Contents

Flying Beasts 4
The Age of Archosaurs 6
A Different Earth 8
Adapting to Change 9
Bird Fossils 10
Revealing Evidence 12
Ornithologists 13
Bird Groups 14
Birds Closeup 16
Life Cycle of Birds 18
Feeding Habits of Birds . . . . 20
Disappearing Act 22
Prehistoric Birds Onscreen . . 24
Digging for Birds 26
Further Research 28
Ancient Activity . . . . . . . . . . 29
Quiz 30
Glossary 31
Index 32
Flying Beasts

B irds have lived on Earth for a long time. When

dinosaurs roamed the world, prehistoric birds also
filled the skies. Scientists think the first birds appeared
on Earth about 150 million years ago, during the Late
Jurassic Period.

There were many types of prehistoric birds. They

ranged in size from very small to very large. Many
died out along with the dinosaurs at the end of the
Cretaceous Period, about 6^ million years ago. Even
though many birds disappeared, others continued
to live and are still living today.

Pterosaurs were flying reptiles, not birds. They had wings, but no
feathers. A leather membrane covered their wings. Their wings
ranged in size from a few inches to more than 40 feet (12 m).

4 FLYING BEASTS
Albertosaurus\N3S a theropod, which means "beast footed."
Most theropod dinosaurs walked on two legs.

Today, many paleontologists believe that birds

actually evolved from a type of dinosaur called a
theropod. Theropods were meat-eating dinosaurs
that shared many features with modern birds.

FACTS ABOUT FLYING ANIMALS

The largest known flying animal
was Quetzacoatlus, a member
of the pterosaur family, it had
a wingspan of 40 feet (12 m) or
more. Quetzacoatlus \N3sf'\[s\
discovered in Big Bend National
Park, Texas, in 1971.
• Some scientists are not sure
if the Archaeopteryx, the first
known bird, used its feathers
to keep its body temperature
normal or if it used its feathers
for flight.

BIRDS 5
 The Age of
Archosaurs

F or more than 3.5 billion years, living things have

grown and developed on Earth. Scientists have
divided Earths history into blocks of time called
eras. The eras are divided into periods. The dinosaurs
lived during the Mesozoic Era, often called the "Age
of Dinosaurs."

PRECAMBRIAN ERA PALEOZOIC ERA

545 Million to 250 Million
Years Ago
•^ Paleozoic means "ancient life."
During this era, more complex
life forms appeared on Earth,
including fish, insects, land
plants, and reptiles.
Algae fossils

4.6 Billion to 545 Million

Years Ago
During the Precambrian Era,
simple life forms first
appeared in the seas.

Trilobite fossils
6 THE AGE OF ARCHOSAURS
Some scientists think the Mesozoic Era should be
called the "Age of Archosaurs." The archosaurs were a
large group of animals that included birds, dinosaurs,
and pterosaurs, or flying reptiles.

The first known bird was the Archaeopteryx. It is

thought to have appeared at the end of the Jurassic
Period about 150 million years iigo. The Archaeopteryx
shared features with the birds that are alive today and
dinosaurs. It had bird-like features, such as feathers,
wings, a wishbone, and light, hollow bones. It also
had dinosaur-like features, such as a full set of teeth,
a long tailbone, and three claws on each wing.

MESOZOIC ERA CENOZOIC ERA

65Million Years Ago
to the Present
Cenozoic means "recent life."
All types of mammals began
to appear on Earth during the
Cenozoic Era.

Brontotheres sk\.\\\

250 Million to 65 Million

Years Ago
• Mesozoic means "middle
life." Dinosaursand birds
appeared during the Mesozoic
Era. By the end of this era,
many of these animals Oldest-known hat fossil
became extinct.
BIRDS 7
 A Different Earth

D uring the Mesozoic Era, when birds first

appeared, Earth was much warmer than it
is today. In the Triassic Period, the land on Earth
formed one large continent called Panguea. The
climate was warm, the sea level was high, and there
was no ice at the North Pole or South Pole. During
the Jurassic Period, Pangaea began to divide into
separate continents. The climate grew moist, and
forests became thicker. In the Cretaceous Period,
the land continued to shift and change. The climate
was warm, and there were wet and dry seasons. By
the end ofthe Cretaceous Period, the continents
looked much like they do today.

