ScienceDaily: Early Bird News

Insight into nesting behavior of dinosaurs: Both moms and dads helped with incubation, study finds

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:15:15 EDT

A recent study into the incubation behavior of modern birds is shedding new light on the type of parental care carried out by their long-extinct ancestors.

Mum and dad dinosaurs shared the work

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

A study into the brooding behavior of birds has revealed their dinosaur ancestors shared the load when it came to incubation of eggs.

Bird fossil sheds light on how swift and hummingbird flight came to be

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

A tiny bird fossil discovered in Wyoming offers clues to the precursors of swift and hummingbird wings. The fossil is unusual in having exceptionally well-preserved feathers, which allowed the researchers to reconstruct the size and shape of the bird's wings in ways not possible with bones alone.

Ecology buys time for evolution: Climate change disrupts songbird's timing without impacting population size (yet)

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

Songbird populations can handle far more disrupting climate change than expected. Density-dependent processes are buying them time for their battle. But without (slow) evolutionary rescue it will not save them in the end, says an international team of scientists.

Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaur

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

New research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur, was a complete hunter -- able to swoop down and pick up fish.

Dinosaur egg study supports evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs: How Troodon likely hatched its young

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:43:43 EDT

A small, bird-like North American dinosaur incubated its eggs in a similar way to brooding birds -- bolstering the evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs, researchers have found.

Moa's ark: Why the female giant moa was about twice the size of the male

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:19:19 EDT

The evolutionary reason for the massive difference in size between male and female giant moa -- the extinct giant birds of New Zealand -- has been revealed for the first time.

Massive prehistoric bird extinction linked to human colonization

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:16:16 EDT

Research by Alison Boyer, a research assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, and an international team studied the extinction rates of nonperching land birds in the Pacific Islands from 700 to 3,500 years ago. The team uncovered the magnitude of the extinctions and insight into how and why human impacts varied across the region.

What a bunch of dodos! Catastrophic mass extinction of birds in Pacific Islands followed arrival of first people

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:05:05 EDT

The demise of the dodo is one of the better known bird extinctions in the world, but its sad fate was anticipated a thousand times over by its Pacific cousins.

New dinosaur fossil challenges bird flight origins theories

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:15:15 EST

The discovery of a new bird-like dinosaur from the Jurassic period challenges widely accepted theories on the origin of flight. A new paper describes a new feathered dinosaur about 30 centimeters in length which pre-dates bird-like dinosaurs that birds were long thought to have evolved from.

Sex of early birds suggests dinosaur reproductive style: New way to identify gender of ancient avian species

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:16:16 EST

Paleontologists have discovered a way to determine the sex of a prehistoric bird species. Confuciusornis sanctus, a 125-million-year-old Mesozoic bird, had remarkable differences in plumage -- some had long, almost body length ornamental tail feathers, others had none -- features that have been interpreted as the earliest example of avian courtship. However, the idea that male Confuciusornis birds had ornamental plumage, and females did not, has not been proven until now.

First fossil bird with teeth specialized for tough diet

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:26:26 EST

Beak shape variation in Darwin's finches is a classic example of evolutionary adaptation, with beaks that vary widely in proportions and shape, reflecting a diversity of ecologies. While living birds have a beak to manipulate their food, their fossil bird ancestors had teeth. Now a new fossil discovery shows some fossil birds evolved teeth adapted for specialized diets.

Dinosaur shook tail feathers for mating show

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:31:31 EST

A researcher's examination of fossilized dinosaur tail bones has led to a breakthrough finding: some feathered dinosaurs used tail plumage to attract mates, much like modern-day peacocks and turkeys.

For some feathered dinosaurs, bigger not always better

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:32:32 EST

Researchers have started looking at why dinosaurs that abandoned meat in favor of vegetarian diets got so big, and their results may call conventional wisdom about plant-eaters and body size into question.

New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:08:08 EST

A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature's most remarkable inventions -- how flight might have evolved.

Giant pterosaur needed cliffs, downward-sloping runways to taxi, awkwardly take off into air

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:21:21 EST

Quetzalcoatlus pushed the very boundaries of size to the brink, considered the largest flying animal yet to be discovered. Any larger, and it would have had to walk. But its bulk caused researchers to wonder how such a heavy animal with relatively flimsy wings became airborne.

