The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction
Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide
variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of …
variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of …
Forty new specimens of Ichthyornis provide unprecedented insight into the postcranial morphology of crownward stem group birds
Ichthyornis has long been recognized as a pivotally important fossil taxon for understanding
the latest stages of the dinosaur–bird transition, but little significant new postcranial material …
the latest stages of the dinosaur–bird transition, but little significant new postcranial material …
Macroevolutionary trends in theropod dinosaur feeding mechanics
Theropod dinosaurs underwent some of the most remarkable dietary changes in vertebrate
evolutionary history, shifting from ancestral carnivory 1–3 to hypercarnivory 4, 5 and …
evolutionary history, shifting from ancestral carnivory 1–3 to hypercarnivory 4, 5 and …
Diet of Mesozoic toothed birds (Longipterygidae) inferred from quantitative analysis of extant avian diet proxies
Background Birds are key indicator species in extant ecosystems, and thus we would expect
extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many …
extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many …
Tip dating and Bayes factors provide insight into the divergences of crown bird clades across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction
N Brocklehurst, DJ Field - Proceedings of the Royal …, 2024 - royalsocietypublishing.org
The origin of crown birds (Neornithes) remains contentious owing to conflicting divergence
time hypotheses obtained from alternative sources of data. The fossil record suggests limited …
time hypotheses obtained from alternative sources of data. The fossil record suggests limited …
Disentangling the avian altricial-precocial spectrum: Quantitative assessment of developmental mode, phylogenetic signal, and dimensionality
The altricial-precocial spectrum describes patterns of variation in avian developmental mode
that greatly influence avian life histories. Appraising a given species' position on this …
that greatly influence avian life histories. Appraising a given species' position on this …
Synthetic analysis of trophic diversity and evolution in Enantiornithes with new insights from Bohaiornithidae
Enantiornithines were the dominant birds of the Mesozoic, but understanding of their diet is
still tenuous. We introduce new data on the enantiornithine family Bohaiornithidae, famous …
still tenuous. We introduce new data on the enantiornithine family Bohaiornithidae, famous …
Macroevolutionary dynamics of dentition in Mesozoic birds reveal no long-term selection towards tooth loss
N Brocklehurst, DJ Field - Iscience, 2021 - cell.com
Several potential drivers of avian tooth loss have been proposed, although consensus
remains elusive as fully toothless jaws arose independently numerous times among …
remains elusive as fully toothless jaws arose independently numerous times among …
Novel integrative modeling of molecules and morphology across evolutionary timescales
Evolutionary models account for either population-or species-level processes but usually not
both. We introduce a new model, the FBD-MSC, which makes it possible for the first time to …
both. We introduce a new model, the FBD-MSC, which makes it possible for the first time to …
Fast Bayesian inference of phylogenies from multiple continuous characters
Time-scaled phylogenetic trees are an ultimate goal of evolutionary biology and a necessary
ingredient in comparative studies. The accumulation of genomic data has resolved the tree …
ingredient in comparative studies. The accumulation of genomic data has resolved the tree …