What's the closest living relative to a dinosaur
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Closest Living Relative to Dinosaurs: Insights from Recent Research
Dinosauriforms and Their Significance
Silesaurids: The Non-Dinosaurian Dinosauriforms
Silesaurids, a group of non-dinosaurian dinosauriforms, are considered the closest relatives to crown-group dinosaurs. The osteohistology of Sacisaurus agudoensis, a Late Triassic silesaurid, reveals that these creatures exhibited rapid growth early in their lineage, similar to early dinosaurs. However, they lacked the complex vascular arrangements seen in saurischian dinosaurs, indicating relatively slower growth rates1. This simpler vascular pattern is consistent across all studied silesaurids, suggesting a common growth strategy among these early dinosaur relatives1.
Asilisaurus kongwe: A Detailed Anatomical Study
Asilisaurus kongwe, another dinosauriform from the Middle Triassic, provides crucial insights into the anatomy of early dinosaur relatives. The detailed skeletal analysis of Asilisaurus kongwe shows that it shares several primitive features with archosaurs, such as a crocodylian-like ankle configuration and a short foot with well-developed metatarsals I and V. These features suggest that Asilisaurus kongwe is more closely related to Silesaurus opolensis than to true dinosaurs, highlighting the high degree of homoplasy and parallel evolutionary trends within Silesauridae and early dinosaur lineages2.
Dromaeosaurids: Feathered Dinosaur Relatives
Zhenyuanlong suni: A Feathered Dromaeosaurid
Dromaeosaurids, a group of theropod dinosaurs, are among the closest relatives to modern birds. The discovery of Zhenyuanlong suni, a large-bodied, short-armed dromaeosaurid from the Early Cretaceous of China, provides significant insights into feather evolution. This specimen, with well-preserved integument, shows that even non-volant dromaeosaurids had large wings with pennaceous feathers on their arms and tails, similar to their smaller relatives. This finding adds to the diversity of the Liaoning dromaeosaurid fauna and suggests that feathered wings were a common trait among these dinosaur relatives, further complicating their phylogeny3.
Conclusion
The closest living relatives to dinosaurs are birds, specifically stemming from the theropod lineage, which includes dromaeosaurids like Zhenyuanlong suni. However, non-dinosaurian dinosauriforms such as silesaurids and Asilisaurus kongwe provide critical insights into the early evolutionary traits shared with true dinosaurs. These studies collectively enhance our understanding of the complex evolutionary relationships and growth patterns that bridge the gap between ancient dinosaurs and modern birds.
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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
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.
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 Journal
Highly CitedThe oldest dinosaur? A Middle Triassic dinosauriform from Tanzania
Nyasasaurus parringtoni demonstrates that the initial dinosaur radiation occurred over a longer timescale than previously thought, supporting a southern Pangaean origin for Dinosauria.
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.
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.
Highly CitedThe precise temporal calibration of dinosaur origins
Dinosaurs evolved relatively rapidly, with a shorter temporal gap between precursor assemblages and their first appearance, suggesting little ecosystem change.
Highly Cited43 genes support the lungfish-coelacanth grouping related to the closest living relative of tetrapods with the Bayesian method under the coalescence model
Lungfishes and coelacanths form a monophyletic sister-group that is the closest living relative of tetrapods, supported by high Bayesian posterior probabilities and high taxon jackknife supports.
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.
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