New study shows effects of prehistoric nocturnal life on mammalian vision

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:10:10 EDT

Since the age of dinosaurs, most species of day-active mammals have retained the imprint of nocturnal life in their eye structures. Humans and other anthropoid primates, such as monkeys and apes, are the only groups that deviate from this pattern, according to a new study. The findings are the first to provide a large-scale body of evidence for the "nocturnal bottleneck theory," which suggests that mammalian sensory traits have been profoundly influenced by an extended period of adaptation to nocturnality during the Mesozoic Era.

Exhaustive family tree for birds shows recent, rapid diversification

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:19:19 EDT

The most comprehensive family tree for birds to date has just been completed, connecting all living bird species -- nearly 10,000 in total -- and revealing surprising new details about their evolutionary history and its geographic context.

First ever family tree for all living birds reveals evolution and diversification

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:19:19 EDT

The world's first family tree linking all living bids and revealing when and where they evolved and diversified since dinosaurs walked the earth has been created.

Fossils of first feathered dinosaurs from North America discovered: Clues on early wing uses

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:03:03 EDT

The first ornithomimid specimens preserved with feathers, recovered from 75 million-year-old rocks in the badlands of Alberta, Canada has been described.

Rare find: Feathered dinosaur feasted on flying food

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:19:19 EDT

Researchers found evidence that a feathered, but flightless dinosaur was able to snag and consume small flying dinosaurs.

Bird louse study shows how evolution sometimes repeats itself

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:08:08 EDT

Birds of a feather flock together and -- according to a new analysis -- so do their lice. A study of the genetic heritage of avian feather lice indicates that their louse ancestors first colonized a particular group of birds (ducks or songbirds, for example) and then "radiated" to different habitats on those birds -- to the wings or heads, for instance, where they evolved into different species.

Extinction risk factors for New Zealand birds today differ from those of the past

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:39:39 EDT

What makes some species more prone to extinction? A new study of nearly 300 species of New Zealand birds -- from pre-human times to the present -- reveals that the keys to survival today differ from those of the past. The results are important for the growing number of studies that try to predict which species could be lost in the future based on what kinds of species are considered most threatened today, the researchers say.

Fossil egg links dinosaurs to modern birds

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:24:24 EDT

Researchers have discovered a series of dinosaur eggs with a unique characteristic: they are oval in shape. The discovery supports the theory that birds and non-avian theropods, dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period, could have a common ancestor.

Feathered saurians: Downy dinosaur discovered

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:41:41 EDT

The new fossil find from the chalk beds of the Franconian Jura evokes associations with a pet cemetery, for the young predatory dinosaur reveals clear traces of fluffy plumage. It also poses an intriguing question: were all dinosaurs dressed in down?

Newly discovered dinosaur implies greater prevalence of feathers; Megalosaur fossil represents first feathered dinosaur not closely related to birds

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:02:02 EDT

A new species of feathered dinosaur discovered in southern Germany is further changing the perception of how predatory dinosaurs looked. The fossil of Sciurumimus albersdoerferi, which lived about 150 million years ago, provides the first evidence of feathered theropod dinosaurs that are not closely related to birds.

Reign of the giant insects ended with the evolution of birds

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:57:57 EDT

Giant insects ruled the prehistoric skies during periods when Earth's atmosphere was rich in oxygen. Then came the birds. After the evolution of birds about 150 million years ago, insects got smaller despite rising oxygen levels, according to a new study.

Evolution of birds is result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:21:21 EDT

Researchers have found evidence that the evolution of birds is the result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed. Scientists have long understood that modern birds descended from dinosaurs. Rather than take years to reach sexual maturity, as many dinosaurs did, birds sped up the clock -- some species take as little as 12 weeks to mature -- allowing them to retain the physical characteristics of baby dinosaurs.

Evolution: Vangas beat Darwin’s finches in diversity

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:08:08 EDT

The diversity of the Madagascan vangas is unique. The bird family only consists of 22 species, but these cover the whole range of body size of the passerines, the bird group vangas belong to (6,000 species). Whereas smaller species use their comparatively small bill to feed by picking up insects, the largest among the vanga species may even catch amphibians with its very large bill. Thus vangas are much more diverse than Darwin’s finches, known to be a model for rapid evolution. Vangidae are the only known birds which experienced two peaks of rapid diversification, new research suggests. For birds, only one such peak is common.

Newly discovered close relative of T. rex is largest known feathered dinosaur

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:34:34 EDT

Palaeontologists have known for more than a decade that some small dinosaurs had bird-like feathers, mainly thanks to beautifully preserved fossils from northeastern China. Now three specimens of a new tyrannosauroid from the same region show that at least one much larger dinosaur had a feathery coat as well.

