Evolution of the Wing - Leaping Grapple

Copyright statement: I do not own this image, and am not licensed to release it for download or commercial use. Please respect that neither are you.

A series of illustrations for a forthcoming book presenting the evolution of the avian wing planform.

This illustration depicts some dromaeosaurid seizing upon the chance to grab a sickly or slow basal ornithopod, quite possibly the same pair of Deinonychus antirrhopus and Zephyrosaurus schaffi as in Part 1.

A small dromaeosaur like theropod would likely have used both fore and hindlimbs to attack prey, possibly from a running leap or high vantage, much as some chasing cats do today, and thus use the limb strikes in conjunction, or the fore primarily, or the hind. This would sustain use and retention of the forelimb claws well through development of a functional wing.

Part 1: qilong.deviantart.com/art/Evol…
Part 3: qilong.deviantart.com/art/Evol…
Part 4: qilong.deviantart.com/art/Evol…
Part 5: qilong.deviantart.com/art/Evol…