Birds from Dinosaur theory challenged

[Mike375]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209183335.htm

 

[Adam Caramon]

I haven't followed the research, so I don't really understand the significance. I'm assuming you do since you posted it?

This quote:

This may be hugely upsetting to a lot of people, but it makes perfect sense."

Was there some assumptions based on the previous theories that now all fall apart?

 

[Mike375]

Up until about the 1970s dinosaurs were mainly thought of as just bigger versions of todays lizards. Then the view changed that they (the "walk upright" dinosaurs that were like small versions of T Rex) were fast moving high metabolism animals and specifically bird like.

The dinosaur discovered which changed the view was Deinonychus. That was the smaller dinosaur depicted in Jurassic park that was chasing the kids around the room and fighting the T Rex at the end.

Then it went as far as dinosaurs were not extinct because todays birds were in reality theropod dinosaurs.

However, that article is now about the new view which is basically that theropod dinosaurs evolved from birds and that evolution produced a flightless bird. So a complete reversal.

The view that birds evolved from dinosaurs was not a view held by all paleontologists. Although it always appeared that was a good view to have if funding was the goal.

 

[Rabbie]

An interesting article but not a theory breaker. I thought this quote from the article summed it up well.

Given the vagaries of the fossil record, current notions of near resolution of many of the most basic questions about long-extinct forms should probably be regarded with caution.

There is clearly still much work to be done befre we know the real answers.

 

[Mike375]

An interesting article but not a theory breaker. I thought this quote from the article summed it up well. There is clearly still much work to be done befre we know the real answers.

Agree 100%