what are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs

Introduction

The closest living relatives to dinosaurs have been a subject of extensive research, with various studies examining the evolutionary lineage and relationships among different species. Understanding these relationships helps in comprehending the evolutionary history and the morphological and genomic traits shared between dinosaurs and their modern relatives.

Key Insights

Birds as Closest Relatives:
- Birds are considered the closest living relatives to dinosaurs, specifically theropod dinosaurs, which include species like the Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex. This relationship is supported by numerous morphological and genetic similarities .
Maniraptora Clade:
- The Maniraptora clade, which includes birds and their closest relatives among theropod dinosaurs, shows a variety of ecomorphologies that evolved during the Cretaceous period. This clade includes both non-avian and avian species, indicating a close evolutionary relationship.
Lagerpetids and Silesaurids:
- Lagerpetids and silesaurids, which are non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs, coexisted with early dinosaurs. These groups are considered close relatives to dinosaurs, providing insights into the early diversification and biogeography of dinosauromorphs.

Conclusion

Birds are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs, specifically within the Maniraptora clade of theropod dinosaurs. Additionally, non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs like lagerpetids and silesaurids also share a close evolutionary relationship with early dinosaurs, highlighting the complex evolutionary history and diversification of these species.

What are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Tunicates and not cephalochordates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates

Tunicates, not cephalochordates, are the closest living relatives of vertebrates, redefining the origins of chordate animals and influencing the interpretation of developmental and genomic studies.

Molecular and Genomic Data Identify the Closest Living Relative of Primates

Colugos are the closest living relatives of primates, with their divergence occurring in the Cretaceous period.

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.

The oldest known co-occurrence of dinosaurs and their closest relatives: A new lagerpetid from a Carnian (Upper Triassic) bed of Brazil with implications for dinosauromorph biostratigraphy, early diversification and biogeography

The new lagerpetid dinosauromorph from Brazil confirms the oldest known co-occurrence of dinosaurs and their closest relatives, reinforcing the idea that they coexisted for at least 21 million years before their extinction.

Definitive fossil evidence for the extant avian radiation in the Cretaceous

The first Cretaceous fossil, Vegavis iaai, definitively places the extant bird radiation in the Cretaceous, suggesting that duck, chicken, and ratite bird relatives coexisted with non-avian dinosaurs before the K/T boundary.

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.

Dinosaur Monophyly and a New Class of Vertebrates

Dinosaurs are a single monophyletic group with high aerobic exercise metabolism, justifying a new class, Dinosauria, alongside birds and cursorial mammals.

Osteohistology of the silesaurid Sacisaurus agudoensis from southern Brazil (Late Triassic) and implications for growth in early dinosaurs.

The Late Triassic silesaurid Sacisaurus agudoensis shows rapid growth in its limb bones, supporting the idea that rapid growth occurred early in the dinosauromorph lineage.

The Anatomy of Asilisaurus kongwe, a Dinosauriform from the Lifua Member of the Manda Beds (~Middle Triassic) of Africa

This study provides the first complete anatomy of Asilisaurus kongwe, a dinosauriform from the Middle Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania, revealing its unique skull and plesiomorphic features, suggesting high homoplasy and parallel trends within Silesauridae and early dinosaur lineages

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.

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