“The alternative theory of the evolution of flight, bearing in mind that the structures associated with flight would have been very poorly developed at first, was that birds took to the trees for safety.
From there, it was a relatively small step to developing gliding skills and then the ability to fly.”
What a gigantic crock! They flew up into the trees, and then they learned to glide, which led naturally to flying. Just more ludicrous circuitous reasoning by the crackpots who pose as biologists.
Want to know when Carl Sagan started believing in God and Creation? After 5 seconds in Hell!
There may be billions and billions of entities in Hell, but I don't think Carl Sagan is among them.
My personal opinion is that they used the feathers to climb trees faster than they would otherwise with just legs.
My birds do this all the time. They flap their wings and run up sheer vertical surfaces.
When they lose their balance, they also use their wings like hands to steady themselves.
Probably trying to avoid early Frenchmens' attempts at making foie gras.