Since the discovery of Deinonychus by John Ostrom in 1970, the field of vertebrate paleontology has become of much more interest to the world. Although this animal was probably a warm-blooded predator rather than a slow moving reptile, people were suddenly interested in what more they might learn about the past from dinosaur bones. It was not long after that new discoveries of dinosaur bones took place in South America, Antarctica and Madagascar. The unearthing of a feathered dinosaur in China has lead to quite a bit of discussion as to whether birds are living relatives of dinosaurs and how exactly this link fits in with evolution. Using dinosaur bones and the modern cladistic system developed by biologists it is possible to classify dinosaurs into evolutionary relationships based on characteristics observed from their bones. Although the fossil record is not complete by any means, this powerful system allows us to draw connections between living and dead organisms and has proven to be an excellent way to understand the activities and relationships of dinosaurs. |
