Dinosaurs Shrank And Became Birds
- 10 years ago
Theropods, the huge, carnivorous dinosaurs that ravaged the lands of prehistoric times are believed to have over time shrunk into birds.
A new study suggests that theropods, the huge, carnivorous dinosaurs that ravaged prehistoric lands, are believed to have shrunk over time into birds.
According to the study’s multi-national team of researchers, the changes occurred over a span of 50 million years and in 12 distinct stages.
With a starting weight of around 350 pounds, the savage beasts ended up at a not nearly as intimidating 2 or so pounds.
What they gained, however, was the agility needed for survival.
Previous studies have identified Theropods such as the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Velociraptor as being linked to modern birds.
It was the nailing down of the how that had researchers stumped, as tracking size changes throughout a group’s evolution is tough.
The team surmounted the challenge by creating a family tree of sorts via an analysis of dinosaur and early bird bodies.
That approach revealed that the Theropods were the only group getting significantly and consistently smaller over time.
Said one of the scientists, "Ultimately, this evolutionary flexibility helped birds survive the deadly meteorite impact which killed off all their dinosaurian cousins."
A new study suggests that theropods, the huge, carnivorous dinosaurs that ravaged prehistoric lands, are believed to have shrunk over time into birds.
According to the study’s multi-national team of researchers, the changes occurred over a span of 50 million years and in 12 distinct stages.
With a starting weight of around 350 pounds, the savage beasts ended up at a not nearly as intimidating 2 or so pounds.
What they gained, however, was the agility needed for survival.
Previous studies have identified Theropods such as the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Velociraptor as being linked to modern birds.
It was the nailing down of the how that had researchers stumped, as tracking size changes throughout a group’s evolution is tough.
The team surmounted the challenge by creating a family tree of sorts via an analysis of dinosaur and early bird bodies.
That approach revealed that the Theropods were the only group getting significantly and consistently smaller over time.
Said one of the scientists, "Ultimately, this evolutionary flexibility helped birds survive the deadly meteorite impact which killed off all their dinosaurian cousins."