rdf-syntax-grammar
mods:
  schema location: http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
  title info:
    title: Avian Ancestors
    sub title: A Review of the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Theropods Unenlagiidae, Microraptoria, Anchiornis and Scansoriopterygidae
  name:
    name part: Agnolin, Federico.
    role:
      role term: creator
    role:
      role term: author.
  name:
    name part: Novas, Fernando E.
    role:
      role term: author.
  name:
    name part: SpringerLink (Online service)
  type of resource: text
  origin info:
    place:
      place term: ne
    date issued: 2013
    issuance: monographic
  language:
    language term: eng
  physical description:
    form: electronic
    form: electronic resource
    reformatting quality: access
    form: remote
    extent: IX, 96 p. 18 illus., 6 illus. in color. online resource.
  abstract: Although consensus exists among researchers that birds evolved from coelurosaurian theropods, paleontologists still debate the identification of the group of coelurosaurians that most closely approaches the common ancestor of birds. The last 20 years witnessed the discovery of a wide array of avian-like theropods that has considerably amplified the anatomical disparity among deinonychosaurians, some of which resemble Archaeopteryx more than Deinonychus. Among these newly discovered theropods that show remarkable bird-like characteristics are the four-winged theropods Microraptor and Anchiornis, and the unenlagiids Unenlagia, Buitreraptor, and Rahonavis. A bizarre group of minute-sized coelurosaurs, the Scansoriopterygidae, also exhibits some avian similarities that lead some authors to interpret them as more closely related to birds than other dinosaurs. With the aim to explore the phylogenetic relationships of these coelurosaurians and birds, we merged recently published integrative databases, resulting in significant changes in the topological distribution of taxa within Paraves. We present evidence that Dromaeosauridae, Microraptoria, Unenlagiidae, and Anchiornis + Xiaotingia form successive sister taxa of Aves, and that the Scansoriopterygidae are basal coelurosaurians not closely related to birds. The implications in the evolutionary sequence of anatomical characters leading to birds, including the origin of flight, are also considered in light of this new phylogenetic hypothesis.
  table of contents: Introduction -- Institutional abbreviations -- Comparison: general information about the main taxa to be compared in the present paper -- Phylogenetic analysis: review of available phylogenetic hypotheses about the origin of birds, discussing their respective logical bases and discussion of characters used for their support -- Systematic Paleontology: systematic arrangement -- Discussion -- Evolution of feathers and wings among basal paravians -- Osteological and integumental modifications related to the origin of flight -- Body size increase and loss of flying capabilities among paravians -- Independent origin of flying capabilities among paravians -- Averaptoran radiation and center of origin of birds -- Bibliography -- Character list.
  note: by Federico Agnolin, Fernando E. Novas.
  subject:
    topic: Earth sciences
  subject:
    topic: Paleontology
  subject:
    topic: Evolutionary biology
  subject:
    topic: Animal anatomy
  subject:
    topic: Earth Sciences
  subject:
    topic: Paleontology
  subject:
    topic: Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
  subject:
    topic: Evolutionary Biology
  subject:
    topic: Animal Anatomy / Morphology / Histology
  classification: QE701-760
  classification: 560
  related item:
    title info:
      title: Springer eBooks
  related item:
    title info:
      title: SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences, South America and the Southern Hemisphere
  identifier: 9789400756373
  identifier: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5637-3
  record info:
    record creation date: 130228
    record change date: 20151029231214.0
    record identifier: 978-94-007-5637-3