The first 85 million years of avian evolution
Abstract
More than half of the evolutionary history of birds is played out in the Mesozoic. A recent burst of fossil discoveries has documented a tremendous diversity of early avians. Clarification of the Phylogenetic structure of this diversity has provided clues for a better understanding of the evolution of functional, developmental and physiological characteristics of modern birds. Yet their long Mesozoic history is only beginning to be deciphered.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- November 1995
- DOI:
- 10.1038/378349a0
- Bibcode:
- 1995Natur.378..349C