They propose a new hypothesis on the evolution of dinosaurs

2017/03/22 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Eboluzioa
• Zoologia

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Natural History Museum of London have proposed the possibility of restructuring the phylogenetic tree of dinosaurs in a work published in the journal Nature.

For almost 130 years, dinosaurs have been classified into two large groups: the ornitiscos and the saurisquiums. The characteristic that binds the ornithischians is the existence of birds type pelvis, such as Iguanodone, Triceratops and Stegosaurus dinosaurs. Saurischians have a reptile type pelvis. Among the latter are the teropods, the carnivorous hankabic, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex, and the sauropods, the great herbivores of the lauhana, such as the Diplodocus.

Now the researchers have made a thorough review of the anatomical characteristics of the dinosaurs, taking into account 457 characteristics. They conclude that teropods and ornithosks should be grouped in the same group (Ornithoscelida group), since they have 21 equal characteristics. On the other hand, the blacksmiths would remain in the group of the saurischians together with the saurophils. Like the theropods, the blacksmiths are standing carnivores, with which they have similar characteristics, but the researchers consider that they are of independent development.

This new model suggests how the ancestors of all dinosaurs were. It has always been a very controversial topic, but according to studies of recent years the first dinosaurs were ambitious and small. Well, this new hypothesis reinforces this idea.

As for the diet, they conclude that they were omnivorous. And finally, although it was hitherto considered to have been created in Gondwana (southern hemisphere), it has been suggested that it might have been born in Laurasia (northern hemisphere) shortly before schedule.