Where did the birds of the world come from?
Believe it or not, there is evidence that the birds of the world today actually evolved from the dinosaurs.
Birds and dinosaurs go together?
The birds are said to have come from the group of Maniraptora. These are theropods which include oviraptorids and dromaesaurs.
This theory was further supported by the fact that a discovery in China showed that small dinosaur theropods have feathers.
Jurassic birds
During the Jurassic period, the bird Archaeopteryx is said to be the missing link in the bird evolution lineage; though this specific species is not directly considered as the ancestors of today’s birds.
Another bird is confuciusornis which lived during the early cretaceous period. These may have been predated by the species Protoavis texensis though the fossil’s fragmentary nature seem to bring doubts if this indeed was one of the bird’s ancestors.
A discovery that has just been recently unearthed showed that Cryptovolans dromaesaur was actually capable of flight. This type of dinosaur also had a keel sternal, ribs and with processes that are uncinate.
Due to this, paleontologists suggested dromaeosaurs are basal birds in which its other bigger members are incapable of secondary flight.
Though there is currently no sufficient evidence for this theory, most digs have continued to unearth some fossils in China of the feathered dromaeosaurs.
However, it is certain that bird flight has existed since the middle of the Jurassic period.
Dinosaur species are early bird species. It has also been said that the structure of the bird’s hips came from dinosaurs that are saurishian or those with hips like a lizard.
Another theory, though a hotly contested one, says that birds come from archosaurs such as Longisquama.
The world birds of today are actually classified as Neornithes and actually came from a specific lineage during the Cretaceous period.
These Neornithes are divided into Neognathae and Paleognathae. The latter include birds that are found in South and Central America.
The Neognathes include bird species such as ducks, swans and geese.
All in all, it is yet to be proven if the birds of the world really do come from dinosaurs. The future may present further evidence of this theory as further digs unearth more fossils that could reveal any links that have yet to complete the bird and dinosaur lineage.
What is important now is that birds are appreciated for what they are, beautiful animals in flight or on land.
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