Biggest change to dinosaur tree in 130 years

• Autores: Chelsea Whyte
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3118, 2017, pág. 9
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Hips really can lie 1888. In 1888, H.G. Seeley split the dinosaur family tree into two branches based on pelvic bones, but a new analysis suggests a complete rejig of early dinosaur types. Matthew Baron and his team analyzed 457 characteristics of 74 species and found that 21 other anatomical features divide the dinosaurs differently. Based on these inherited features, his new tree puts T.rex and other theropods on one side with the old "Bird-hipped" creatures, and leaves the sauropods like Apatosaurus grouped with those related to Herrerasaurus, a bipedal carnivore found in South America. Because both new branches include carnivores and herbivores, Baron's team concludes that the common ancestor of all dinosaur may have been omnivorous. The results also suggest that the cradle of dinosaur evolution may not have been South America, as has long been accepted. It could instead have been in the northern hemisphere since fossils of the oldest member, of the new branches are found there.