Archaeopteryx was an evolutionary link between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Pterosaurs, however, were not dinosaurs and they are not the ancestors of modern birds. Turner et al. The Archaeopteryx is a Jurassic-era creature that bridges the gap between dinosaurs and birds. Scientists Discover a Large and Feathered Dinosaur that Once Roamed North America The ‘Anzu wyliei’ species looks like a cross between a chicken and a lizard These birds, called shoebills, are described as large, secretive stork-like birds. The males have a fan-like sail on their tail, making them resemble the iconic dimetrodon (which is actually more closely related to humans than dinosaurs) or the Spinosaurus, star of Jurassic Park 3. The most important discoveries at Liaoning have been a host of feathered dinosaur fossils, with a steady stream of new finds filling in the picture of the dinosaur–bird connection and adding more to theories of the evolutionary development of feathers and flight. The cassowary looks like a living relic from the age of the dinosaurs. So you’ve probably heard that birds are distant relatives of dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Velociraptor. Thanks to its enormous foot-long bill, this terrifying bird can hunt prey that is not typical of other water birds. When most people think of raptors, they picture the lithe, lizard-skinned, big-clawed dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, smart enough not only to hunt in packs but to figure out how to turn doorknobs.In real life, though, most raptors were about the size of small children, almost certainly covered in feathers, and not quite as intelligent as the average hummingbird. Sailfin dragons require large housing and can be expensive, but if you're looking for a 'pet dinosaur', look … One group of dinosaurs managed to survive the disaster. Scientists long thought Archaeopteryx was the first bird, but recent discoveries have made them rethink that status. They can be found in swamps in tropical east Africa. The Mesozoic Era witnessed dozens of small, feathered dinosaurs that displayed a tantalizing mix of dinosaur-like and bird-like traits. When most people think of raptors, they picture the lithe, lizard-skinned, big-clawed dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, smart enough not only to hunt in packs but to figure out how to turn doorknobs.In real life, though, most raptors were about the size of small children, almost certainly covered in feathers, and not quite as intelligent as the average hummingbird. Flying reptiles ruled the skies for millions of years. Meet the Cassowary, a rare and endangered bird that looks as though it walked straight out of 'Jurassic Park'. Today, we know them as birds. The idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs has been around since … Here's what we currently know about these ancient "dino-birds." You also probably heard about that time Kirk Cameron tried to debunk evolution by badly Photoshopping an crocodile’s head to a duck’s body, much to the amusement of the scientific community as well as the Internet. Some Similarities between the Cassowary and Dinosaurs Palaeontologists have discovered 77-million-year-old dinosaur nests which they believe belonged to Cassowary-like dinosaurs known as caenagnathid or dromaeosaurid .