THE CHANGING CONTINENTS

Triassic Period Jurassic Period Cretaceous Period

One continent Pangaea begins Modern continents
called Pangaea to break apart begin to form

8 A DIFFERENT EARTH
Adapting to
Change

The Dodo's
hooked beak
may have
been used
to catch fish.

The Dodo
lacked the
The Doc/o did not need strong chest
to fly, so it developed muscles needed
small, weak wings. for flight.
DODO

A s Earth changed, animals adapted to fit into

their environment. Paleontologists agree that
the first bird was the Archaeopteryx, but after that, they
disagree about the history of birds. Some scientists
think that birds evolved from meat-eating dinosaurs
called theropods. Today's birds share many features with
ancient theropods, including light, hollow bones. Other
scientists believe that birds evolved from early reptiles
called thecodonts. Crocodiles, dinosaurs, and pterosaurs
all evolved from archosaurs.

BIRDS 9
Bird Fossils

P rehistoric birds lived on Earth a long time ago.

It is not possible to go back in time to see them.
It is possible to learn about them by looking at their
fossils. Fossils are the rocklike remains of ancient
animals and plants. Some fossils are bones and shells,
and other fossils are impressions of feathers, leaves,
and skin. Feather impressions found in ancient rocks
have helped scientists identify prehistoric birds such
diS Archaeopteryx.

Hardened tree sap, also called amber, can preserve items so well that
even the individual fibers of a feather are visible.

10 BIRD FOSSILS
 T T M ' I '

Sedimentary rock, where many fossils are found, is made of strata,

or layers. Exposed sedimentary rock often can be found on cliffs and
riverbanks or in desert badlands.

HOW FOSSILS ARE FORMED

Paleontologists have found the
fossils of many different prehistoric
animals. A fossil is created when
layers of mud and sand cover the
bones of an animal that has died.
As time passes, layers of mud build
up. The weight of the upper layers
of mud pushes down on the lower
layers to form solid rock. Bones or
plant materials become fossils.
Bird fossils afe not as common as
dinosaur fossils. Birds had light,
hollow bones that did not always
last long enough to become fossils
After a bird died, it sometimes rotted
away or was eaten by other animals
before its bones could get trapped
in mud.

BIRDS 11
Revealing
Evidence

E very new fossil helps paleontologists understand

what life was like on Earth long ago. By looking at
fossils, scientists can get a better idea of how large an
animal was, when it lived, whether it walked on the
ground or flew through the air, and if it lived alone
or in a herd. Paleontologists are much like detectives.
They try to learn as much as they can from the evidence,
or clues, they find.

In order to identify a bird fossil, paleontologists look

for special features, such as impressions of feathers, a
wishbone, or bird-like hips. These
are the features that prehistoric
birds such zs Archaeopteryx had
in common with modern birds.

Scientists think that

Archaeopteryxy^3s a weak
flier. It probably was best at
gliding, leaping, and running.

12 REVEALING EVIDENCE
CAREER LINK

Ornithologists

A n ornithologist studies birds. They may study

the behavior of birds, where birds live, and how
birds interact with their environment. Ornithologists
may also be involved in saving birds that are in danger
of becoming extinct. Ornithologists can work for
government agencies or other organizations. They
may work with wild birds, in a laboratory, or on their
computer. Some study a particular bird group, while
others are interested in all birds. Ornithologists perform
many different types of jobs, and they use a variety of
tools. If they work in the field, they may use binoculars,
telescopes, and nets or traps. If they work in a laboratory,
they may use microscopes, test tubes, cages, and
computers. To become an ornithologist, you need
to do well in science and math classes. You should
also develop the language
skills necessary for
writing reports.

Ornithologists sometimes catch

and tag birds in order to track
their migration patterns.

