BIRDS ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO DINOSAURS

Dinosaurs are the vertebrates’ animals. Birds are the closest-living relatives of dinosaurs. Bone tissue of Dinosaurs are similar to that inside of the of females birds.
The reproductions of dinosaurs are very closely related to birds. Dinosaurs produced and shell their eggs like modern birds.
The evidence of dinosaurs and birds are related. The discovery of pigeon-size fossils called archaeopteryx had a bird like skull, perch feet, and was a powered flyer with wings of the basic pattern and proportions of the modern avian wing. Dinosaurs have also the identical feathers to modern flying birds.
Some scientist call a small creature named mononykus as a new link between birds and dinosaurs, because it shares some features with modern birds, such as keeled sternum and some fused wrist.

The footprints of dinosaurs tell us that many of them walked upright which is similar to modern birds. The earliest dinosaurs were light carnivores, omnivores and were small. It is now believed that the ancestors of birds are theropod dinosaurs. Archaeopteryx, found in Jurassic rocks of Germany, has feathers and wishbone, still go to reptiles like features such as teeth, long tail and forelimb structure. This characteristics is resembles a small theropod dinosaurs. The evidence supports the hypothesis is that, birds evolved from dinosaurs.

Another bird fossil of Archaeopteryx was discovered in Northern side of china and was named as a confuciusornis. This new evidence of fossil was resembles Archaeopteryx with having wings claws, but unlike Archaeopteryx and like modern birds and it confuse, because it indicates, lacked teeth and making it birds like than Archaeopteryx. Both of these fossils were look like birds and dinosaurs. Probably it can fly but not modern birds due to their reptiles’ feathers.

Scientist described the fossil protoavis as true birds which is closer to modern birds than Archaeopteryx. The evidence also shows that, the first birds lived at the same time as earliest dinosaurs. This could force the modification of theory that, birds and dinosaurs are the same. Dinosaurs and birds are looked like, not because they were closely related, but because they lived in similar environment and they survive in a similar way. The discovery of confuciusornis show us that, fossil of the same age as Archaeopteryx has given us more evidence on the evolution of birds and their link to dinosaurs. It is commonly thought by scientist, that birds evolved from dinosaurs, and more from theropod dinosaurs.

Scientist from china has discovered the remains fossil of four winged dinosaurs, with modern feathers on both forelimbs and hind limbs. The new species micro raptor gui, provide evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Within the theropod group, birds are most closely related to cromaeossaurids. Dinosaurs took care of their eggs much like birds do. They layed them in mass breeding ground and watched over them after they hatched.

Legs of dinosaurs tend to develop towards the bird structure, and the development is not harmonious and toes are bird-like. The pelvic bones of bird always consolidated those of dinosaurs.


Reference

Ambeliz, R. 2002. Birds and Dinosaurs. [Online]. Available from: http://geology.wcedu.pima.edu/~rambeliz/rafweb.htm%20[2006, May 11]

Linette Netshiheni
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