http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/early_birds/ Read about the evolution of avian species. How did the earliest birds evolve? Science articles and pictures. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/early_birds/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124113036.htm The iconic, winged dinosaur Archaeopteryx was dressed for flight, an international team of researchers has concluded. The group identified the color of the raven-sized creature's fossilized wing feather, determining it was black. The color and the structures that supplied the pigment suggest that Archaeopteryx's feathers were rigid and durable, which would have helped it to fly. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124113036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018211341.htm Can a bird have a heart attack? A new study suggests that cardiovascular disease may be an unfortunate consequence of mammalian evolution. The study demonstrates that the same features of blood platelets that may have provided an evolutionary advantage to early mammals now predispose humans to cardiovascular disease. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018211341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017214919.htm When engineers outfitted a six-legged robotic bug with wings in an effort to improve its mobility, they unexpectedly shed some light on the evolution of flight. The wings nearly doubled the running speed of the 25-gram robot, but was that good enough for takeoff? Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017214919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004175929.htm Scientists have examined fossil relatives of the South American Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), which point to African origins for the enigmatic bird. Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004175929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919151315.htm A new study puts an end to the longstanding debate about how archaic birds went extinct, suggesting they were virtually wiped out by the same meteorite impact that put an end to dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919151315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131559.htm A researcher found treasure trove of Cretaceous feathers trapped in tree resin. The resin turned to resilient amber, preserving some 80 million-year-old protofeathers, possibly from non-avian dinosaurs, as well as plumage that is very similar to modern birds, including those that can swim under water. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110904140359.htm What is the origin of digits in birds? The question has long puzzled evolutionary biologists. Using genomic analysis, researchers have now solved a key part of this mystery. Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110904140359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706101608.htm Pterosaurs, flying reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs, were not driven to extinction by the birds, but in fact they continued to diversify and innovate for millions of years afterward, according to new research. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706101608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142843.htm An international team is unearthing the appearance of ancient animals by using the world's most powerful X-rays. New research shows how trace metals in fossils can be used to determine the pigmentation patterns of creatures dead for more than a hundred million years. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142839.htm Researchers report in Science Express that they have taken a big step in determining what the first birds looked like more than 100 million years ago, when their relatives, the dinosaurs, still ruled the Earth. At the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, they discovered chemical traces of a pigment, an important component of color, that once formed patterns in the feathers of the fossilized birds. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142837.htm An international collaboration has for the first time revealed chemical traces of pigments in bird, fish and squid fossils, some over 100 million years old. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622115317.htm A new theory of the origin of birds, traditionally believed to be driven by the evolution of flight, is now being credited to the emergence of enlarged skeletal muscles in birds. Their upright two-leggedness, he says, led to the opportunity for other adaptive changes like flying or swimming. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622115317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110518151822.htm A fossil of a creature that died about 247 million years ago, originally thought to be a distant relative of both birds and crocodiles, actually came from the crocodile family tree after it had split from the bird family. Wed, 18 May 2011 15:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110518151822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110506164319.htm In 250 million years of insect evolution, the appearance of new wings is unprecedented. Transformations and losses of wings, yes, but additions, never. A research team in France has shattered this belief by providing proof that the exuberant helmet of Membracidae, a group of insects related to cicadas, is in fact a third pair of profoundly modified wings. Fri, 06 May 2011 16:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110506164319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414141354.htm The movie Jurassic Park got one thing right: those velociraptors hunted by night while the big plant-eaters browsed around the clock, according to a new study of the eyes of fossil animals. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414141354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412201724.htm Birds are known more for their senses of vision and hearing than smell, but new research suggests that millions of years ago, the winged critters also boasted a better sense for scents. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412201724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405194055.htm A new study louses up a popular theory of animal evolution and opens up the possibility that dinosaurs were early -- perhaps even the first -- animal hosts of lice. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405194055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110311173104.htm Dinosaurs did not always enjoy mild climates. New findings show that during part of the Early Cretaceous, north-east China had a temperate climate with harsh winters. They explain the abundance of feathered dinosaurs in fossil deposits of that period. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110311173104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307142240.htm For the vast majority of plants and animals, the 'bigger is better' view of evolution may not be far off the mark, says a new broad-scale study of natural selection. Organisms with bigger bodies or faster growth rates tend to live longer, mate more and produce more offspring, whether they are deer or damselflies, the authors report. Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307142240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126091502.htm Researchers can now predict the number of offspring a bird will have based on its prolactin and corticosterone levels. Some animals produce more offspring than others. Hormones like prolactin and corticosterone can exercise a crucial influence on the behavior of birds in the breeding season and therefore on their reproductive success. Researchers have now demonstrated that hormone levels not only play a key role during the breeding season, but already dictate, long in advance, how many eggs a breeding pair will lay, when they will lay them and how often. An animal's hormonal constitution is thus of major significance for its reproductive success, and is possibly an important driving force of evolution. Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126091502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110104193047.htm Paleontologists have discovered that Xenicibis, a member of the ibis family that lived about ten thousand years ago and was found only in Jamaica, most likely used its specialized wings like a flail, swinging its upper arm and striking its enemies with its thick hand bones. Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110104193047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110154.htm Three-dimensional X-ray scanning equipment is being used to help chart the evolution of flight in birds, by digitally reconstructing the size of bird brains using ancient fossils and modern bird skulls. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220163052.htm Scientists used statistical analyses to determine the diet of 90 species of theropod dinosaurs. Their results challenge the conventional view that nearly all theropods hunted prey, especially those closest to the ancestors of birds. Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220163052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101212194141.htm The Egyptian vulture population of the Canary Islands was established following the arrival of the first human settlers who brought livestock to the islands. A genetic comparison of Iberian and Canarian birds found that the Egyptian vulture population in the Canary Islands was likely established around 2500 years ago -- around the same time as humans began to colonize the islands. Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101212194141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124073902.htm Giant pterosaurs -- ancient reptiles that flew over the heads of dinosaurs -- were at their best in gentle tropical breezes, soaring over hillsides and coastlines or floating over land and sea on thermally driven air currents, according to new research. Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124073902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115074047.htm Controversial claims that enormous prehistoric winged beasts could not fly have been refuted by the most comprehensive study to date which asserts that giant pterosaurs were skilled in flight. The study contradicts recent assertions that the creatures were flightless and explains how they took to the air. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115074047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100930142716.htm Paleontologists have unearthed the first extinct penguin with preserved evidence of scales and feathers. The 36-million-year-old fossil from Peru shows the new giant penguin's feathers were reddish brown and gray, distinct from the black tuxedoed look of living penguins. The fossil shows the flipper and feather shapes that make penguins such powerful swimmers evolved early, while the color patterning of living penguins is likely a much more recent innovation. Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100930142716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928171426.htm Biologists have uncovered virus fragments from the same family of the modern hepatitis B virus locked inside the genomes of songbirds such as the modern-day zebra finch. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928171426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100918210719.htm A newly discovered skeleton of an ancient seabird from northern Chile provides evidence that giant birds were soaring the skies there 5-10 million years ago. The wing bones of the animal exceed those of all other birds in length; its wingspan would have been at least 5.2 m (17 ft.). This is the largest safely established wingspan for a bird. Other, larger estimates for fossil birds have been based on much less secure evidence. Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:07:07 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100918210719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818171916.htm The ancient "terror bird" Andalgalornis couldn't fly, but it used its unusually large, rigid skull -- coupled with a hawk-like hooked beak -- for a fighting strategy reminiscent of boxer Muhammad Ali. The agile creature repeatedly attacked and retreated, landing well-targeted, hatchet-like jabs to take down its prey, according to a new study. Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818171916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729122401.htm In 1824, John James Audubon (1785-1851), the eminent American artist, created a drawing of a running grouse for use in the design for a New Jersey bank note. Although the artist mentions the drawing and the resulting engraved paper money in two separate diary entries, no one has ever been able to locate or identify such an illustration. Until now. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729122401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727112833.htm By deciphering the genetics in humans and fish, scientists now believe that the neck -- that little body part between your head and shoulders -- gave humans so much freedom of movement that it played a surprising and major role in the evolution of the human brain, according to neuroscientists. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727112833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091441.htm Scientists studying ancient species migration believe northern birds had the ability to colonize continents that southern species lacked. The research reveals how the ancient 'land bridge' of Panama, which first connected North and South America, caused an uneven species migration, leading to a new understanding of species diversity today. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630213614.htm The flightless ostrich uses its wings as sophisticated air-rudders and braking aids when running at high speed and may provide valuable information about how its dinosaur ancestors used their feathered forelimbs to move more efficiently. A small leg muscle, if also present in dinosaurs may have reduced the energetic cost of carrying a heavy body. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630213614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607122438.htm Biologists studied mitochondrial DNA, plumage coloration and behavior of 10 subspecies of a Central and South American warbler the Slate-throated redstart, an inhabitant of montane forests. Mitochondrial DNA analyses indicated that evolution of these birds started over 70 millions years ago, in the Pleistocene, in northern and central areas of modern Mexico. Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607122438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100526100612.htm The evolution of flight took longer than previously thought with the ancestors of modern birds "rubbish" at flying, if they flew at all, according to scientists. Wed, 26 May 2010 10:06:06 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100526100612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510151348.htm Using the bright X-ray beam of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, an international team of researchers has found that a 150 million year old "dinobird" fossil, long thought to contain nothing but fossilized bone and rock, has been hiding remnants of the animal's original chemistry. Mon, 10 May 2010 15:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510151348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510105033.htm By using entire islands as experimental laboratories, biologists have performed one of the largest manipulations of natural selection ever conducted in a wild animal population. Their results show that competition among lizards is more important than predation by birds and snakes when it comes to survival of the fittest lizard. Mon, 10 May 2010 10:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510105033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111521.htm Ever since Darwin, researchers have tried to explain the enormous diversity of plumage color traits in birds. Now researchers are adding something new to this particular field of research, which is so rich in tradition, by demonstrating how a bird can become red instead of yellow. Mon, 03 May 2010 11:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406093516.htm Researchers who helped decipher the zebra finch genome have found hints that the birds' sense of smell may have evolved independently. Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406093516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324233003.htm The study of Mesozoic birds and the dinosaur-bird transition is one of the most exciting and vigorous fields in vertebrate paleontology today. A newly described bird from the Jehol Biota of northeast China suggests that scientists have only tapped a small proportion of the birds and dinosaurs that were living at that time, and that the rocks still have many secrets to reveal. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324233003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310211824.htm Scientists have successfully isolated ancient DNA from fossil eggshell remains of extinct birds for the first time. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310211824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209183335.htm A new study provides yet more evidence that birds did not descend from ground-dwelling theropod dinosaurs, experts say, and continues to challenge decades of accepted theories about the evolution of flight. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209183335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205213102.htm How two butterfly species have evolved exactly the same striking wing color and pattern has intrigued biologists since Darwin's day. Now, scientists have found "hot spots" in the butterflies' genes that they believe will explain one of the most extraordinary examples of mimicry in the natural world. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205213102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144422.htm Deciphering microscopic clues hidden within fossils, scientists have uncovered the vibrant colors that adorned a feathered dinosaur extinct for 150 million years. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128142135.htm An expedition to the Gobi Desert has enabled researchers to solve the puzzle of how one group of dinosaurs came to look like birds independent of birds. Until now, there was no direct evidence that dinosaurs of the Alvarezsauridae family lived during the Late Jurassic, approximately 160 million years ago. The newly discovered species of dinosaur was named Haplocheirus sollers (meaning simple, skillful hand). Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128142135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134245.htm The color of some feathers on dinosaurs and early birds has been identified for the first time. The research found that the theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx had simple bristles -- precursors of feathers -- in alternate orange and white rings down its tail, and that the early bird Confuciusornis had patches of white, black and orange-brown colouring. Future work will allow precise mapping of colours and patterns across the whole bird. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126105429.htm An abundance of food and lack of predators following the extinction of dinosaurs saw previously flighted birds fatten up and become flightless, according to new research from Australia. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126105429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125173238.htm Researchers in the United States and China say that they have settled the long-standing question of how bird flight began. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125173238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091221212630.htm Researchers have discovered a venomous, birdlike raptor that thrived some 128 million years ago in China. This is the first report of venom in the lineage that leads to modern birds. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091221212630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209143743.htm Despite their ability to fly, tropical birds waited until the formation of the land bridge between North and South America to move northward, according to a new study. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209143743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092633.htm The evolutionary history of New Zealand's many extinct flightless moa has been re-written in the first comprehensive study of more than 260 sub-fossil specimens to combine all known genetic, anatomical, geological and ecological information about the unique bird lineage. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009090436.htm The raptor-like Archaeopteryx has long been viewed as the archetypal first bird, but new research reveals that it was actually a lot less "bird-like" than scientists had believed. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009090436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006135109.htm A new investigation of a fossilized tracksite in southern Africa shows how early dinosaurs made on-the-fly adjustments to their movements to cope with slippery and sloping terrain. Differences in how early dinosaurs made these adjustments provide insight into the later evolution of the group. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006135109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133117.htm When pondering the demise of a famous dinosaur such as 'Sue,' the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex whose fossilized remains are a star attraction of the Field Museum in Chicago, it is hard to avoid the image of clashing Cretaceous titans engaged in bloody, mortal combat. But a new study provides evidence that Sue, perhaps the most famous dinosaur in the world, was felled in more mundane fashion by a lowly parasite that still afflicts modern birds. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928205415.htm A fossil of a bird-like dinosaur with four wings has been discovered in northeastern China. The specimen bridges a critical gap in the transition from dinosaurs to birds, and reveals new insights into the origin evolution of feathers. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928205415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092536.htm Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among "evolution's winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among its losers, according to a new study. The study also shows new species emerge nearly as often as they die off. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630215938.htm Scientists have performed the first DNA-based reconstruction of the giant extinct moa bird, using prehistoric feathers recovered from caves and rock shelters in New Zealand. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630215938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617171816.htm Scientists have discovered a unique beaked, plant-eating dinosaur in China. The finding, they say, demonstrates that theropod, or bird-footed, dinosaurs were more ecologically diverse in the Jurassic period than previously thought, and offers important evidence about how the three-fingered hand of birds evolved from the hand of dinosaurs. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617171816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609092055.htm Researchers have made a fundamental new discovery about how birds breathe and have a lung capacity that allows for flight -- and the finding means it's unlikely that birds descended from any known theropod dinosaurs. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609092055.htm