A biomechanical approach on the optimal stance of Anhanguera piscator (Pterodactyloidea) and its implications for pterosaur gait on land

Abstract

The stance of pterosaurs on land is traditionally a controversial question. Here, we show that pterosaurs like Anhanguera piscator were quadrupeds. An osteological model of A. piscator was three-dimensionally built in digital space. The reconstructed muscles of its pelvic girdle were then placed on their points of origin and insertion to allow the biomechanical calculations to find the most efficient stance on land to be performed. The hindlimb readjustment (i.e. the repositioning of the hindlimb according to the achieved results) led to a pelvic counterclockwise displacement at 10°, which means that the ilium previously placed at 0° regarding an axis parallel to the ground was moved (and so the whole pelvis) 10° up from the preacetabular process. This new position prevents A. piscator from having a fully upright stance. A 10° displacement of the pelvic girdle would compel the forelimbs to be highly sprawled. Therefore, this study affords A. piscator having a quadrupedal gait and demonstrates that a bipedal stance is not viable once the lever arm values decrease abruptly both for extensor and flexor muscles during the femoral extension. This is the first time this approach is used to shed light on this question.