2024-03-05 07:00:05
Birds, direct descendants of dinosaurs, display a fascinating diversity, particularly between those capable of flight and species like penguins and ostriches adapted to a flightless life. A recent study published in the journal PNAS to measure light (Light is all electromagnetic waves visible to the eye…) features common to the feathers of flying birds, offering clues to the evolution of flight since their dinosaur ancestors.
Researchers analyzed hundreds of birds preserved in museums, discovering that all flying birds share a simple rule: They have between 9 and 11 primary feathers on their wings. This discovery suggests that the ability to fly evolved only once among dinosaurs, highlighting the importance of feathers in the evolutionary success of these species.
The study of feather morphology through the ages has made it possible to distinguish birds from non-avian dinosaurs. For example, asymmetrical feathers are a characteristic trait of birds capable of flight, while symmetrical feathers are found in those that do not fly. By examining fossil specimens, researchers were able to apply these criteria to infer the flight capabilities of certain extinct species.
This research also highlights the importance of feathers not only for flight but also for other functions such as insulation thermal (Thermal is the science which deals with the production of energy, the use of…) or seduction, as was the case in dinosaurs such as the Velociraptor, who, although possessed of feathers, was not capable of flight. The study of modern birds and fossils has traced a complex evolutionary lineage, revealing how flight-related traits took millions of years to evolve.
The implications of these findings go far beyond simply understanding the evolution of flight. They offer new insights into how birds have adapted to diverse environments, retaining certain traits from their ancestors while developing new characteristics to meet their specific needs. These results enrich our understanding of the evolution of dinosaurs into birds, highlighting the crucial role of flight and feathers in their evolutionary success.
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