Question

Give several examples of dinosaurs that shared traits with crocodilians and/or birds. Explain the evidence for these traits in dinosaurs.

Answer 1

Through several comparative studies between the fossils of dinosaurs and birds using various techniques scientists have identified the similarity between birds and dinosaurs,and they explains that there are chances of birds being evolved from dinosaurs/birds being the descendants of dinosaurs from the similarities analyzed.

• There were several skeleton similarities between birds and dinosaurs including ; the brooding of eggs,wishbone / furcula, air - filled bones ( an adaptation to fly by reducing weight),structure of the hipbone,similarity in feet as both dinosaurs and birds belongs to Theropods( a kind of bipedal dinosaur),and development of feathers from scales ( scientists believes that dinosaurs may had feathers - including the velociraptors,Tyrannosauruses).
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• During the Triassic period theropods appeared first,they were bipedal in nature ,i.e. was able to walk upright with the feet and was with three fingered toe,these were believed to have evolved into the birds.
• In china evidences of fossilized feathers in the age most probably in the late Jurassic period was identified.
• Archaeopteryx
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• They had a complex nesting behaviour that was very commonly related to birds.

CROCODILES

• Crocodiles are considered as one of the most important and closest realative of dinosaurs.
• Have many similarities when compared with dinosaurs like bird like structural organization of the hip bones,teethes rather than being fused with the jaw bone was appeared like mounted in the sockets.
• Through taxonomic analysis it was clear that birds,dinosaurs,crocodiles can be classified under the same branch of animals.
• This is the image of Sarcosuchus,dinosaur aged crocodile.