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The first 85 million years of avian evolution

Abstract

More than half of the evolutionary history of birds is played out in the Mesozoic. A recent burst of fossil discoveries has documented a tremendous diversity of early avians. Clarification of the Phylogenetic structure of this diversity has provided clues for a better understanding of the evolution of functional, developmental and physiological characteristics of modern birds. Yet their long Mesozoic history is only beginning to be deciphered.

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Chiappe, L. The first 85 million years of avian evolution. Nature 378, 349–355 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/378349a0

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