Pterosaur bones inspire aerospace engineering

It is common for engineers to be inspired by nature. Now, researchers say we might be in for a revolution in palaeo-biomimetics – using the designs of ancient creatures to inform how we can design and build structures today.

It’s not surprising to imagine that flying machines might take inspiration from animals that have taken flight and become proficient aerial specialists, like birds.

But the research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that the microstructures within the bones of the largest ever flying animals – pterosaurs – could hold the key to developing lighter, stronger materials for the next generation of aircraft.

It makes sense. Some pterosaurs, like Quetzalcoatluswere massive – reaching wingspans of more than 10m, making them the same size as small planes.

Scientists have long puzzled over how these gigantic creatures got off the ground.

A key to the pterosaurs’ success appears to be in their bones. The researchers used advanced X-ray imagery to reveal a complex network of microscopic canals in the pterosaurs’ fossilised bones. These details had never been seen before.

“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,” says lead author Nathan Pili, a PhD student at the University of Manchester in the UK.

Pterosaurs ruled the skies during the reign of the dinosaurs, although they were not dinosaurs themselves. Nor are they birds.

These giant flying creatures were the first vertebrates to take to the air. Pterosaurs died out in the mass extinction event 66 million years ago which saw the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

The pterosaurs’ demise opened the skies to be taken over by the dinosaurs’ heirs: the birds.

Pterosaur wings comprised a thin membrane between the feet and an elongated fifth finger on the arm. The tiny canals – each about 20 times smaller than the width of a human hair – would have been used for nutrient transfer, growth and maintenance in the bone. They also would have protected against microfractures by deflecting cracks.

“This is an incredible field of research, especially when working at the microscopic scale,” Pili adds. “Of all the species that have ever lived, most are extinct, though many died out due to rapid environmental changes rather than ‘poor design’. These findings are pushing our team to generate even higher-resolution scans of additional extinct species. Who knows what hidden solutions we might find!”

“There is over four billion years of experimental design that were a function of Darwinian natural selection,” says senior author Phil Manning, also from the University of Manchester.

“These natural solutions are beautifully reflected by the same iterative processes used by engineers to refine materials. It is highly likely that among the billions of permutations of life on Earth, unique engineering solutions have evolved but were lost to the sands of time. We hope to unlock the potential of ancient natural solutions to create new materials but also help build a more sustainable future. It is wonderful that life in the Jurassic might make flying in the 21st century more efficient and safer.”