Four distinct lineages of bird survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, giving rise to ostriches and relatives (Palaeognathae), waterfowl (Anseriformes), ground …

The present scientific consensus is that birds are a group of maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs that originated during the Mesozoic era. A close relationship between birds and dinosaurs was first …

Oct 5, 2015 · Insight into the evolution of avian flight from a new clade of Early Cretaceous ornithurines from China and the morphology of Yixianornis grabaui

The hunt for the ancestors of living birds began with a specimen of Archaeopteryx, the first known bird, discovered in the early 1860s. Like birds, it had feathers along its arms and tail, but unlike …

More than half of the evolutionary history of birds is played out in the Mesozoic. A recent burst of fossil discoveries has documented a tremendous diversity of early avians.

Recently a general cladistic framework for early avian evolution has emerged. Postcranial modifications in the wrist joint and elsewhere firmly establish birds as a diversified subgroup of …

Sep 8, 2004 · Significant size and morphological differences and variation in flight capabilities, ranging from gliding to powerful flight among early birds, highlight the diversification of birds in …

Mar 6, 2018 · Back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a sub-class of birds known as enantiornithes soared through the skies. These ancient avians differed from living birds in …

Mar 22, 2025 · Sources: Cretaceous Antarctic bird skull elucidates early avian ecological diversity; Paleontologists Discover Fossil of the Oldest Known Modern Bird—but It Raises More …

Feb 5, 2025 · Dating back approximately 150 million years, this small, feathered creature exhibited both avian and reptilian characteristics. With teeth, a bony tail, and clawed fingers, …