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". 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 relatives. 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 herbivory. 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 lifestyles. 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
Synchrotron scanning reveals amphibious ecomorphology in a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs
A tiny ornithodiran archosaur from the Triassic of Madagascar and the role of miniaturization in dinosaur and pterosaur ancestry
Untangling the dinosaur family tree
The smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur
Paleontology. Tiny, feathered dino is most birdlike yet.
Increases in sampling support the southern Gondwanan hypothesis for the origin of dinosaurs
Dinosaurs: Comparative Cytogenomics of Their Reptile Cousins and Avian Descendants
A Sauropodomorph (Dinosauria, Saurischia) Specimen from the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil and the Early Increase in Size in Sauropodomorpha
A microraptorine (Dinosauria–Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of North America
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