How Birds Have Come Into Existence . Helene

In particular, this paper deals with the lineage of birds, and how it may be possible to trace them back to their origin which appears to be from Dinosaurs (esp. Therapods). This paper is an application of tracing various lineages in the fossil record. The idea is that if we can find small changes with each successive form, then we can show their descent with modifications. Of most importance is Archaeopteryx which was discovered only a few years after Darwin first published his ideas on evolution. It sparked people to believe that birds may be the direct descendants of dinosaurs. Since then, many other intermediates have been found to support this theory. We will look at related structures, and we will formulate the possible related behaviors based on what can be seen in the fossil record. Also, we will look at possible throwbacks to possible ancestral forms in chickens. We will look at an experiment that uses DNA as a molecular clock to see how long birds have been around. Finally we will look at possible intermediates, and come to a conclusion as to the Origin of Birds.