Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Maastricht Museum of Natural History have found that one of the key features of the skull that characterizes 99% of modern birds – the mobile beak – evolved before the mass extinction that wiped out all large dinosaurs for 66 million years. before. This was reported by the Cambridge University press service.
It follows from this discovery that the skulls of ostrich, ostrich, and their relatives evolved “backwards”, returning to a more primitive state after the emergence of modern birds. Such conclusions were made after analyzing the fossil remains of a previously unknown ancient bird species. Janavis finalidens. This species lived at the end of the dinosaur era, which ended 66 million years ago, and was the last bird with teeth. The arrangement of the palatine bones indicates that this “dinosaur bird” had an agile, agile beak that was almost indistinguishable from most modern birds.
For more than a century, it was assumed that the movable beak in most birds evolved after the extinction of the dinosaurs. The only exceptions were ostriches and ostrich, paleognates (“ancient jaws”), whose palate bones remained fused, as in humans. Neognats’ beaks are much more dexterous, useful for burrowing, grooming, foraging, and defending against predators.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.