Computer Simulations Imply Forelimb-Dominated Underwater Flight in Plesiosaurs
Fig 2
Outlines of the Meyerasaurus model showing the available ranges of motion in each simulation.
(A) dorsal view showing the anteroposterior ranges of motion, (B) transverse section through the pectoral region showing the dorsoventral ranges of the forelimbs, (C) lateral view showing the degree of rotation available in all simulations (identical in all simulations), (D) transverse section through the pelvic region showing the dorsoventral ranges of the hindlimb. There are three contrasting ranges of motion: ‘narrow’ (green), ‘medium’ (pink), and ‘wide’ (blue). Note that the angles in (A) are measured from a line drawn perpendicular to the long axis of the body relative to the long axis of the propodials (not the limb as a whole, which curves posteriorly), and the angles in parts (B), (C) and (D) are measured from the horizontal relative to the long axis of the propodials.