are birds the closest thing to dinosaurs

Introduction

The evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs has been a subject of extensive research and debate. The prevailing hypothesis suggests that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, a group of bipedal saurischian dinosaurs. This synthesis aims to present the key insights from multiple research papers to address the question: Are birds the closest thing to dinosaurs?

Key Insights

Birds Evolved from Theropod Dinosaurs:
- Birds are widely accepted to have evolved from small theropod dinosaurs, specifically maniraptoran theropods, which include groups like dromaeosaurs and troodontids .
- Fossil evidence, including feathered dinosaurs, supports the hypothesis that birds are closely related to coelurosaurian theropods .
Feathers and Flight Evolution:
- Feathers evolved in theropods before the advent of flight, indicating that feathers initially served purposes other than flight, such as insulation or display .
- The evolution of flight in birds is believed to have been a gradual process, with early birds developing flight capabilities over millions of years.
Skeletal and Morphological Features:
- Birds share several specialized skeletal features with theropod dinosaurs, such as a semilunate carpal bone in the wrist and a wing-like forelimb structure .
- The transition from large theropods to small, feathered birds involved sustained miniaturization and rapid evolutionary changes in body size and morphology.
Phylogenetic Relationships:
- Cladistic analyses strongly support the close relationship between birds and theropod dinosaurs, particularly within the subgroup Coelurosauria.
- Despite some debate, the majority of paleontologists agree that birds are a lineage of theropod dinosaurs, with the closest living relatives being crocodilians, forming the group Archosauria.

Conclusion

The consensus among paleontologists is that birds are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs, specifically theropod dinosaurs. This relationship is supported by extensive fossil evidence, including feathered dinosaurs, and shared skeletal and morphological features. The evolution of birds from theropods involved gradual changes over millions of years, culminating in the diverse and successful group of modern birds we see today.

Are birds the closest thing to dinosaurs

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

How Many Dinosaurs Are Birds?

Birds evolved from small theropod dinosaurs, with the closest relatives being the maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs, but the exact relationship between the two groups remains unclear.

Dinosaurs and The Origin of Birds

Birds are closely related to theropod dinosaurs, particularly scansoriopterygids, dromaeosaurs, and troodontids, with feathers arising before flight.

New Feathered Fossil Brings Dinosaurs and Birds Closer

China's new fossil supports the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs, but some paleontologists still believe birds descended from reptiles that preceded dinosaurs.

The Origin and Diversification of Birds

Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic, gradually evolving their small, lightweight, feathered, and winged body plan over tens of millions of years, before exploding in diversity after the end-Cretaceous extinction.

Turning large dinosaurs into small birds

Birds evolved from large dinosaurs by undergoing sustained miniaturization, with body sizes decreasing and species evolving faster, and developing ecological and morphological innovations linked to smaller body sizes.

Tiny, Feathered Dino Is Most Birdlike Yet

Microraptor is the smallest and most birdlike dinosaur yet discovered, belonging to the dromaeosaurs, which are considered the closest dinosaurian relatives of birds.

Living dinosaurs : the evolutionary history of modern birds

Modern birds evolved from ancient dinosaurs, and understanding their origin and evolution can help us protect them from human impacts on the planet.

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.

The origin and early evolution of birds

Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, with many avian features evolving in non-avian theropods for unrelated reasons, and most extant bird orders were not known until the Paleocene or Eocene.

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.

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