An extinct species of scops owl has been discovered in Madeira

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:45:45 EDT

Scientists have described a new type of fossil scops owl, the first extinct bird on the archipelago of Madeira (Portugal). Otus mauli, which was also the first nocturnal bird of prey described in the area, lived on land and became extinct as a result of humans arriving on the island. Twenty years ago, the German researcher Harald Pieper discovered fossil remains of a small nocturnal bird of prey in Madeira, which, until now, had not been studied in depth. The international team of palaeontologists has shown that the remains belong to a previously unknown extinct species of scops owl, which they have called Otus mauli.

Four-winged dinosaur's feathers were black with iridescent sheen

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:32:32 EST

Researchers has revealed the color and detailed feather pattern of Microraptor, a pigeon-sized, four-winged dinosaur that lived about 130 million years ago. The non-avian dinosaur's fossilized plumage, which had hues of black and blue like a crow, is the earliest record of iridescent feather color. The findings suggest the importance of display in the early evolution of feathers.

Iridescent, feathered dinosaur offers fresh evidence that feathers evolved to attract mates

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:31:31 EST

Researchers have revealed that the small, feathered dinosaur Microraptor had a glossy iridescent sheen like a modern crow and that its tail was narrow and adorned with a pair of streamer feathers, suggesting feathers originally evolved for display, rather than flight. The new fossil is the earliest record of iridescent color in feathers.

Winged dinosaur Archaeopteryx dressed for flight

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:30:30 EST

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.

Heart disease linked to evolutionary changes that may have protected early mammals from trauma

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:13:13 EDT

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.

Robotic bug gets wings, sheds light on evolution of flight

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:49:49 EDT

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?

Across the Atlantic on flotsam: New fossil findings shed light on the origins of the mysterious bird Hoatzin

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:59:59 EDT

Scientists have examined fossil relatives of the South American Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), which point to African origins for the enigmatic bird.

Primitive birds shared dinosaurs' fate

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:13:13 EDT

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.

Tree resin captures evolution of feathers on dinosaurs and birds

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:15:15 EDT

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.

Mystery of disappearing bird digit solved?

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:03:03 EDT

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.

The rise and rise of the flying reptiles: Pterosaurs not driven into extinction by birds, study reveals

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:16:16 EDT

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.

Unearthing the appearance of ancient animals: X-ray technique for determining fossil pigmentation patterns

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT

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.

X-rays reveal patterns in the plumage of the first birds

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT

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.

Pigment patterns from the prehistoric past

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT

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.

New theory on origin of birds: Enlarged skeletal muscles

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:53:53 EDT

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.

China fossil shows bird, crocodile family trees split earlier than thought

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:18:18 EDT

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.

Insects' exuberant helmet is actually an extra set of wings, researchers show

Fri, 06 May 2011 16:43:43 EDT

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.

The eyes have it: Dinosaurs hunted by night

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:13:13 EDT

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.

Birds inherited strong sense of smell from dinosaurs

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:17:17 EDT

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.

Did dinosaurs have lice? Researchers say it's possible

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:40:40 EDT

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.

Chilly times for Chinese dinosaurs: Abundance of feathered dinosaurs during temperate climate with harsh winters

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:31 EST

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.

Evolution drives many plants and animals to be bigger, faster

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:22:22 EST

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.

Rare 89-million-year-old flying reptile fossil from Texas may be world's oldest pteranodon

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:21:21 EST

Fossil bones discovered in Texas are from the left wing of an ancient flying reptile that died 89 million years ago, representing what may be the world's earliest occurrence of the prehistoric creature Pteranodon, says paleontologists. If the reptile is pteranodon, it would be the first of its kind discovered as far south as Texas within the ancient Western Interior Seaway.

Hormones dictate breeding success in birds

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:15:15 EST

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.

Prehistoric bird used club-like wings as weapon

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:30:30 EST

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.

Not so bird-brained: 3D X-rays piece together the evolution of flight from fossils

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:01:01 EST

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.

Learning from leftovers: A history drawn from turkey bones

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 07:18:18 EST

Brooklynne Fothergill will have a very different view of Christmas dinner from most people, because the doctoral student is researching the history of turkey domestication by examining old turkey bones.

Meat-eating dinosaurs not so carnivorous after all

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:30:30 EST

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.

Humans helped vultures colonize the Canary Islands

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:41:41 EST

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.

Engineer provides new insight into pterodactyl flight

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:39:39 EST

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.