Dinosaurs became birds!!!!

The theropod ancestry of birds: new evidence from the late cretaceous of madagascar

Forster CA, Sampson SD, Chiappe LM, Krause DW.

A partial skeleton of a primitive bird, Rahona ostromi, gen. et sp. nov., has been discovered from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. This specimen, although exhibiting avian features such as a reversed hallux and ulnar papillae, retains characteristics that indicate a theropod ancestry, including a pubic foot and hyposphene-hypantra vertebral articulations. Rahona has a robust, hyperextendible second digit on the hind foot that terminates in a sicklelike claw, a unique characteristic of the theropod groups Troodontidae and Dromaeosauridae. A phylogenetic analysis places Rahona with Archaeopteryx, making Rahona one of the most primitive birds yet discovered.

Science. 1998 Mar 20;279(5358):1915-9.

Why is this cool?

Dinosaurs rock! Definitely not as much as dragons, but they are the closest we may ever get to real dragons. Today's paper is all about how dinosaurs have evolved into birds!! They present evidence that suggests several similarities between birds and dinosaurs (I say dinosaurs, but the author is specifically referring to Archaeopteryx). I will not go into the evidence, because it is fairly straightforward from the abstract.

 You may be thinking that birds are not awesome and their connection to dinosaurs only sullies the reputation of all thunder lizards, but you are so wrong. There are only three genres of flying animal: birds, bats, and insects. Insects are not animals, but you know what I mean. Insects and bats are both annoying, leaving only birds to be impressed by. 

If you need more reasons why birds rock, the great United States has declared that the most badass bird around, the Bald Eagle, represents the tenets of truth, liberty, and the American way.

 Just to be sure, here is a battle between a dragon and dinosaur. The dinosaur wins for being less fictional