Why nature evolved the art of flight and gliding through independent pathways

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: True flight and gliding are distinct evolutionary strategies for mastering the air. While powered flight requires massive physiological investment, gliding offers a clever, low-energy alternative for navigating complex environments. From insects to mammals, animals have repeatedly adapted their bodies to conquer the skies, each using unique mechanisms to survive.

True flight, or powered locomotion, is a rare and demanding feat found only in insects, birds, bats, and the extinct pterosaurs. It requires significant anatomical restructuring, including the transformation of forelimbs into wings, the fusion and lightening of bones, and the enlargement of the heart and thoracic muscles to power sustained movement. Because of these high costs, true flight has evolved independently at least four times in terrestrial clades, with research suggesting even more complex origins within specific groups like theropod dinosaurs and bats.

In contrast, gliding is a far more common solution, having emerged independently more than 30 times. Unlike powered flight, which generates its own thrust, gliding relies on gravity and aerodynamic forces. Animals like the colugo, flying squirrels, and certain lizards use specialized membranes or skin folds to convert potential energy into horizontal distance. This strategy is particularly prevalent among arboreal species in dense rainforests, where descending to the ground is dangerous due to predators and the energy cost of climbing back up is prohibitive.

The distinction between these modes often blurs in practice. Soaring, for instance, is a form of sustained gliding that allows large birds like condors and albatrosses to remain aloft without flapping by utilizing rising columns of air. Meanwhile, smaller creatures may employ ballooning, using silk strands to catch the wind, or parachuting to slow their descent. These diverse aerial strategies demonstrate how evolution repeatedly solves the problem of movement, whether by investing in the power to climb or by mastering the physics of the fall.

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