From pterosaur to planes: how fossils from a flying reptile could make aircraft safer

Researchers are looking at nature’s ancient flyers as inspiration for the future of flight.

A team of scientists from The University of Manchester have revealed that bone fossils from close relatives of dinosaurs could hold the key to developing lighter, stronger materials for future aircraft.

The researchers used X-ray imaging to look at fossilised bones from pterosaurs, a prehistoric flying reptile, and discovered details that have never been seen before.

They found that the bones contained a complex network of tiny canals around 20 times smaller than the width of a human hair. These make the bones both lightweight and incredibly strong, protecting the species against microfractures by deflecting cracks.

By copying these designs, the authors say engineers could incorporate these strong but lightweight components into aircraft designs, potentially reducing fuel use and making planes safer.

The team say these ancient adaptations could have the potential to start what they call a "palaeo-biomimetics" revolution, where new, 21st century materials are developed from the biological designs of prehistoric creatures.

The study’s lead author, Nathan Pili, a PhD student at The University of Manchester, said: “For centuries, engineers have looked to nature for inspiration – like how the burrs from plants led to the invention of Velcro. But we rarely look back to extinct species when seeking inspiration for new engineering developments –but we should.

“We are so excited to find and map these microscopic interlocking structures in pterosaur bones, we hope one day we can use them to reduce the weight of aircraft materials, thereby reducing fuel consumption and potentially making planes safer.”

The pterosaurs were the first