Early bird in slow motion

Article Abstract:

The evolution of flight in early birds is evidenced by the preserved alula or bastard wing in the Lower Cretaceous birds, which allows low speed flights without stalling and greater maneuverability. Most of the flight related evolution occurred at the end of the Early Cretaceous period. Archaeopteryx was only animal able to take off from level or low-level ground, but was unable to sustain flight. While Enantiornithes had more developed flight features, the Late Cretaceous Ichthyornis was closer to the modern bird in its flight-related features.

Reports, Evolution, Bird flight

---

When is a bird not a bird?

Article Abstract:

Two small theropod dinosaurs from geological beds in the Liaoning province of China have both plumulaceous and vaned, barbed feathers on the arms, body, tail and legs. This discovery forces scientists to reconsider their views on the association of feathers with animals designated as birds. It now seems clear that birds evolved from small coelurosaurian dinosaurs. Down-like and later vaned body feathers evolved before flight feathers, and coelurosaurs had a full range of feathers before birds existed.

---

Dinosaurian growth rates and bird origins

Article Abstract:

There is a growing volume of literature on bone growth rates indicating that, while dinosaurs did not grow at same rates as those of extant birds and mammals, they appear to generally have been more like them than any other extant reptiles. It seems that small dinosaurs and pterosaurs grew more slowly than large ones.

Dinosaurs, Animal development

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Stomach rinsing in rays. Homing is a breeze for sea turtles. Scaling laws of marine predator search behaviour
• Abstracts: Creation in silicon. Lighter than air. Formally speaking
• Abstracts: Will biomedicine outgrow support? Taking the pressure off. Cause of neural death in neurodegenerative diseases attributable to expansion of glutamine repeats
• Abstracts: NF is enough of GAP. Why Ras needs Rho. New-age drug meets resistance
• Abstracts: Company accused over lab data 'theft'. Cashing in on the rich coast

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.