The Origin of Birds

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The Origin of Birds
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Similarity to Reptiles

• Thomas Huxley
• mid 1800s
• Single occipital condyle
• Stapes / Jaw
• Tarsal Ankle
• Yoked/polar Egg
• Keratin Scales
• Heterogametic Females
• Nucleated Red Blood Cells

3
Archaeopteryx

• Described in 1861
• Origin of Species 1859
• 145 MYA
• Before flowering plants
• Before T. Rex

4
Archaeopteryx

• Asymmetrical feathers
• Curved claws on feet
• Lacked supracoracoideus muscles

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Lizards Snakes
So, Reptiles, But Where?
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Lizards Snakes
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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4 Ancient Reptiles Radiations

• Parapsids
• Aquatic Reptiles
• All extinct

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4 Ancient Reptiles Radiations

• Anapsids
• Turtles

• Parapsids
• Aquatic Reptiles
• All extinct

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4 Ancient Reptiles Radiations

• Anapsids
• Turtles
• Synapsids
• Mammals

• Parapsids
• Aquatic Reptiles
• All extinct

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4 Ancient Reptiles Radiations

• Anapsids
• Turtles
• Synapsids
• Mammals

• Diapsids
• Squamates
• Crocodilians
• Thecodonts
• Pterosaurs
• Dinosaurs

• Parapsids
• Aquatic Reptiles
• All extinct

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4 Ancient Reptiles Radiations

• Anapsids
• Turtles
• Synapsids
• Mammals

• Diapsids
• Squamates
• Crocodilians
• Thecodonts
• Pterosaurs
• Dinosaurs

• Parapsids
• Aquatic Reptiles
• All extinct

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Thecodontsgive rise to crocodilians, dinosauria,
pterosaurs
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Pterosaurs
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Pterosaurs
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Dinosauriagive rise to Saurischia Ornithischia
Crocodilian
Dinosauria
Thecodont
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Dinosauriagive rise to Saurischia Ornithischia
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
THEROPODS
SAURISCHIA
THECODONTS
DINOSAURIA
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Saurischiagive rise to Sauropods Theropods
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
THEROPODS
SAURISCHIA
THECODONTS
DINOSAURIA
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Theropodsgive rise to Carnosaurs Coelurosaurs
Carnosaurs
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
THEROPODS
Coelurosaurs
SAURISCHIA
THECODONTS
DINOSAURIA
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Lizards Snakes
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary /Paleogene
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Lizards Snakes
BIRDS
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
CLASSIC
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Lizards Snakes
BIRDS
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
CLASSIC (Feduccia et al.)
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Lizards Snakes
BIRDS
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
CLASSIC
OSTROM(Prum and Everyone else)
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Lizards Snakes
BIRDS
Mammals
Turtles
Crocodiles
Tertiary
CLASSIC
OSTROM
65 MYA
Cretaceous
CARNOSAURS
COELUROSAURS
135 MYA
SAUROPODS
ORNITHISCHIA
PTEROSAURS
Jurassic
THEROPODS
190 MYA
SAURISCHIA
DINOSAURIA
THECODONTS
Triassic
THERAPSIDS
225 MYA
SYNAPSIDS
ANAPSIDS
DIAPSIDS
Permian
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Classic Theory of Bird Origin

• Basal Thecodont
• Arboreal
• Feathers
• Flight 1st,Insulation 2nd
• Earlier than archaeopteryx

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Ostroms Theory of Bird Origin

• Coelurosaur Ancestry
• Cursorial
• Feathers
• Insulation 1st,Flight 2nd
• Skeletal Structures
• Similar Time to archaeopteryx

