Pterosaurs to Birds: Molecular Evidence

Friday, May 7, 2010

For background to this post see the earlier post entitled "Molecular Evidence".

David Hone:
http://www.askabiologist.org.uk/answers/viewtopic.php?id=4000

“In answer to your question though yes, in theory, birds could be the sister-taxon to pterosaurs and still be considered closer to dinosaurs than crocodiles.”
“So with the very loose results, yeah, it's possible that birds are closer to pterosaurs.”

This is in regards to the molecular studies done by Mary Schweitzer et al.
Here are links to those studies.

More detail if you have access:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/324/5927/626
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/316/5822/280
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5875/499

Here is a summary of the basic ideas of this site:

Birds developed in a lineage from short bony tailed pterosaurs to short bony tailed scansoriopterygids that developed into basal pygostylia that developed into modern birds. A side lineage earlier developed from the long tailed pterosaurs to long bony tailed scansoriopterygids. That lineage went extinct. The category called coelurosaur dinosaurs includes only actual dinosaurs (eg. tyrannosaurs). It does not include birds. The fossil record supports the pterosaur-to-bird theory. The fossil record does not support the dinosaur-to-bird theory.

Pterosaurs to Birds

Friday, May 7, 2010

Molecular Evidence - continued (1)

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