4 ms·

Body shape/mass distribution in birds and their dinosaurian ancestors

47 points by ljf 4y ago

tomrod 4y ago
I love these kinds of novel studies. Wonderful Saturday morning reading.
- johndunne 4y ago
  It’s mind blowing to appreciate how tiny changes between generations playing out over millions of years has such a significant impact on the ‘original animals.’ Imperfection of one form leading to perfection of another.
- ljf 4y ago
  Same, was a brilliant read with a coffee and set me thinking for the day. So much added to my list of things I want to understand better!
  - johndunne 4y ago
    Aye. Science is our super power, gifted us by evolution! Thankfully we’re in a time were we get to appreciate the marvels of nature.
programwiz 4y ago
As some who doesn't know much about dinosaurs I always assumed pterosaurs are ancestors of birds and not theropods. Interesting to learn theropods were the ancestors.
- Swizec 4y ago
  Cooler still, pterosaurs aren’t even dinosaurs! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-a-pterosaur-is-not-a-dinosaur-87082921/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-a-pterosau... Flight is interesting because it’s so useful that it evolved at least 4 separate times. Pterosaurs, birds, insects, bats. If you include gliding or falling with style in your definition of flight, then it evolved even more times. Sugar gliders and flying squirrels for example. Completely unrelated. Both have a similar solution to gliding. Some snakes can glide too!
- yareally 4y ago
  If you ever live with a parrot long enough, you'll realize they're really little feathered dinosaurs and start to imagine many of their behaviors aren't too far off from their extinct relatives. I've had a couple for over a half a decade and they surprise me with their intelligence and their behaviors every day. Decided they might be the pet for me after studying birds in the wild for many years before that. That said, they're also a handful and don't suggest anyone adopt or buy one on a whim. They tend to latch onto one person. In my case, they love my wife more than me, but we're still "bros". That means they stop caring about attention from me as soon as she walks into the room. It's a little annoying, but that's just the way they are with bonding to a mate for life. Many parrot rescues will let you foster one for a while, just to get an idea if they're the kind of companion you would want long term
49erfangoniners 4y ago
Dinosaurian is an underused adjective, I find

47 points by ljf 4y ago

tomrod 4y ago

I love these kinds of novel studies. Wonderful Saturday morning reading.

johndunne 4y ago
It’s mind blowing to appreciate how tiny changes between generations playing out over millions of years has such a significant impact on the ‘original animals.’ Imperfection of one form leading to perfection of another.
ljf 4y ago
Same, was a brilliant read with a coffee and set me thinking for the day. So much added to my list of things I want to understand better!
- johndunne 4y ago
  Aye. Science is our super power, gifted us by evolution! Thankfully we’re in a time were we get to appreciate the marvels of nature.

programwiz 4y ago

As some who doesn't know much about dinosaurs I always assumed pterosaurs are ancestors of birds and not theropods. Interesting to learn theropods were the ancestors.

Swizec 4y ago
Cooler still, pterosaurs aren’t even dinosaurs! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-a-pterosaur-is-not-a-dinosaur-87082921/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-a-pterosau... Flight is interesting because it’s so useful that it evolved at least 4 separate times. Pterosaurs, birds, insects, bats. If you include gliding or falling with style in your definition of flight, then it evolved even more times. Sugar gliders and flying squirrels for example. Completely unrelated. Both have a similar solution to gliding. Some snakes can glide too!
yareally 4y ago
If you ever live with a parrot long enough, you'll realize they're really little feathered dinosaurs and start to imagine many of their behaviors aren't too far off from their extinct relatives. I've had a couple for over a half a decade and they surprise me with their intelligence and their behaviors every day. Decided they might be the pet for me after studying birds in the wild for many years before that. That said, they're also a handful and don't suggest anyone adopt or buy one on a whim. They tend to latch onto one person. In my case, they love my wife more than me, but we're still "bros". That means they stop caring about attention from me as soon as she walks into the room. It's a little annoying, but that's just the way they are with bonding to a mate for life. Many parrot rescues will let you foster one for a while, just to get an idea if they're the kind of companion you would want long term

49erfangoniners 4y ago

Dinosaurian is an underused adjective, I find