• DOI:10.1111/LET.12144
Corpus ID: 86087172

Heavily loaded flight and limits to the maximum size of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and griffenflies (Meganisoptera)

@article{Dorrington2016HeavilyLF,
  title={Heavily loaded flight and limits to the maximum size of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and griffenflies (Meganisoptera)},
  author={G. Dorrington},
  journal={Lethaia},
  year={2016},
  volume={49},
  pages={261-274}
}

G. Dorrington

Published 2016

Biology

Lethaia

An original hypothesis is presented that the maximum mass and size of living anisopteran dragonflies are constrained by a physiological performance limit: the wing muscle power required to permit reproductively successful males to carry heavier females in the so-called wheel position' in flight. It is proposed that the same limit cannot have applied to all fossil Odonatoptera. As the physiology of the giant Carboniferous griffenfly Namurotypus sippeli precludes flight in the wheel position, it… CONTINUE READING

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