As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday 22 March 2019

10 birds that look eerily similar to their dinosaur ancestors



Feb. 27, 2019, 11:08 AM
All birds can be traced back to prehistoric creatures.
Many modern birds have retained traits of the dinosaurs they evolved from.
Chickens share genetic makeup with the Tyrannosaurus rex.
While what we think of as dinosaurs existed between 245 million and 66 million years ago, all you need to do to catch a glimpse of their descendants is take a look in your backyard. From lanky cranes to common chickens, all birds can be traced back to prehistoric creatures.
Some birds have retained ancient traits like extra claws and pouched beaks, while others have evolved into small, domesticated animals, but all are strong reminders that dinosaurs existed.
A fossil from 2 million to 5 million years ago has nearly the same structure as modern sandhill cranes.
The sandhill crane can be found across North America and can reach nearly 4 feet in height with a 6-foot wingspan. Between their deliberate walk, exuberant mating dance, and rattling trills, it's easy to imagine one of these birds walking among the dinosaurs.
Sandhill cranes' ancient relatives have nearly the same structure. According to the International Crane Foundation, a fossil from 2 million to 5 million years ago was discovered in Nebraska that appeared almost identical to modern sandhill cranes.


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