biomechanical diversity within Tapejaridae, offering new data to be explored in future research on the locomotion and flight of these pterosaurs.
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Anhangueridae , Tapejaridae , Reconstrução osteomiológica , Morfologia funcional , Modelagem 3D