Molecular analysis confirms T. rex's evolutionary link to birds

User rating: 4.5 / 5 after 31 vote(s)

Using genetic sequencing scientists have conclusively linked the dinosaur T. rex with birds and the mastadon with modern elephants. Credit: Zina Deretsky National Science Foundation
Using genetic sequencing, scientists have conclusively linked the dinosaur T. rex with birds and the mastadon with modern elephants. Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation

Putting more meat on the theory that dinosaurs’ closest living relatives are modern-day birds, molecular analysis of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein – along with that of 21 modern species – confirms that dinosaurs share common ancestry with chickens, ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators.


Full story »
All News summaries from General Science news
All News summaries for April 24, 2008

Uncertain future for elephants of Thailand

1 hour ago | User rating: not rated yet
Worries over the future of Thailand' s famous elephants have emerged following an investigation by a University of Manchester team.

Study explores plausibility of bulbs and tubers in the diet of early human ancestors

Jul 25, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Anthropologist Nathaniel J. Dominy of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has advanced the investigation of the diet of early human ancestors ...

Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern for the Environment

Jul 25, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
It has been a long-held assumption that poor nations will not support efforts to protect the environment since their citizens are too preoccupied with meeting basic needs, such as food and housing. However, a new study in ...

Construction workers unearth mammoth bones in Minsk

Jul 25, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Workers building a business centre in Minsk came across the bones of two mammoths thought to be between 25,000 and 45,000 years old, an official from Belarus' Academy of Sciences told AFP on Friday.

Women's access to credit affects efficiency in rural households

Jul 25, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Rural strategies designed to induce economic growth often emphasize the need to improve access to capital for poor households. However, this approach implicitly assumes that family members pool all their resources and allocate ...
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive