 According to many scientists, if you ate turkey or chicken for dinner yesterday, you ate dinosaur!
That is to say, you ate a dinosaur's descendent. Look at the picture of Archaeopteryx and you will see why its discovery in the 1800s made scientists think there might be a connection between dinosaurs and birds. Today, the scientists who think there is such a connection say that dinosaurs evolved from earlier reptiles, and birds evolved from dinosaurs.
Even though the possible link between dinosaurs and birds has been studied by scientists for years, many people have never heard about it.
Use the links given on this page to find out more about the theory.
Take notes as you read.
Then write a newspaper article explaining this theory to the average reader. Don't forget to give your article an eye-catching headline!
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Dinosaurs and Birds: Overview
These short articles describe the evidence for the theory and some of the evidence against it.
Dinosaurs and Birds
This site tells about the theory and has a special section highlighting one theropod and showing how it is similar to birds.
Are Birds Really Dinosaurs?
This article has lots of good information. Some of the words are difficult, but you can skip over those (or look them up) and still understand most of the ideas.
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Fossils from China Link Birds with Dinosaurs
 This is a news story with some excellent photographs on the recent discoveries in China that help link birds to dinosaurs.
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Click on the links to the Discovering Dinosaurs Spotlight, and look under "Anatomy" (the study of the physical structure of an animal). In the various time periods presented there, find out what scientists have thought about dinosaurs and birds since the 1800s. Here is a guide to some specific sections where you will find information:
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- Anatomy: 1820-1860
- The quotation at the beginning indicates that Richard Owen saw dinosaurs as having the characteristics of reptiles, birds, and mammals.
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- Anatomy: 1860-1910
- The first three paragraphs discuss the dinosaur-bird relationship.
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- Anatomy: 1910-1960
- In the quotation, Gerhard Heilmann comments on the similarity between reptiles and birds. The first two paragraphs give more information on Heilmann's research and his final conclusion.
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- Anatomy: 1960-present
- The quotation begins with this sentence "Birds are card-carrying . . . theropod, saurischian dinosaurs, and don't you forget it!" The rest of the section is filled with information on the dinosaur-bird connection, including some recent findings.
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