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Qilong — Microraptor Climbing
Published: 2005-03-20 01:27:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 3949; Favourites: 45; Downloads: 502
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Description
Microraptor, a "four-winged" dinosaur, has smaller feet than most birds with large hands, so it makes sense that it's the best at climbing things in different ways, so I put it in branches instead of on rocks or on a trunk. The posture is ... odd.Related content
Comments: 8
Wonderful pic! Let's not forget that animal structures are usually more flexible when they're alive. If a tail that big had no flexibility at all, the poor thing could not have operated, so I find the flexure here quite feasible.
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I meant the Posterior caudal vertebrate. The first 3-4 caudals were presumably very flexible (and in some specimens have actually detached from the spine they were so loosely attached), however the following caudals as a whole would have been very rigid. The specimen I referenced above has a tail curvature only slightly greater than the one you have depicted above, and the rods have all clearly snapped. Assuming bone strength was the same between Microraptor, Deinonychus and Velociraptor the Microraptor tail would have had MUCH less mobility.
In any case, don't let my nitpicking detract from the fact that I love this picture. So few artists attempt to draw Microraptor on any kind of surface other than level. The fact it is in such a dynamic and believable pose just adds to it's awesomeness.
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What you see is a combination of a slight (2-3 degree) bend in every other three or so vertebrae, with a slight rotation. There is a very, very slight curvature going on, with a bit more torsion to the "shaft" of the tail. I highly doubt that the zygapophyseal/haemal rods of the tail inhibited so much movement as to make the tail such a "stiff poker" to be utterly inflexible. Breakage in the fossil does not necessarily indicate a lack of flexibility, however, in life. It would make a worse airfoil supporter if it were, as breakability would increase were the tail to undergo a strong enough pressure; flexibility, even if slight, would improve the tail's chance of not breaking under said pressure.
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I think the posture looks fine. however curving the tail that much at the tip may have broken it. CAGS 20-7-004 shows only a slightly larger degree of curvature and has clearly broken in order to do so.
Other than that minor gripe, i really like your interpretation.
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I think the first few basal vertebrae would be decently mobile, as they are in Deinonychus and Velociraptor. They are blocky, short, and rectangular, and are presumably devoid of large overlapping rods.
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But... was that really the intent? Frankly, when I made this, I was attempting to illustrate a vertical climber, and obviously looking at that one can see how unlikely the posture would have been.
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