BIRDS 13
Bird Groups

B irds can be divided into two major groups: the

advanced fliers and the flightless birds. Scientists
believe that the type of dinosaur most closely related
to birds is a group of dinosaurs called theropods, a
group of bipedal dinosaurs. Theropods share so many
features with today's birds that some scientists believe
that birds actually are theropod dinosaurs. One very
bird-like dinosaur was the Deinonychus. This dinosaur
did not have feathers
and could not By, but its
distinctive hipbone is
similar to the hipbone of
a modern bird. This has
led scientists to believe that
modern birds evolved from
Deinonychus, or a dinosaur
very much like it.

The hipbone of theropods allowed

them to stand and walk upright.
Modern birds have the same type
of hipbone.

14 BIRD GRDUPS
ADVANCED FLIERS: NEOGNATHOUS BIRDS
Most modern birds belong
to the neognathous, or advanced
fliers, group. Many scientists
believe that all birds developed
features for flight Birds needed
to be very light to get off the
ground and stay off the ground,
so they developed hollow bones.
They also needed to stay in the
air once they were in the air.
That is why birds developed
wings and feathers.
flapped its arms to get into the
air Others think that the small
theropod gradually developed
wings in order to glide from
tree to tree. The discovery
of the Microraptorgui'm China
supports this theory. This
small flying dinosaur had
four wings—one on each
arm and leg.

How Deinonychusïr]\qhX have

developed into an animal that
could fly is still a mystery to
scientists. Some believe that
Deinonychus ran quickly and

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS: PALAEOGNATHUS BIRDS

There are still a few species
of palaeognathus, or flightless,
birds alive today. Scientists
think that flightless birds lost
their ability to fly because
they were not threatened by
dangerous predators. They had
no reason to leave the ground.
Flightless birds still
exist in places such
as Africa, Australia,
New Zealand, and
South America.
Ostrich

BIRDS 15
Birds Cioseup

M any different kinds of birds lived in prehistoric

times. Some were the size of a chicken, while others
had 25-foot (7.5-m) wingspans. There were birds that
stood 12 feet (3.7 m) high and others that weighed 800
pounds (363 kg). There were flightless birds and birds
that could fly.

Diatryfna was first discovered

in 1874 in New Mexico.
Diatryma was a large,
flightless, meat-eating bird.
It lived 53 million years ago.

16 BIRDS CLDSEUP
 ARCHAEOPTERYX
• Believed to be the first bird
• Same size and weight as
a crow
• Appeared in the Late
Jurassic Period
• Probably ate insects
•
and small plants
Shared many
characteristics with
I pounds (299 kg)
both birds and reptiles
ANOALGALORNIS
Large, meat-eating,
flightless bird that lived
in South America
Peaked in numbers during
the Tertiary Period, 65 to
1.8 million years ago
Ran fast and had large
hooked beak
Replaced by other
predators such as
the jaguar and puma
MOA
Extinct flightless bird that
lived in New Zealand
First appeared 82 rriillion
years ago
• Could reach 12 feet (3.7 m)
and weigh more than 660
A plant-eater
Extinction caused by early
humans in New Zealand
DOOO
About the size of a
large turkey
A flightless member
ofthe pigeon family
Had short legs, a large
beak, and tiny wings
Killed by European sailors
for food and spoit
Became extinct about 1680
AEPYORNIS
• Flightless bird
• Stood 9 feet (2.7 m) high
and weighed more than
8Ü0 pounds (363 kg)
• Seven species lived on
the island of Madagascar;
•
some survived until the
seventeenth century
Had tiny wings and long,
sturdy legs
ARGENTAVIS
Had a 25-fnot
(7-6 mjwingspan
Weighed 265 pounds
(120 kg)
Lived about 5 to 8 million
years ago
Ancestor ol some vultures
and storks
Thought to be a very
fierce predator
BIRDS 17
Lile Cycle
of Birds

L ike reptiles and dinosaurs, birds lay eggs. Prehistoric

bird eggs came in many shapes and sizes. Some were
tiny. Others were very large. The size of the egg would
usually depend on the size of its mother.

