SMRTR Science & EngineeringDec 8, 2025Nautilus

You Don’t Need a Big Brain to Fly

SMRTR summary

Scientists used CT scans to study pterosaur brains and discovered these ancient flying reptiles achieved flight with relatively small brains, challenging the belief that large, complex brains were necessary for vertebrate flight. The research revealed that enhanced vision, rather than brain size, may have been the crucial evolutionary step that enabled pterosaurs to become the first flying vertebrates.

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