Origins of Birds

According to nearly all ornithologists, birds are not only the descendants of ancient dinosaurs, they are, in fact, dinosaurs themselves! Dinosaurs are a branch of reptiles that emerged during the middle of the Triassic Period (about 252 million to 201 million years ago) and thrived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (201 million to 66 million years ago). Birds evolved from a group of dinosaurs called theropods, which are known for the ability to walk on their hind legs rather than on all fours. The slow transformation of part of this lineage into the forms we recognize as birds was driven largely by the emergence of feathers and their development from primitive single-stalked, hairlike designs into complex structures made up of a central stalk and elements that branch laterally from it.

Feathers probably first appeared among the therapods during the Jurassic Period as a body covering to help with insulation or coloring that would be useful in courtship or camouflage (see also concealing coloration). In one lineage, feathers, in conjunction with forelimbs that evolved into wings, also bestowed the ability of gliding and muscle-powered flight, so identifying the first feathered dinosaurs capable of these activities has become a tantalizing exercise. Although another group of reptiles called the pterosaurs had already developed the ability to fly as early as the Late Triassic Epoch (237 million to 201 million years ago), where, when, and in which group of feathered dinosaurs powered flight first appeared remain mysteries. The presence of feathers endures as a major defining characteristic of birds today—along with lightweight, hollow bones, warm-bloodedness, and the ability of female birds to deposit hard-shelled eggs.

Traditionally, Archaeopteryx, which was first discovered in 1861 in the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany, is considered the world’s oldest birdlike feathered dinosaur. Despite a string of challenges to this title brought on by others discovered in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, most contemporary studies still list Archaeopteryx as the earliest known form with modern birdlike features, and it was also capable of powered flight. Nevertheless, the other candidates listed in the interactive below not only highlight innovative approaches to dealing with the challenges of traveling through the air, but they also offer insight into the evolution of the structures we have come to associate with modern birds.

The interactive spotlights seven groups of animals that have contributed to the scientific understanding of the evolution of the first birds.