Jingmai O'Connor

They form the distal part of the wing and they are primarily responsible for generating the lift that allows birds to fly. And on one side, the vein is very narrow. And on the other side, it's very wide so that the feather itself is asymmetrical. All other feathers are symmetrical. Like all the feathers on the body, unless the feathers are used for flight, they're always symmetrical.

They form the distal part of the wing and they are primarily responsible for generating the lift that allows birds to fly. And on one side, the vein is very narrow. And on the other side, it's very wide so that the feather itself is asymmetrical. All other feathers are symmetrical. Like all the feathers on the body, unless the feathers are used for flight, they're always symmetrical.

They form the distal part of the wing and they are primarily responsible for generating the lift that allows birds to fly. And on one side, the vein is very narrow. And on the other side, it's very wide so that the feather itself is asymmetrical. All other feathers are symmetrical. Like all the feathers on the body, unless the feathers are used for flight, they're always symmetrical.

And it's only the primary feathers that are usually very highly asymmetrical.

And it's only the primary feathers that are usually very highly asymmetrical.

And it's only the primary feathers that are usually very highly asymmetrical.

Yeah, so the asymmetry helps to create the cambered profile of the wing that then generates lift through Bernoulli's principle.

Yeah, so the asymmetry helps to create the cambered profile of the wing that then generates lift through Bernoulli's principle.

Yeah, so the asymmetry helps to create the cambered profile of the wing that then generates lift through Bernoulli's principle.

I was like, oh, that's why. Yeah, physics. This I understand. You probably understand this way better than me. But basically, if you look at the feathers, the primary feathers and all these non-flying dinosaurs, the feathers are symmetrical. So they don't have, they're not generating lift. This is so cool. This is so cool. Yeah. So yeah, we use physics and paleontology. Yeah.

I was like, oh, that's why. Yeah, physics. This I understand. You probably understand this way better than me. But basically, if you look at the feathers, the primary feathers and all these non-flying dinosaurs, the feathers are symmetrical. So they don't have, they're not generating lift. This is so cool. This is so cool. Yeah. So yeah, we use physics and paleontology. Yeah.

I was like, oh, that's why. Yeah, physics. This I understand. You probably understand this way better than me. But basically, if you look at the feathers, the primary feathers and all these non-flying dinosaurs, the feathers are symmetrical. So they don't have, they're not generating lift. This is so cool. This is so cool. Yeah. So yeah, we use physics and paleontology. Yeah.

We're not just digging in the dirt. Like there's a dinosaur called Microraptor. And actually Microraptor has like huge aerodynamic surfaces created out of feathers on its arms and its legs. Right. But not only does it have proportionately large legs.

We're not just digging in the dirt. Like there's a dinosaur called Microraptor. And actually Microraptor has like huge aerodynamic surfaces created out of feathers on its arms and its legs. Right. But not only does it have proportionately large legs.

We're not just digging in the dirt. Like there's a dinosaur called Microraptor. And actually Microraptor has like huge aerodynamic surfaces created out of feathers on its arms and its legs. Right. But not only does it have proportionately large legs.

aerofoils attached to its arms and legs but the feathers are clearly highly asymmetrical so this allows us to make a strong hypothesis that microraptor was not just a feathered dinosaur with proto wings but that it actually was flying and all um all mesozoic birds also have asymmetrical feathers you have no idea how happy this is making me i'm like i know how lift works this makes complete sense if you find a symmetrical feather it didn't fly yeah great yeah exactly

aerofoils attached to its arms and legs but the feathers are clearly highly asymmetrical so this allows us to make a strong hypothesis that microraptor was not just a feathered dinosaur with proto wings but that it actually was flying and all um all mesozoic birds also have asymmetrical feathers you have no idea how happy this is making me i'm like i know how lift works this makes complete sense if you find a symmetrical feather it didn't fly yeah great yeah exactly

aerofoils attached to its arms and legs but the feathers are clearly highly asymmetrical so this allows us to make a strong hypothesis that microraptor was not just a feathered dinosaur with proto wings but that it actually was flying and all um all mesozoic birds also have asymmetrical feathers you have no idea how happy this is making me i'm like i know how lift works this makes complete sense if you find a symmetrical feather it didn't fly yeah great yeah exactly

OK, like it's a little bit of a story and I'll try to tell it quickly. In like 1915, this researcher named William Beebe was just like kind of pontificating about the evolution of flight in birds. And he hypothesized that in the evolution of avian flight, that it would have gone through a four-winged gliding stage.

OK, like it's a little bit of a story and I'll try to tell it quickly. In like 1915, this researcher named William Beebe was just like kind of pontificating about the evolution of flight in birds. And he hypothesized that in the evolution of avian flight, that it would have gone through a four-winged gliding stage.