Alula
Encyclopedia : A : AL : ALU : Alula
- This article is about the Alula feather. For information on the Ethiopian general, see Ras Alula; for the Finnish ornithological journal Alula, see Alula (journal); for the Hawaiian plant, see Brighamia insignis.
The
alula, or
bastard wing, is a small,
feathered projection on the anterior edge of the
wing of modern
birds. It is actually the
thumb of the bird, and has been modified into an
aerodynamical control device not too dissimilar from the forward
slat on an airplane wing. Usually flush against the wing, the alula may be moved to modify the shape of the wing or provide a slat for direction of airflow, often to avoid
stalling while
landing. It has been found in all modern birds since
Eoalulavis hoyasi, a primitive bird from the mid-
Cretaceous, 115 million years ago.
See also
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