Whence the birds: 200 years of dinosaurs, avian antecedents

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 21(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Among the most revolutionary insights emerging from 200 years of research on dinosaurs is that clade Dinosauria represented by approximately 11 000 living species birds. Although origin birds among has been reviewed extensively, recent have witnessed tremendous progress in our understanding deep evolutionary origins numerous distinctive avian anatomical systems. These advances enabled exciting new fossil discoveries, leading to an ever-expanding phylogenetic framework with which pinpoint characteristic features. The present review focuses four notable systems whose Mesozoic history greatly clarified discoveries: brain, kinetic palate, pectoral girdle and postcranial skeletal pneumaticity.

Language: Английский

Dinosaur palaeoneurology: an evolving science

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2024

Our fascination with dinosaur brains and their capabilities essentially began the first discovery. The history of this study is a useful reflection palaeoneurology as whole its relationship to more inclusive evolutionary neuroscience. I argue that imbued high heuristic potential, but one whose realization requires overcoming certain constraints. These constraints include need for stable phylogenetic framework, methods efficient precise endocast construction, fossil researchers who are steeped in neuroscience perspective. progress has already been made these areas sets stage mature palaeoneurology—not only capable being informed by discoveries drives such discoveries. draw from work on size, shape, behavioural correlates developmental role brain outline current advances palaeoneurology. My examples largely taken theropods centre questions related origin birds unique locomotory capabilities. hope, however, exemplify potential other groups, utilizing dinosaur–bird lineage parallel model par mammals studying encephalization.

Language: Английский

A new early diverging lepisosteid fish (Lepisosteiformes) from the Late Cretaceous of southeastern Brazil

Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 105325 - 105325

Published: Dec. 1, 2024

Language: Английский