JURASSIC BIRDS

There is overwhelming evidence that modern birds are the direct descendants of the 'raptor' dinosaurs.

- PETER RYAN

However, the early origin of modern birds remains poorly known due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil record. The discovery of Archaeopteryx fossils, just two years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, was hailed as a classic 'missing link' between birds and dinosaurs that supported Darwin's theory of evolution. Archaeopteryx had the asymmetrical wing feathers of a flying bird but retained a host of characters typical of a small raptor dinosaur, including teeth, three clawed fingers on each wing and a long bony tail.

The discovery of a host of feathered dinosaurs over the past few decades has done little to clarify the situation.