We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
*Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
"flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.

It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
the creature with the shortest scientific name.
Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
in white and the wing membranes in black.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
Excerpt:
It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
[end of excerpt]

The reconstruction of *Ambopteryx* on its own Wiki page is much
less detailed, but you can still make out some of the structure of the wings.

Peter Nyikos
Professor, Dept. of Mathematics -- standard disclaimer--
University of South Carolina
http://people.math.sc.edu/nyikos

On Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 12:17:53 PM UTC-4, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
>
> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
> Excerpt:
> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
> [end of excerpt]

I posted a little bit on Yi in the comments section of a YouTube video of an ornithopter.
Unlike the drones with which almost everyone is familiar by now, this flew around like a bird
or bat, flapping its wings in a way that could easily fool someone into thinking it was an animal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co

Another commenter said that the Ukrainians might be able to make good use of such an
ornithopter. The only problem with that it was a very small one, and so not much use
for carrying bombs. It may be possible for it to carry out reconnaisance, though.

My comment went:
Pausing the video at 1:02 reveals a strut in each wing right about where a finger is in a bat's wing. I could not make out more than one in each wing, which may make these wings even more like those of the extinct non-avian dinosaur YiQi [*sic*]:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)

I don't like to brag, but I think the following may be likened to a one-eyed man being
king in the land of the blind, so I hope readers will bear with me as I say that
after 8 months it is first on the list sorted by top comments, out of 1548 comments.

What makes this especially remarkable is that the first runner-up got 617 upvotes
and 38 comments while I got 0 upvotes and 0 comments.

What do readers make of that?

Peter Nyikos
Professor, Dept. of Mathematics -- standard disclaimer--
Univ. of South Carolina at Columbia
http://people.math.sc.edu/nyikos

On 7/28/23 7:08 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> On Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 12:17:53 PM UTC-4, Peter Nyikos wrote:
>> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
>> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
>> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
>> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
>> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
>>
>> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
>> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
>> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
>> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
>> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>> Excerpt:
>> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
>> [end of excerpt]
>
> I posted a little bit on Yi in the comments section of a YouTube video of an ornithopter.
> Unlike the drones with which almost everyone is familiar by now, this flew around like a bird
> or bat, flapping its wings in a way that could easily fool someone into thinking it was an animal.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
>
> Another commenter said that the Ukrainians might be able to make good use of such an
> ornithopter. The only problem with that it was a very small one, and so not much use
> for carrying bombs. It may be possible for it to carry out reconnaisance, though.
>
> My comment went:
> Pausing the video at 1:02 reveals a strut in each wing right about where a finger is in a bat's wing. I could not make out more than one in each wing, which may make these wings even more like those of the extinct non-avian dinosaur YiQi [*sic*]:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>
> I don't like to brag, but I think the following may be likened to a one-eyed man being
> king in the land of the blind, so I hope readers will bear with me as I say that
> after 8 months it is first on the list sorted by top comments, out of 1548 comments.
>
> What makes this especially remarkable is that the first runner-up got 617 upvotes
> and 38 comments while I got 0 upvotes and 0 comments.
>
> What do readers make of that?

I think you need to figure out what algorithm makes yours the top
comment with numbers like that.

On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 12:01:50 AM UTC-4, John Harshman wrote:
> On 7/28/23 7:08 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> > On Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 12:17:53 PM UTC-4, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> >> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
> >> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
> >> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
> >> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
> >> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
> >>
> >> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
> >> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
> >> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
> >> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
> >> in white and the wing membranes in black.
> >>
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
> >> Excerpt:
> >> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
> >> [end of excerpt]
> >
> > I posted a little bit on Yi in the comments section of a YouTube video of an ornithopter.
> > Unlike the drones with which almost everyone is familiar by now, this flew around like a bird
> > or bat, flapping its wings in a way that could easily fool someone into thinking it was an animal.
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
> >
> > Another commenter said that the Ukrainians might be able to make good use of such an
> > ornithopter. The only problem with that it was a very small one, and so not much use
> > for carrying bombs. It may be possible for it to carry out reconnaisance, though.
> >
> > My comment went:
> > Pausing the video at 1:02 reveals a strut in each wing right about where a finger is in a bat's wing. I could not make out more than one in each wing, which may make these wings even more like those of the extinct non-avian dinosaur YiQi [*sic*]:
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
> >
> > I don't like to brag, but I think the following may be likened to a one-eyed man being
> > king in the land of the blind, so I hope readers will bear with me as I say that
> > after 8 months it is first on the list sorted by top comments, out of 1548 comments.
> >
> > What makes this especially remarkable is that the first runner-up got 617 upvotes
> > and 38 comments while I got 0 upvotes and 0 comments.
> >
> > What do readers make of that?

> I think you need to figure out what algorithm makes yours the top
> comment with numbers like that.

What makes you think it was due to an algorithm, as opposed to a decision
by a human being?

