Recently, Professor Xu Xing of Yunnan University (China), who is also a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of China, shared on the topic of "Large discovery of dinosaur fossils".
After a long period of research with colleagues, he pointed out his major discoveries about dinosaur fossils as follows.
The mystery behind the dinosaur fossils was revealed, surprising everyone (Source: Sohu)
Many familiar animals can also be defined as dinosaurs.
Professor Xu Xing shared that, in fact, there are several scientific definitions of dinosaurs. These definitions were formed by scientists during the research process. For example, dinosaurs were reptiles that lived on the continent during the Mesozoic Era and could walk upright.
However, from a modern perspective, the definition is historically limited. From an ancestral perspective, many animals share a common ancestor in ancient times such as sparrows, ostriches, duck-billed dinosaurs, tyrannosaurus rex...
These animals are all descendants of the same ancestor and can all be called dinosaurs. By this definition, birds, chickens, ducks, geese… all belong to the dinosaur family…
Thanks to fossil evidence, humans can know that dinosaurs existed hundreds of millions of years ago. Professor Xu Xing said that paleontologists are trying to find fossils to have more historical evidence.
Today, scientists have essentially mapped the distribution of fossils across the globe and can tell where fossils are most likely to be found. With advances in technology, scientists are also using satellite imagery, GPS, advanced technology, and data provided by geologists to predict the distribution of fossils.
Bird-like dinosaur sleeping position
Professor Xu Xing said that fossils of the dinosaurs Sinornithosaurus (which means Chinese bird lizard) and Mei (the same genus of the dinosaur Troodontid, which means sleeping dragon in Chinese) were discovered in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning respectively.
These two fossils record the dinosaur's sleeping position, which is very similar to that of birds - sleeping with the mouth hidden under the wing.
Dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds?
Previously discovered dinosaur fossils were all scaly, more reptile-like. However, in 1996, scientists discovered feathered dinosaur fossils in Liaoning. Since then, experts have discovered more feathered dinosaur fossils in the surrounding area.
Fossils of the Sinornithosaurus dinosaur were found to have feathers and flapping wings. Scientists later discovered fossils of the four-winged dinosaur Microraptor. These discoveries provided scientific evidence that dinosaurs were the ancestors of birds.
Thu Hien (Source Sohu)
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