Rare dinosaurs used bat-like wings for gliding

Earlier this year, Dr. Michael Pittman of the University of Hong Kong reported that powered flight evolved at least three separate times: twice in feathered dinosaurs and once in early birds. The research also revealed that many ancestors of birds came close to having the wing loading and specific lift thresholds that are indicative of the potential for powered flight. In collaboration with Dr. Thomas Dececchi, Dr. Pittman has expanded his flight origins investigation to include Scansoriopterygids, an unusual group of theropods that used bat-like wings for …