Remarkably, a species that went extinct millions of years ago may have applications in today's technology.
A new analysis of pterosaur bones by scientists at The University of Manchester suggests that their microstructure could inspire lighter, stronger aircraft materials.
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that lived throughout the world 228 to 66 million years ago. Some pterosaurs had a wingspan of up to 11m (36ft), making them the largest flying animals of all time. Needless to say, keeping body weight down was essential in order for such enormous reptiles to take flight.
Led by PhD student Nathan Pili, the team at Manchester recently utilized X-ray computed tomography to 3D-scan fossilized pterosaur wing bones at near sub-micrometer resolution. It was found that the "solid" sections of the hollow bones were actually permeated with tiny canals, each one of which was about one-twentieth the width of a human hair.
Modeling showed that if such an internal microstructure were to be used in aerospace materials (such as 3D-printed metal), it could allow for next-generation aircraft components that combine light weight with high strength.
"Of all the species that have ever lived, most are extinct, though many died out due to rapid environmental changes rather than 'poor design,'" says Pili. "These findings are pushing our team to generate even higher-resolution scans of additional extinct species. Who knows what hidden solutions we might find."