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What is the closest bird to a dinosaur?

The closest living bird to a dinosaur is the southern cassowary. While modern birds are descended from coelurosaurian theropods, the southern cassowary is the only bird that shares enough common characteristics with non-avian dinosaurs to be considered “close” to dinosaurs.

These common characteristics include three-toed feet and a bony external casque on their heads. Additionally, the cassowary has a very primitive bone structure and is believed to have evolved in the early Cretaceous era.

However, it lacks the additional features that make modern birds so different from extinct dinosaurs, such as hollow bones and a special respiratory system that allow for flight. Ultimately, the southern cassowary could be considered the modern dinosaur, but there are still many differences in anatomy, behavior, and physiology that distinguish the two.

What bird is related to dinosaurs?

The simple answer is modern birds are the direct descendants of feathered dinosaurs. From the late Jurassic period to the end of the Cretaceous period (roughly 150-65 million years ago), several species of dinosaurs evolved feathers, leading to the evolution of modern birds.

Descendants of theropod dinosaurs, a group which includes the likes of Tyrannosaurus Rex, had hollow bones, wings which were adapted from forelimbs, and feathers which gave rise to modern birds.

The Archaeopteryx, which lived in the late Jurassic period, is the oldest bird species known to science, and is said to be an intermediate species between dinosaurs and modern birds. It had teeth, a bony tail, and wings with feathers that were unlike any seen today.

It is believed that modern birds evolved from small theropod dinosaurs, or ‘bird-hipped’ dinos. Although birds and dinosaurs may look very different now, from a scientific perspective they share common ancestry.

As such, it would not be incorrect to refer to modern birds as animals related to dinosaurs.

Are there any bird dinosaurs?

No, there are no bird dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were a group of reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era, from about 248 million to 65 million years ago. Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, meaning that birds are descended from dinosaurs, but birds themselves are not dinosaurs.

Birds have unique characteristics, such as wings made for flight, feathers, and a better developed keel bone or “breastbone”, that set them apart from their dinosaur ancestors. Over millions of years, bird characteristics have changed significantly.

For this reason, birds cannot accurately be classified as dinosaurs.

Did chickens evolve from T. rex?

No, chickens did not evolve from T. rex. While both dinosaurs and chickens are part of the same classification of animal (a group known as Archosaurs), chickens are not descended from T. rex. The common ancestor to both chickens and T.

rex lived more than 250 million years ago, and was an early relative of modern crocodiles. While both dinosaurs and chickens are descendents of this common ancestor, the two species have evolved and changed significantly in the intervening years, eventually leading to the modern chicken, which is part of the Galliformes family of birds.

Thus, chickens did not evolve from T. rex, but instead shared a common ancestor millions of years ago.

Is A Ostrich a dinosaur?

No, an Ostrich is not a dinosaur. Ostrich belongs to the Struthioniformes, a modern order of flightless, large terrestrial birds. Ostrich are considered to be the largest birds in the world by yet they lost their ability to fly millions of years ago, so they cannot be considered dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs, on the other hand, are extinct creatures that lived millions of years ago and disappeared due to some natural or other causes. They had been the dominant species on land before they vanished, and it would have been one of the most significant catastrophes at that particular time.

Was the T. rex a bird?

No, the T. rex was not a bird. The T. rex was a carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous period, between 66-68 million years ago. T. rex was the largest land predator that ever lived, and one of the most iconic dinosaurs, with its impressive size and powerful teeth.

Unlike birds, T. rex had a long, thick tail, and its arms were short compared to its legs. Although both birds and T. rex share a common ancestor and similar deep-skull structures, modern birds are more closely related to other animals such as lizards, snakes, and bats.

Additionally, T. rex lacked two key features that only modern birds possess, an avian fusion (which allows them to be light-weight, and thus fly) and an alula (which is a group of feathers curved like a half-moon).

Furthermore, birds and T. rex differ in their fossilized remains, as birds often have fragile bones composed of air filled chamber, whereas the T. rex exhibits solid bones. Therefore, it is clear that the T.

rex was not a bird.

Did the T. rex lay eggs?

Yes, it is believed that the T. rex did lay eggs. Although the exact details of their breeding habits and reproductive behavior is not known, fossil evidence suggests that they did form nests and lay eggs.

In 2003, the fossilized remains of a nest of Protoceratops eggs were found in Mongolia, buried alongside the remains of a female T. rex, indicating that the T. rex likely laid eggs. This finding was further supported by the discovery of a T.

rex egg fossil in Montana in 2019. This egg fossil indicates that the eggs were small, roughly the size of a grapefruit, and that the nests were built from soil, sediment, and vegetation. It is also believed that the T.

rex had an incubation period similar to that of modern-day crocodiles, with eggs being laid from mid-summer to early autumn, then incubated for around three months until hatching in the late autumn.

Do birds still have dinosaur DNA?

No, birds do not have dinosaur DNA. Dinosaurs have been extinct for over 66 million years, and the process of evolution has greatly changed the DNA of the ancestors of birds since then. Additionally, while some extinct animals (such as mammoths and saber-toothed cats) have had their sequences of ancient DNA studied and compared to living animals, there hasn’t been any research on the DNA of dinosaurs.

Why did birds survive but not dinosaurs?

