How Did the Giant Flying Reptiles of the Jurassic Period Take Off?

Paleontologists believe that majestic pterosaurs ruled the skies during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, soaring overhead on their leathery wings while dinosaurs stomped over the ground below. But researchers recently began wondering how exactly those "winged lizards" lifted off, as some of them weighed more than 500 pounds and were as tall as a giraffe.