It is rare to find fossilized eggs because they are very

fragile. The largest bird egg fossil ever found belonged
to iheAepyomis, or elephant bird. This enormous bird
produced an equally enormous egg—it weighed
22 pounds (9.9 kg). Sometimes, when
paleontologists find a fossilized egg,
they discover a tiny, fossilized embryo
of a bird inside. This is unusual and
very special.

quail egg chicken egg ostrich egg elephant bird egg

18 LIFE CYCLE OF BIRDS

The tiny hummingbird lives from 3 to 5 years. The large ostrich can
live for 75 years.

Scientists do not really know how long prehistoric birds

lived. The length of a prehistoric bird's life was probably
different for each species of bird. Some scientists believe
that prehistoric birds lived as long as modern-day birds.

Paleontologists believe that larger animals lived longer

lives than smaller ones. Large birds, like New Zealand's
moa, might have hatched out of an egg, grown up, and
lived a much longer life than the small dodo, another
flightless bird.

EGGS FOR LUNCH?

Laying eggs might have led to the other animals could easily find and
extinction of some prehistoric birds, eat them. Paleontologists think this
such as the Diatryma. Because the is why the Diatiyma became extinct.
Diatryma laid its eggs on the ground,

BIRDS 19
Feeding Habits
of Birds

E ven though birds probably evolved from meat-eating

dinosaurs, some became meat-eaters, while others
became plant-eaters. Some birds, such as the moa,
were large, slow-moving, plant-eating birds. The moa
is thought to have eaten fruits, seeds, and vegetables.

Other birds, such as the Argentavis,

were meat-eating birds. They had
powerful legs that allowed them
to run very fast. Once they caught
their prey, they could easily tear it
apart with their sharp talons and
hooked beak.

N
A new species of puff bird was
discovered in Lincoln County, Wyoming.
It lived approximately 50 million years
ago and likely ate insects, just like
modern puff birds, which live in tropical
North and South America.

20 F E E D I N G H A B I T S OF B I R D S
 Food Weh

SUN

DECAYING
BIRD
REMAINS

PLANT-EATING BIRDS

MEAT EATING
BIRDS

FOOD WEB
Just like life today, all life in or plant-eaters. The herbivores were
prehistoric times relied on an eaten by carnivores, or meat-eaters.
exchange of energy, also called When a bird or any other living thing
a food web. For birds, this food died, its body would break down and
web began with plants. The plants provide food for plants.
made their own food by converting
the Sun's rays into energy. These
plants were eaten by herbivores,

BIRDS 21
Disappearing Act

A lmost half of the worlds animal and plant species

became extinct at the end ofthe Cretaceous Period.
Some scientists think these animals and plants became
extinct because the climate became colder. Other
scientists believe that a huge meteorite
crashed into Earth and hurled tons of
dust into the air. The dust formed a
thick cloud that blocked out light from
the Sun. Soon, plants died because
they could not get enough sunlight.
Plant-eating animals starved
to death. Losing their prey,
meat-eating animals
died, too.

The dodo evolved into a non-flying bird after settling

on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The
introduction of new animals onto the island and the
use of the dodo for food caused it to become extinct
by the 1680s.

22 DISAPPEARING ACT
 Although bird
fossils are not
as common as
dinosaur fossils,
many of them
contain details
that are helping
scientists explain
how birds evolved.

Many different species of birds had developed

by the end ofthe Cretaceous Period. Some
disappeared in the mass extinction, although
paleontologists are not sure how many species
became extinct. Hesperornithiform birds, which
were flightless birds that spent most of their time
in water diving for food, disappeared with the
dinosaurs, ¡chthyornis, z fiying bird with teeth,
also disappeared about the same time. Although
primitive birds with teeth disappeared at the end
ofthe Cretaceous Period, many toothless birds
survived this mass extinction. The birds that
survived the great extinction eventually developed
into the land birds and water birds of today.

AN OLD THEORY OF EXTINCTION

Early scientists once believed
that ancient warm-blooded
animals, the ancestors of
modern-day mammals,
were responsible for the
disappearance of the dinosaurs.
According to this theory,
small, furry animals ate
all of the dinosaur eggs.
Today, this theory isas
extinct as the dinosaurs.