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BIRDS
SKELETAL FEATURES
The Digit Dilemma
Thecodonts Other non-Dinosauria
i
v
THEROPODS
THECODONTS
DIAPSIDS
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BIRDS
SKELETAL FEATURES
The Digit Dilemma
Theropods (Dinosauria)
iv
v
THEROPODS
THECODONTS
DIAPSIDS
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BIRDS
SKELETAL FEATURES
The Digit Dilemma
Theropods
iii
ii
i
THEROPODS
Thecodonts
THECODONTS
DIAPSIDS
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BIRDS
SKELETAL FEATURES
The Digit Dilemma
Theropods
iii
ModernBirds
Archaeopteryx
ii
i
THEROPODS
Thecodonts
THECODONTS
DIAPSIDS
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BIRDS
SKELETAL FEATURES
The Digit Dilemma
ModernBirds
Theropods
iii
ii
i
iii
ii
iii
iv
THEROPODS
Thecodonts
i
ii
THECODONTS
DIAPSIDS
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FLIGHT
Cursorial (ostrom)
Arboreal (classic)
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FLIGHT
Cursorial (ostrom)
Arboreal (classic)
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FEATHERS Flight 1st or Insulation 1st?
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Tertiary
Modern Birds
65 MYA
Enantiornithes
Ichthyornis
Toothed Divers
Cretaceous
Enantiornithes
Ornithurae
135 MYA
Confuciusornis
Liaoningornis
Archaeopteryx
Jurassic
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Tertiary
Modern Birds
65 MYA
Enantiornithes
Ichthyornis
Toothed Divers
Cretaceous
Enantiornithes
Ornithurae
135 MYA
Confuciusornis
Liaoningornis
Archaeopteryx
Jurassic
39
Late Jurassic Birds

• Confuciusornis
• Skull / Bill
• Body feathers
• Pygostyle
• Synsacrum
• Furcula
• Ribs Uncinate processes
• Enlarged Sternum
• Similar pectoral girdle
• Supracoracoideus present
• Similar hands / arms

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Late Jurassic Birds

• Liaoningornis
• Sympatric with Confuciusornis
• Skull / Bill
• Pygostyle
• Synsacrum
• Furcula
• Air sacs Ribs
• Keel
• Pectoral girdle
• Fused hands / arms

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Tertiary
Modern Birds
65 MYA
Enantiornithes
Ichthyornis
Toothed Divers
Cretaceous
Enantiornithes
Ornithurae
135 MYA
Confuciusornis
Liaoningornis
Archaeopteryx
Jurassic
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Tertiary
Modern Birds
65 MYA
Enantiornithes
Ichthyornis
Toothed Divers
Cretaceous
Enantiornithes
Ornithurae
135 MYA
Confuciusornis
Liaoningornis
Archaeopteryx
Jurassic
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Two Major Bird Lineages

• Enantiornithes
• Fusion of tarsometatarsus in opposite order
• Most Diverse avian group in Cretaceous
• Worldwide distribution
• Ornithurae

Iberomesornis
Sinornis
Gobipteryx
Enantiornis
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Two Major Bird Lineages

• Enantiornithes
• Ornithurae
• Predecessors to modern birds (Neornithes)
• Toothed Divers Hesperornis
• Tern-like Ichthyornis

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Passerines
Ratites
Pleistocene
2 MYA
Pliocene
Most Non-Passerine Orders
7 MYA
Terror Birds
Coraciiformes
Miocene
Owls
Piciformes
26 MYA
Shorebirds
Pseudodontorns
Oligocene
Ducks
38 MYA
Flamingoes
Paleognaths
Eocene
Gastornis
54 MYA
Presbyornis
Paleocene
Non-passerine Radiation
65 MYA
Enantiornithes
Modern Birds
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Non-Passerine Radiation

• Fossils vs. Extant Phylogenies
• Presbyornis
• Shorebirds (gulls, sandpipers)

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Large Flightless Birds

• Ratites (mostly)?
• Galliformes?
• Madagasi Vorompatra (VOO-room-patch)
  Elephant Bird
• New Zealand Moas

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Large Carnivorous Birds

• Gastornis / Diatryma Europe / NA
• Australian Dromonithids Giant Demon Duck of
  Doom
• Terror Birds South America
• Far from sympatric

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Pseudodontorns
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Teratorns