Fig. 7. The release phase of a smashing raptorial strike, illustrating the flexion and rotation of the raptorial appendage structures. The left axis represents rotation in degrees of the meral-V (green squares), propodus/dactyl unit (filled circles) and carpus (open circles). The right axis shows the length change of the saddle (orange triangles). Time zero is the end of the load phase, during which time the lateral extensor muscle contracted to rotate and close the meral-V and compress the saddle. The initial stages of the raptorial strike begin with a sliding movement in which the carpus rotates but the other segments move only slightly. The sweep phase begins when the meral-V rotates and saddle lengthens concurrently with the greatest angular acceleration of the carpus and propodus/dactyl. When impact occurs, the dactyl/propodus recoil while the saddle and meral-V continue to extend slightly. Data points were digitized from high-speed video images.