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The aerodynamics of Argentavis, the world's largest flying bird from the Miocene of Argentina
- *Department of Geosciences, Museum of Texas Tech University, Box 43191, Lubbock, TX 79409-3191;
- ‡2212 Aster Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 6R6; and
- §Department of Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007
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Edited by Steven Vogel, Duke University, Durham, NC, and accepted by the Editorial Board June 6, 2007 (received for review March 5, 2007)
Abstract
We calculate the flight performance of the gigantic volant bird Argentavis magnificens from the upper Miocene (≈6 million years ago) of Argentina using a computer simulation model. Argentavis was probably too large (mass ≈70 kg) to be capable of continuous flapping flight or standing takeoff under its own muscle power. Like extant condors and vultures, Argentavis would have extracted energy from the atmosphere for flight, relying on thermals present on the Argentinean pampas to provide power for soaring, and it probably used slope soaring over the windward slopes of the Andes. It was an excellent glider, with a gliding angle close to 3° and a cruising speed of 67 kph. Argentavis could take off by running downhill, or by launching from a perch to pick up flight speed. Other means of takeoff remain problematic.
Footnotes
- †To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sankar.chatterjee{at}ttu.edu
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Author contributions: S.C. designed research; S.C. performed research; R.J.T. contributed new analytic tools; K.E.C. studied the fossil; S.C. and R.J.T. analyzed data; and S.C., R.J.T., and K.E.C. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. S.V. is a guest editor invited by the Editorial Board.
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See Commentary on page 12233.
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This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0702040104/DC1.
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↵ ¶ Atanassov, M. N., Strauss, R. (2002) J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 22:33A (abstr.).
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Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