Birds have been around since the Mesozoic Era, the same time period during which dinosaurs lived. However, they ultimately survived while the dinosaurs went extinct.

The exact cause of why dinosaurs went extinct is still somewhat of a mystery, with scientists debating various hypotheses, including a devastating asteroid impact, climate change, and other environmental factors.

It is widely accepted, however, that birds were able to survive the many hardships their dinosaur counterparts could not because of their ability to live in a wide range of habitats and climates. As the environment changed, birds were able to adapt and evolve to take advantage of the new resources available to them.

They also had the evolutionary advantage of a lightweight and aerodynamic skeleton that enabled them to fly, allowing them to move easily between habitats. Furthermore, they tend to lay fewer, larger eggs, which increases the survival rate of their offspring.

These adaptations, combined with their intelligence, ensured that they were able to withstand the severe changes the Earth’s climate and environment experienced before and during the Mesozoic Era.

So, while the exact cause why dinosaurs went extinct is still hotly debated, it appears that the distinct evolutionary and environmental advantages that birds had over their dinosaur counterparts ultimately allowed them to survive and prosper.

How much DNA do birds and dinosaurs share?

Birds and dinosaurs share some proportion of their DNA, although the exact amount is unknown. This is partially due to the fact that it has never been possible to sequence the entire genome of extinct species, which prevents us from comparing the sequences of birds and dinosaurs on a molecular level.

However, scientists have determined that many of the same proteins encoded by genes in living birds can also be found in fossilized dinosaur remains. Furthermore, anatomical evidence suggests that some features of modern birds are inherited from their distant dinosaurian ancestors, such as their hollow bones, sharp claws, and other skeletal features.

Therefore, while it is impossible to quantify exactly how much DNA birds and dinosaurs share, there is strong evidence that they are closely related and may share some genetic material.

Are all birds direct descendants of dinosaurs?

No, not all birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. Although birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, not all theropod dinosaurs are ancestors of modern birds. This means that birds are dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs are birds.

Scientists now believe that the common ancestor of both birds and non-avian theropod dinosaurs diverged around 150 million years ago. Therefore, not all dinosaurs are ancestral to birds, and not all birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs.

Do dinosaurs share DNA with chickens?

No, dinosaurs do not share DNA with chickens. Evidence from fossil records and DNA analysis clearly indicate that chickens are descendants of theropod dinosaurs and birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs around 150 million years ago.

However, living species of dinosaurs and chickens have not shared DNA since the divergence of their evolutionary paths more than 65 million years ago.

Chickens are descended from theropod dinosaurs, a group of bipedal, carnivorous dinosaurs that was one of the dominant dinosaur groups of the Mesozoic era, approximately 252 to 66 million years ago. Birds evolved from this group of dinosaurs but there is no evidence to suggest that dinosaurs and chickens have shared DNA since the dinosaur extinction event approximately 65 million years ago.

Modern chickens have 38 pairs of chromosomes, while theropod dinosaurs are believed to have had around 30 pairs of chromosomes. This difference in chromosomal numbers is one of the factors that scientists believe explains why living species of dinosaurs and chickens do not share DNA.

It is therefore reasonable to assume that modern chickens, like many other species, are descended from theropod dinosaurs; however, due to the vast amount of time since the divergence of their respective evolutionary paths, it is unlikely that dinosaurs and chickens share DNA.

Why do scientists say birds are dinosaurs?

Scientists say birds are dinosaurs because they have many similarities in anatomy, genetics, and fossil history. The fossil record shows that birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs known as theropods.

The common ancestor of modern birds and theropods lived more than 150 million years ago. The fossil record also shows that birds have a number of features that are like those of theropods, including feathers, wishbones, and some other skeletal features such as a four-chambered heart.

In addition, modern birds and theropod dinosaurs both have an advanced type of lung called an air-sac system that improves their respiration and helps them power their flight. Genetically, birds and theropods share many similar traits, especially in the areas of gene expression, transcription control regions, and DNA sequence homology.

Studies have even shown that some of the genes in both groups are nearly identical. This strong evidence points to a common ancestry between birds and theropods.

Ultimately, scientists say birds are dinosaurs because they have so much in common in terms of anatomy, genetics, and fossil history. It appears that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs and, over millions of years, have developed some features that are more similar to other animals, such as feathers and a four-chambered heart.

However, the evidence suggests that birds are still fundamentally descended from theropod dinosaurs.

What’s the last dinosaur to live?

The last dinosaur that is believed to have been alive is the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex, although a recent study suggests it may have survived until as recently as 66 million years ago. This would make the T.

rex the last dinosaur species to have existed on Earth. Other recent research has focused on understanding what drove the extinction of the dinosaurs. The leading theory is that a large asteroid or comet impact caused environmental devastation and, combined with other climatic changes and volcanic eruptions, led to the demise of the dinosaurs.

Are any dinosaurs alive today?

No, all non-avian dinosaurs (the kind most people think of when they hear the word ‘dinosaur’) are extinct. Dinosaurs first appeared on Earth during the Triassic period, over 200 million years ago and went extinct about 65 million years ago.

While birds evolved from some species of dinosaurs, and many birds today bear physical characteristics that are similar to some of the non-avian dinosaurs that existed millions of years ago, modern birds are not considered true dinosaurs.

Therefore, none of the “classic” dinosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus Rex or Triceratops, are alive today.