gliding, specialized animals like volaticonectiphagians normally wouldn't survive a mass extinction this large. why did they survive? due to a novel adaptation with their caudal fur.
it broadened and formed a stiffer structure similar to a bird's feathers (though obviously, not the same). and their vestigial tail vertebrae have elongated enough provide support for these hairs, but not enough to produce a noticeable true tail.
additionally, they now move their tail in a vertical flapping motion, providing lift which each flap. these are the neovolaticonectiphagians.
this is an extremely efficient way of staying in the air for long periods of time, but still can't be considered powered flight. (Hence their other name, hyracopseudovolatica, meaning "false flying hyraxes") (they can also just be called "pseudovolatica")
they also have a more generalized lifestyle than the now extinct nerax. they are capable of eating meat but are mainly frugivorous.
a general example is the largest species, the caupterax, which shows the general body plan for this clade, weighing a whopping 15 pounds.
after this, this clade will develop more and more efficient ways of gliding, until they will eventually take the unclaimed niche of aerial vertebrate predator.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
