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Scotsmen

62 (63.9%)

Aussie

19 (19.6%)

other

16 (16.5%)

Total Members Voted: 97

[Askot Bokbondeler]

every bird shares the same reptile ancestry

Actually birds are related to dromaeosaurids, or raptors. The velociraptor being the most well known of the group. Dromaeosaurids were not reptiles, rather they were basically birds, being feathered, having warm blood, laying eggs, building nests, hollow bones etc.
Some could also fly (although not Velociraptors, probably.)

Deinonychosauria is the sister clade to modern birds, and was made up of the aforementioned dromaeosaurids as well as troodontids. Birds are, basically, a subset of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs and are part of the Maniraptora clade.


Yes, Birds are basically dinosaurs; they've changed very little from their raptor ancestors.

rewinding a bit: i always was of the opinion that dinosaurs should be considered early birds more than reptiles, but i wasnt aware that this was already acepted. when it was said that "chickens follow a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" i replied to remark that every bird shared the same ancestry, and if chickens "followed a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" so did emus and turkeys

[Vester]

every bird shares the same reptile ancestry

Actually birds are related to dromaeosaurids, or raptors. The velociraptor being the most well known of the group. Dromaeosaurids were not reptiles, rather they were basically birds, being feathered, having warm blood, laying eggs, building nests, hollow bones etc.
Some could also fly (although not Velociraptors, probably.)

Deinonychosauria is the sister clade to modern birds, and was made up of the aforementioned dromaeosaurids as well as troodontids. Birds are, basically, a subset of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs and are part of the Maniraptora clade.


Yes, Birds are basically dinosaurs; they've changed very little from their raptor ancestors.

rewinding a bit: i always was of the opinion that dinosaurs should be considered early birds more than reptiles, but i wasnt aware that this was already acepted. when it was said that "chickens follow a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" i replied to remark that every bird shared the same ancestry, and if chickens "followed a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" so did emus and turkeys

Why do you think turkeys are so aggressive?

Anyway, it's pretty much accepted by the scientific community that dinosaurs were the bird forerunners.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

yes, but for example, in wikipedia, dinosaurs are listed as Class:Reptilia and not as Class:Aves.

[Vester]

The line of descent is mostly accepted, but people can't agree on what they actually are, due to the whole "Warm blood" thing, not to mention the fact that reptiles share characteristics with one branch of dinosaur while the birds share characteristics with another one. Considering the massive variety of dinosaurs, the classification itself is pretty hard.

[Osmosis Jones]

I love the current direction of conversation; anyone arriving on the last page without first seeing the intervening ones will no doubt be going "WTF do the classification of extinct ornithological ancestors have to do with the Scottish or Australian nations?"

[Jreengus]

Well it's simple Scots have chickens, Australians have alligators. To decide who is more badass we need to know whether chickens or alligators are more closely related to dinosaurs.

[Vester]

It's chickens. Alligators are directly descended from... well, Alligators. Seriously, they evolved parallel with Dinosaurs.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[Osmosis Jones]

Australia does not have alligators, that is N. America. We have salt water crocs, that are bigger and meaner (not boasting, they just are).

[Neruz]

every bird shares the same reptile ancestry

Actually birds are related to dromaeosaurids, or raptors. The velociraptor being the most well known of the group. Dromaeosaurids were not reptiles, rather they were basically birds, being feathered, having warm blood, laying eggs, building nests, hollow bones etc.
Some could also fly (although not Velociraptors, probably.)

Deinonychosauria is the sister clade to modern birds, and was made up of the aforementioned dromaeosaurids as well as troodontids. Birds are, basically, a subset of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs and are part of the Maniraptora clade.


Yes, Birds are basically dinosaurs; they've changed very little from their raptor ancestors.

rewinding a bit: i always was of the opinion that dinosaurs should be considered early birds more than reptiles, but i wasnt aware that this was already acepted. when it was said that "chickens follow a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" i replied to remark that every bird shared the same ancestry, and if chickens "followed a direct evolutionary line from Dromaeosaurids" so did emus and turkeys

Wrong way around; dinosaurs are not birds, birds are dinosaurs. Most researchers today classify or accept the classification of birds as theropod dinosaurs that evolved during the Mesozoic Era.

So it depends on what you mean by "closely related". If you're looking at physical characteristics and common ancestry, then it's probably alligators (I suspect that the last common ancestor of dinosaurs and alligators is less far away from either than the last dinosaur that was a common ancestor of all birds is from all birds, although I could be wrong). If you're talking cladistically, then yeah, birds are part of whatever clade dinosaurs end up in, so they're essentially zero away, while crocodilians are in a different clade.

Crocodiles and alligators are indeed part of the Archosaur classification, right alongside birds and dinosaurs. The 'first' Archosaurs did indeed look more like lizards than birds, but that was due to a lack of feathers; their bone structure was actually quite similar to that of modern birds.

[RAM]

Well it's simple Scots have chickens, Australians have Cassowaries. To decide who is more badass we need to know whether chickens or Cassowaries are more closely related to human dismemberment.

[Neruz]

We also have Emus.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

Anyone ever heard of pig chasing? It's a popular sport in Rural austraila. You see, first we have kelpies/bull-arab dogs which track down pigs. Most pigs will be from about 60 to 110 kilos, but they can get heavier, or lighter, depending. Once the dogs have tracked down a pig, they then 'bail it up'. This is when the dog runs around a pig to confuse it (If it's a small dog), or grabs the pig by the ear to hold it (if it's a big dog). At this point, said Australian runs in, proceeds to try and flip, or push over the pig, and then stabs it in the heart with a knife.
. . .

we win
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGem0n9kY9c&feature=related

this didn't seem to get the attention in deserved... the portuguese wrestle bulls!

[Osmosis Jones]

Reposting is not badass, sorry

[jaek]

We also have Emus.

Emus, so dangerous they started a war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War