Peter Nyikos

On 8/1/23 11:06 AM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 12:01:50 AM UTC-4, John Harshman wrote:
>> On 7/28/23 7:08 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
>>> On Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 12:17:53 PM UTC-4, Peter Nyikos wrote:
>>>> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
>>>> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
>>>> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
>>>> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
>>>> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
>>>>
>>>> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
>>>> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
>>>> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
>>>> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
>>>> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>>>>
>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>>>> Excerpt:
>>>> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
>>>> [end of excerpt]
>>>
>>> I posted a little bit on Yi in the comments section of a YouTube video of an ornithopter.
>>> Unlike the drones with which almost everyone is familiar by now, this flew around like a bird
>>> or bat, flapping its wings in a way that could easily fool someone into thinking it was an animal.
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
>>>
>>> Another commenter said that the Ukrainians might be able to make good use of such an
>>> ornithopter. The only problem with that it was a very small one, and so not much use
>>> for carrying bombs. It may be possible for it to carry out reconnaisance, though.
>>>
>>> My comment went:
>>> Pausing the video at 1:02 reveals a strut in each wing right about where a finger is in a bat's wing. I could not make out more than one in each wing, which may make these wings even more like those of the extinct non-avian dinosaur YiQi [*sic*]:
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>>>
>>> I don't like to brag, but I think the following may be likened to a one-eyed man being
>>> king in the land of the blind, so I hope readers will bear with me as I say that
>>> after 8 months it is first on the list sorted by top comments, out of 1548 comments.
>>>
>>> What makes this especially remarkable is that the first runner-up got 617 upvotes
>>> and 38 comments while I got 0 upvotes and 0 comments.
>>>
>>> What do readers make of that?
>
>> I think you need to figure out what algorithm makes yours the top
>> comment with numbers like that.
>
> What makes you think it was due to an algorithm, as opposed to a decision
> by a human being?

Quite right. I have no idea how that works. Still, one would have
similar questions; who would the human being be, and what criteria would
they use to rank these posts?

On 7/27/23 9:17 AM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
>
> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
> Excerpt:
> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
> [end of excerpt]
>
> The reconstruction of *Ambopteryx* on its own Wiki page is much
> less detailed, but you can still make out some of the structure of the wings.

One could make the argument that there are only two kinds of vertebrate
wings, one in which the wing surface consists of feathers and the other
in which it consists of a membrane supported by some kind of bony
framework, the details of which vary.

On 7/28/23 21:01, John Harshman wrote:
> On 7/28/23 7:08 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
>> On Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 12:17:53 PM UTC-4, Peter Nyikos wrote:
>>> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in
>>> s.b.p. is familiar
>>> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
>>> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
>>> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying
>>> lemurs,"
>>> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.
>>>
>>> It would be a shame if *Yi* *qi* became widely known only for being
>>> the creature with the shortest scientific name.
>>> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats,
>>> birds, or pterosaurs.
>>> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a
>>> skeleton
>>> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>>> Excerpt:
>>> It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other
>>> scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger,
>>> that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane
>>> made of skin. The planes of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony
>>> strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and
>>> membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might
>>> have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats.
>>> [end of excerpt]
>>
>> I posted a little bit on Yi in the comments section of a YouTube video
>> of an ornithopter.
>> Unlike the drones with which almost everyone is familiar by now, this
>> flew around like a bird
>> or bat, flapping its wings in a way that could easily fool someone
>> into thinking it was an animal.
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
>>
>> Another commenter said that the Ukrainians might be able to make good
>> use of such an
>> ornithopter. The only problem  with that it was a very small one, and
>> so not much use
>> for carrying bombs. It may be possible for it to carry out
>> reconnaisance, though.
>>
>> My comment went:
>> Pausing the video at 1:02 reveals a strut in each wing right about
>> where a finger is in a bat's wing. I could not make out more than one
>> in each wing, which may make these wings even more like those of the
>> extinct non-avian dinosaur YiQi [*sic*]:
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)
>>
>> I don't like to brag, but I think the following may be likened to a
>> one-eyed man being
>> king in the land of the blind, so I hope readers will bear with me as
>> I say that
>> after 8 months it is first on the list sorted by top comments, out of
>> 1548 comments.
>>
>> What makes this especially remarkable is that the first runner-up got
>> 617 upvotes
>> and 38 comments while I got 0 upvotes and 0 comments.
>>
>> What do readers make of that?
>
> I think you need to figure out what algorithm makes yours the top
> comment with numbers like that.

What? There are no lies, damn lies, and statistics?

I am thinking that most statistics from content farms
would say that the bat headed boy from the National
Enquirer with the alien growing from his sixth finger
was the top poster.

Peter Nyikos wrote:

> We are all familiar with birds and bats, and I assume everyone in s.b.p. is familiar
> with pterosaurs. But how many know of the non-avian flying dinosaurs,
> *Yi* *qi* and its close relative *Ambopteryx*?
> They were apparently true fliers, unlike "flying squirrels," "flying lemurs,"
> "flying phalangers" "flying fish," and other misnamed gliding animals.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220307665

Not a real good candidate for anything.

It's okay to say "We don't know" instead of trying to shoehorn these
things into a box labeled "Bird" or whatever.

> Its wing structure had bones very differently arranged than in bats, birds, or pterosaurs.
> The following webpage has two "life reconstructions" and one of a skeleton
> in white and the wing membranes in black.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_(dinosaur)

The image looks very much like reconstructions of pterosaurs on
the ground. That may mean is lived a similar lifestyle.

-- --

https://jtem.tumblr.com/post/726385068482936832