Dinosaurs are the extinct relatives of birds that roamed the lands and seas of ancient Earth. They first appeared around 240 ...

In the meantime, other scientists sought to illuminate the origin of feathers by examining the scales of modern reptiles, the closest living relatives of birds. Both scales and feathers are flat.

Other dinosaurs, however, had more reptile-like skin, or a mix of feathers and scales, which instead make it more possible that feathers evolved independently. Ultimately, there's still a lot of ...

Biologists have long known that feathers and hairs both start as structures called placodes. In reptiles, however, biologists had found distinct skin areas that yielded scales but no placodes.

But modern science is changing that, revealing unexpected connections in the tree of life — and opening our eyes to skies filled with modern feathered, flying reptiles.

27, 2025 — Researchers examined dozens of bird species in museum collections looking for differences in the feathers and bodies ... has revealed that birds, reptiles, and mammals have developed ...

Biofluorescent organisms are everywhere, from mushrooms to fish to reptiles and amphibians, but few birds have been identified as having glowing feathers. This is why biologist Rene Martin of the ...

“People were fighting about the fact that reptiles either lost it, or birds and mammals independently developed them,” Milinkovitch told The New York Times. “Now we are lucky enough to put this debate ...

It had feathered wings like living birds, but also had traits found in reptiles, such as teeth, claws and a long bony tail. Charles Darwin, who had published On the Origin of Species two years ...

Birds are warm-blooded animals with feathers, wings ... blackbirds, ducks and owls. Reptiles are animals that have dry, scaly skin and are cold-blooded. This means their body temperature changes ...