Communications of the ACM
Scientists Put Ichthyosaurs in Virtual Water Tanks
Researchers at the University of Bristol used computational methods to uncover more detail on how Mesozoic ichthyosaurs swam than was previously known.
Credit: Susana Gutarra/University of Bristol
Researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K. have used computer simulations and three-dimensional (3D) models to discover more information about how ichthyosaurs—Mesozoic-era sea creatures—swam, finding they had body shapes adapted to minimize resistance and maximize volume, similar to modern dolphins.
During their evolution, ichthyosaurs changed from having narrow lizard-like bodies to more streamlined fish-shaped bodies.
The researchers tested whether fish-shaped bodies helped ichthyosaurs reduce the energy demands of swimming by making 3D models of several different ichthyosaurs.
The team also used specialized software to create a "virtual water tank," in which they were able to control variables like temperature, density, speed, and water.
Said University of Bristol researcher Mike Benton, "Much to our surprise, we found that the drastic changes to ichthyosaur body shape through millions of years did not really reduce drag very much."
From University of Bristol News (U.K.)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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