What animals are the closest to dinosaurs
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Closest Animals to Dinosaurs
Dromaeosaurids: Feathered Relatives of Birds
Feathered Dinosaurs of Liaoning Province
Dromaeosaurids, a group of theropod dinosaurs, are among the closest relatives to modern birds. The Early Cretaceous period in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, has yielded several well-preserved dromaeosaurid fossils, often referred to as "feathered dinosaurs"1. These fossils include both small-bodied taxa with long arms and broad wings, as well as larger individuals with reduced forelimbs. For instance, the newly described Zhenyuanlong suni, a large-bodied, short-armed dromaeosaurid, had large wings with pennaceous feathers on the arms and tail, similar to its smaller relatives1. This diversity in feather morphology and distribution among dromaeosaurids highlights their close evolutionary relationship with birds.
Maniraptora: A Diverse Clade of Bird-like Dinosaurs
Maniraptora, a clade that includes birds and their closest theropod relatives, showcases a variety of evolutionary adaptations. During the Cretaceous period, maniraptoran lineages diverged significantly, evolving traits such as active flight, gigantism, and herbivory2. A notable example is Halszkaraptor escuilliei, a maniraptoran from Mongolia that exhibits a mix of features found in both reptilian and avian groups with aquatic or semiaquatic lifestyles2. This theropod, part of a novel clade at the root of Dromaeosauridae, combined bipedalism with forelimb adaptations that may have supported swimming, further illustrating the evolutionary link between these dinosaurs and modern birds.
Conclusion
Dromaeosaurids and other maniraptorans are among the closest relatives to modern birds, sharing numerous morphological and ecological traits. Fossils from regions like Liaoning Province and Mongolia provide critical insights into the evolutionary pathways that led from non-avian theropods to the birds we see today. These discoveries underscore the deep evolutionary connections between these ancient creatures and their avian descendants.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
A large, short-armed, winged dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China and its implications for feather evolution
Zhenyuanlong suni is a new genus and species of large-bodied, short-armed dromaeosaurid from the Early Cretaceous of China, providing new insights into feather evolution and dromaeosaurid phylogeny.
Synchrotron scanning reveals amphibious ecomorphology in a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs
Halszkaraptor escuilliei, a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs, exhibits amphibious ecomorphology, convergent with short-tailed birds, and shows neck hyperelongation for food procurement.
Very Rigorous Journal
Highly CitedA tiny ornithodiran archosaur from the Triassic of Madagascar and the role of miniaturization in dinosaur and pterosaur ancestry
The early ornithodirans (Kongonaphon kely) from the Triassic of Madagascar show a miniaturization event near the common ancestor of dinosaurs and pterosaurs, potentially explaining the origins of flight in pterosaurs and fuzzy integu
Untangling the dinosaur family tree
The Ornithoscelida hypothesis is not the final word on the dinosaur family tree, as there is still great uncertainty about its basic structure and origin.
Very Rigorous JournalHighly CitedThe smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur
Microraptor zhaoianus is the first mature non-avian theropod dinosaur found smaller than Archaeopteryx, improving our understanding of the morphological transition to birds and their palaeoecology.
Highly CitedIncreases in sampling support the southern Gondwanan hypothesis for the origin of dinosaurs
A southern Gondwanan origin for dinosaurs remains the most plausible hypothesis, supported by increased taxonomic and geographic sampling and divergent phylogenetic results.
Dinosaurs: Comparative Cytogenomics of Their Reptile Cousins and Avian Descendants
Dinosaurs likely had similar chromosome patterns to birds, contributing to their diverse appearance and function, and their ability to survive multiple extinction events.
Rigorous JournalA Sauropodomorph (Dinosauria, Saurischia) Specimen from the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil and the Early Increase in Size in Sauropodomorpha
The new sauropodomorph specimen from southern Brazil provides evidence for an early increase in body size in Sauropodomorpha, with a weight of 3.2 times heavier than Buriolestes schultzi, the earliest-branching sauropod.
A microraptorine (Dinosauria–Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of North America
Hesperonychus elizabethae is the first microraptorine known from North America, suggesting a significant carnivore community in the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada.
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