Scientists have long debated the evolutionary ancestry of birds. During the past decade, evidence has emerged that birds evolved from dinosaurs. This past month, scientists in China discovered an amazingly well preserved fossil that seems to finally put the question to rest.
Xing Xu of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing has discovered the remains of a "four-winged" dinosaur that seems to confirm that birds owe their ancestry to dinosaurs living millions of years ago. The "dino-bird", called Anchiornis huxleyi.
Until now, incomplete fossils suggested that A. huxleyi was a fully transitioned primitive bird. The fossil is clearly transitional and dinosaur-like - providing almost indisputable evidence that proves birds descended from dinosaurs.
Xu and his team discovered a dinosaur with long feathers covering its arms, tail as well as its feet. This is an arrangement of a "four-winged" dinosaur does not prove that the creature could fly. It also had long lower legs that suggest it was a good runner. But the well-preserved fossilized feathers do show a "transitional species" that illustrates how bird-like dinosaurs developed features enabling them to fly.
The astounding fossil comes from in Daxishan, in Jianchang county in northeastern China. It was found in rock dated to the early part of the Late Jurassic period, about 160 million years ago. This date means that A. huxleyi is not a true bird, but rather a a late member of the Troodontidae, a category of dinosaurs closely related to birds, Xu said.
Xu concludes that his discovery proves once and for all that dinosaurs and bird-like creatures did exist at the same time, and that the family of modern avians descended and evolved from reptilian ancestry.
As for the reptiles themselves, I only remind you of the other discovery I mentioned in passing this week - a rare snake with fully developed legs. Discovered - again - in China.
What does this modern mutant suggest to you?
9 comments:
At first I had some trouble finding the head on that snake. It looks a little weird.
But, I suppose this makes me think about something one of my Pony Club intructors told me about the evolution of bits.
A double bridle is a bridle with a curb bit, and a bradoon, or a smaller snaffle. People thought this was rediculous. They thought it was too much metal in the horse's mouth. They liked the fact that they could use both the curb and the bradoon though. So, they created the Pelham bit. It's a curb bit with snaffle rings, which requires two reins. But then they felt as if the whole double rein idea was rediculous, so they created a leather strap that converted the bit to a snaffle. Soon enough those crazy British people thought that there was now too much leather on the bridle, so they created the Kimberwick bit, which is nothing more than a one reined pelham. It has both the curb action but it can also be used as a snaffle. They sort of, de-evolved. Moved backwards.
So, what I'm trying to say is that this snake seems to be de-evolving. I mean, there are always mutations in the world to either better or worsen the world. But, the world is always changing. Maybe some day birds will turn back into dinosaurs, or we'll change back into apes.
-Magg!e
Ha! I like that! Nice connections to the "devolution" of the bridle! Exactly what I refer to when I ask you to make connections and "let your mind dance".
But there is no turning back. Not unless humans disappear from the earth anyway. But that's another story.
That was an interesting article. I don't think it's too far fetched that birds evolved from dinosaurs. It's very plausible. I've even heard a theory that dinosaurs were feathered beasts that shared many characteristics with birds, as opposed to the scaled, terrifying monsters that permeate the Jurassic Park films.
I hope that scientists look more into this fossil, and just fossils in general. I would be happy to have some concrete facts on this type of creature. Dinosaurs are mysterious, majestic beasts that we don't know too much about, despite what we think. Even the most sophisticated scientists learn new things, and we can certainly learn more about dinosaurs, and how birds may have evolved from them.
-Tyler
Well..... those chinese... finding the new and next interesting thing haha
I of course disagree with this article. Though as fascinating as it was. Its neat how we feel we have discovered so much yet have so much not uncovered, who knew there was once a four winged animal.
Evidence does say there was once a four winged animal. Is this related to a dinosaur? I ask, what makes a dinosaur? What we call dinosaurs are reptiles, and the ones that no longer exist. I believe there was once a much larger diversified earth, shall we say. There were birds, people, what you may call dinosaurs and I call reptiles and then mammals etc. Now this is ancient culture we are talking about.
Now, you and many others have witnessed a species go extinct. Is it not okay to say that a species goes extinct and that's it. Humans did not come from monkeys. If we did, why are there still monkeys? And if the answer is, because they have not evolved yet.... well I ask.... what is taking them so long? We did, according to that theory. Darwin himself said it is a theory. So as we wait for the monkey to evolve, consider this... The human race evolves or shall we say adapts. Evolve not in a since to renew a species like say an ape to a human or a bird to a dinosaur. We simply adapt, and we can and have adapted without changing our appearances.
Now back to our four winged friend. This ancient creature once roamed with the dinosaurs. That I believe. They coexisted as did humans and other creatures. The four winged friend became extinct just as those large reptiles you call dinosaurs have.
As far as our one legged snake. Have you heard of genetic defects? It happens all the time. The girl with mermaid legs etc. Animals have genetic defects as well.
Becca
This comes as no supprize, the birds lay eggs... that could be left over from dinosour ansesteors.
It shows even more that things we would like to think of as not connceted really are.
What envirmontal changes could have happened to lead to this change? From scales to fethers does seam like a big leap, maybe the temp was droping so much that the needed to compensate. This is one of the many things we can only guess at.
Gabriella
You know what a four winged dino makes me think of? UNICORNS! hahah never mind.
I think the genetic mutant snake is cool, I don't think it will be able to live long. That leg might drag it down. Maybe someone should lend it a hand...foot. umm class is almost over so I am going to finish this response later.
Huh...um.... Well....so...
that's pretty cooooooool. Evolution is fantastic. Really it is. Dinosaurs evolving into birds, and we have birds here today, we have our own dinosaurs everywhere!! Sort of. So...does that mean that all birds evolved from dinosaurs? I bet it does. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. That's crazy. We're just a fingernail on the body of the history of the world, right? or was it a hand of the history of the world? Either way, human existence is pretty short so far and all that's gone on before us is prettttttttty awesome.
-Laura A. Yurkosky
Huh...um.... Well....so...
that's pretty cooooooool. Evolution is fantastic. Really it is. Dinosaurs evolving into birds, and we have birds here today, we have our own dinosaurs everywhere!! Sort of. So...does that mean that all birds evolved from dinosaurs? I bet it does. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. That's crazy. We're just a fingernail on the body of the history of the world, right? or was it a hand of the history of the world? Either way, human existence is pretty short so far and all that's gone on before us is prettttttttty awesome.
-Laura A. Yurkosky
While the article implies that the evidence may have been disputed but I think its family undisputable when you take a look at an emu or other large bird. Then watch Jurassic Park. It defiantly explains things about birds though, like Gabriella said: birds laying eggs seems like a perfectly reasonable evolutionary holdover from dinosaurs. At any rate in your face creationists! (Please disregard my personal biases ☺)
-chris
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