BIOLOGY 116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Taoism, Richard Dawkins, Speciation
Document Summary
Birds are in a group of dinos called theropods. Down feathers are found in fossil theropod dinosaurs like sinosauropteryx. Full size feathers are found in caudipteryx. Hollow filaments down flight feathers. Feathers at first were not for flight, but for temperature control (covered baby dinos) Feathered dinosaur tail with primitive plumage trapped in mid-cretaceous amber. Describe feathered tail of a non-avian theropod preserved in mid-cretaceous. Prediction: dinosaurs with other bird features will be found. Many skeletal features have been found, including wrist bones like birds. Large nesting sites of dinosaurs have been found, like those of bird rookeries. Prediction: other reptiles with bird features will be found. Archosauria is a group that includes dinosaurs, birds, crocodilians. Evidence that birds + crocodilians more closely related to each other than to other animals documented by numerous skeletal features + dna analysis. Other reptiles with bird features will be found. Birds and crocs build nests and guard young.
