Birds Are Dinosaurs Too

Article | Updated 10 years ago

At 9 metres long, a close relative of Tyrannosaurus and had simple, filament-like feathers that would have looked much like fur from a distance
Feathered Tyrannosaurs
IMAGE: SERGEY KRASOVSKIY

When evidence mounted that some dinosaurs had feathers and other features once thought to be unique to birds — birds were reclassified as dinosaurs.

In the 1990s spectacular fossils of feathered dinosaurs were found in China. Fossils of extinct dinosaurs belonging to the group called maniraptors have features that are found in modern birds such as long forearms with modified wrist bones, wishbones and breastbones. Birds are now classified as maniraptoran dinosaurs. Some modern dinosaurs such as ostriches, have sharp claws on their fingers just like their ancestors.

This skeleton of the emu-sized dinosaur <em />Citipati is in a brooding position with the wings spread over the eggs in an attempt to protect them.

Egg brooding
This skeleton of the emu-sized dinosaur Citipati is in a brooding position with the wings spread over the eggs in an attempt to protect them.
IMAGE: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

 

 

Feathered Tyrannosaurs
Yutyrannus from China was 9 metres long, a close relative of Tyrannosaurus and had simple, filament-like feathers that would have looked much like fur from a distance.
IMAGE: SERGEY KRASOVSKIY