Date: November 8, 2018
Source: Lund University
For the
first time, researchers have succeeded in directly measuring the aerodynamics
of flying animals as they manoeuvre in the air. Previously, the upstroke of the
wings was considered relatively insignificant compared to the powerful
downstroke but, in a new study, biologists at Lund University in Sweden have
observed that it is on the upstroke of the wings that bats often turn.
"Until
now, we have not known very much about what animals actually do when they fly,
since we have focused on steady flight. Steady flight is in fact not very
common for animals flying out in the wild. We have now conducted direct
aerodynamic measurements on bats and we can see how flexible they are. They
turn in several different ways depending on where they are in the wing-beat,"
explains Per Henningsson, a biologist at Lund University.
"It is
really fascinating to see how complex and elegant the pattern of movement is,
and how the bats choose the best solution just as they decide to start a
manoeuvre," he continues.
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