what's the closest relative to dinosaurs

Introduction

The closest relatives to dinosaurs have been a subject of extensive research, with significant insights emerging from the study of various prehistoric species. Understanding these relationships helps to elucidate the evolutionary pathways that led to the rise of dinosaurs and their eventual diversification.

Key Insights

Maniraptora and Bird-like Dinosaurs:
- Maniraptora, a clade that includes birds and their closest relatives among theropod dinosaurs, showcases a variety of ecomorphologies such as active flight and herbivory. This group is closely related to modern birds, indicating that birds are direct descendants of certain theropod dinosaurs.
Lagerpetids and Early Dinosauromorphs:
- Lagerpetids, a group of non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs, coexisted with early dinosaurs during the Late Triassic period. These species are considered some of the closest relatives to true dinosaurs, providing critical insights into the early diversification and biogeography of dinosauromorphs.

Conclusion

The closest relatives to dinosaurs include the Maniraptora, which are closely related to modern birds, and the lagerpetids, which are non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs that coexisted with early dinosaurs. These groups provide valuable information on the evolutionary lineage leading to the rise of dinosaurs and their subsequent diversification.

What's the closest relative to dinosaurs

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

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.

Footprints pull origin and diversification of dinosaur stem lineage deep into Early Triassic

The origin of the dinosaur stem lineage is shifted back to the Early Olenekian (ca 249-251 Ma), 5-9 Myr earlier than previously thought, suggesting a drawn-out evolutionary process.

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.

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 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.

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

The 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.

Osteology and phylogeny of Zalmoxes (n. g.), an unusual Euornithopod dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of Romania

Zalmoxes is a new genus of ornithopod dinosaur from Romania, with two distinct species and a 73 million-year-long ghost lineage, suggesting a long history of isolation in Europe.

The Femoral Ontogeny and Long Bone Histology of the Middle Triassic (?Late Anisian) Dinosauriform Asilisaurus kongwe and Implications for the Growth of Early Dinosaurs

The Middle Triassic Asilisaurus kongwe femur ontogeny suggests a plesiomorphic pattern for Dinosauria, with size being a poor predictor of maturity in early dinosauriforms.

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