Many Worlds of April. Saga of the Jurassic. Bird like Dinosaurs or Dinosaur like Birds?

The first bird-like species developed during the Jurassic. Archaeopteryx is a well-known example of a link between dinosaurs and birds. Archaeopteryx had some characteristics of the dinosaurs like a long tail, and finger claws. It also had some characteristics of modern birds like feathers.

In recent times many fossils have been found with both dinosaur and bird characteristics. Confuciusornus is one found in China. Some raptor species have been found with clear feather imprints. Most paleontologists today consider birds to be closely related to the dinosaurs. The Archaeopteryx may not have been the first dinosaur to have feathers. But it did cause scientists to rethink the definition of birds.