Tag: birds

Spring is in full swing. Trees are leafing out, flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and birds are singing. But a recent study published in Proceedings...

The reconstruction of ancient life has long required a certain degree of imagination. This is fundamental when considering the colouration of long-extinct organisms. However, new methods of investigation are being incorporated into palaeontology that may cast new light (and colour) on fossils. Research presented at the recent Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology meeting demonstrates the significance of utilising new imaging technologies in reconstructing the colour of Archaeopteryx, one of the most famous and important fossil species.

Why were dinosaurs covered in a cloak such a long time before the early bird species Archaeopteryx first took flight? Researchers from the University of Bonn and the University of Göttingen attempt to answer that exact question in their article “Beyond the Rainbow” in the latest issue of the renowned journal Science. The research team hypothesises that these ancient lizards had a highly developed ability to discern colour. Their hypothesis: The evolution of feathers made dinosaurs more colourful, which in turn had a profoundly positive impact on communication, the selection of mates and on dinosaurs’ procreation.

They are known as some of the brightest, loudest, most unusual looking, and least understood birds that glide across our skies. Some have bulbous crests, long fleshy wattles, or Elvis-worthy pompadours, along with electric blue, deep purple, or screaming orange feathers. Thanks to a comprehensive new evolutionary ‘tree of life’ created for the tropical continga family of South America, the door is now open to new discoveries about the 60 plus species in this incredibly varied group of birds.

Brazilian scientists have uncovered a near-intact fossilised bird egg- Brazil’s first- in Sao Paulo State.

A novel study lead by Adelaide scientist has shown how enormous, carnivorous, ground-dwelling dinosaurs – the theropods – evolved into agile flyers: they kept shrinking in size for over 50 million years.