BIRDS 23
Prehistoric Birds
Onscreen

I n modern culture, dinosaurs receive most of the

attention given to prehistoric animals. They are
everywhere^on television, in movies, in books,
and on cereal boxes. Prehistoric fliers do not appear
nearly as often in books and movies.

Pterosaurs are popular characters in movies and television shows such

as Jurassic Park III, Dinotopia, The Flintstones, and The Lost World

24 PREHISTORIC BIRDS ONSCREEN

Flying animals do appear in movies, but most of these
animals are flying reptiles. In 1933, a scary-looking
pterosaur was featured in the movie King Kong, This
enormous creature tried to pull Fay Wray, the lead
character, off a cliff.

Many prehistoric birds

looked like the birds
seen today. Instead
of waiting to see a
prehistoric bird on
a movie screen, just
go birdwatching.

Unlike their prehistoric

ancestors, modern meat-eating
birds do not have teeth and have
to tear their food apart with
theii beaks.

YABBA DABBA DOO!

In the cartoon, The Flintstones,
cartoon people live among
dinosaurs. In the cartoon,
people strapped seats to the
backs of pterosaurs and used
them as airplanes. The
Flintstones also used
prehistoric birds as
feather dusters.

BIROS 25
Digging for Birds
I t is unusual to find fossils of flying animals because
their bones are light and easily destroyed. Even so,
paleontologists niake exciting discoveries every year.
This map shows some exciting discoveries of prehistoric
birds and flying reptiles.

In 1872, Benjamin F.
Mudge found the first
IchthyornisiossW in
Kansas. The fossils of
several species of this
gull-sized bird have
been found all over
North America.

In the mid-nineteenth century,

fossils of giant flying reptiles
were found in chalk deposits
in Kansas.

In 1983, a very large Argentavis fossW was

found in Argentina. The bird would have
weighed 265 pounds (120 kg} and had a
25-foGt (7.6-m) wingspan.

26 D I G G I N G FOR B I R D S
 In 1784, the first In 1861, the first Archaeopteryx In 2003, Chinese fossil hunters
pterosaur was skeleton was found in limestone discovered a new species of flying
discovered in a beds in Germany. At first, dinosaur and named it Microraptor
limestone bed scientists thought the find was gui. It was the size of a pigeon and
in Solnhofen, a pterosaui, or flying reptile, but had two sets of wings on its front
Germany. Pterosaur they were wrong. Seven fossils and back legs. Scientists believe
remains are still and a feather have been found it used its wings to glide from tree
being found tbere. in the same place. to tree. For this reason, scientists
believe the Microraptor gui mghx
be the link between dinosaurs
and birds.

Hundreds of moa fossils

were found in a swamp
in New Zealand in 1937

ANTARCTICA Í311 Miles

1501 Kilometers

BIRDS 27
 Further
Research
WEB SITES
For information about different kinds of prehistoric life, including birds,
visit: http://www.enchantedlearning.com

For more information about prehistoric life, visit:

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com

To find out how to become a paleontologist, visit:

http://www.paleosoc.org

To find out the latest buzz in the world of paleontology, visit:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinobuzz.html

Arnold, Caroline. Dinosaurs with Feathers: The Ancestors of Modern

Birds. New York: Clarion Books, 2001.

Matthews, Rupert. Pterodactyi. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2003.

O'Donnell, Kerri. Birds: Modern-day Dinosaurs. New York:

Rosen, 2002.

Shealy, Dennis. Dinosaurs Alive! The Dinosaur-Bird Connection.

New York: Random House, 2003.

28 FURTHER RESEARCH
Ancient Activity
I magine you are a
paleontologist. Your
job is to compare
Archaeopteryx with
modern birds to see
how closely they are
related. What features
rr\2ike Archaeopteryx a
bird? What features
m2.ke Archaeopteryx a
dinosaur? Think of
as many things as
you can for each,
and then check your
answers below.

BIRDS 2 9
Quiz

Based on what you have read,

answer the following questions:

1. What type of dinosaur do 5. How were prehistoric baby

paleontologists think was
the ancestor of birds?
2. In which era did
Archaeopteryx Wyel
3. Which flightless bird stood
9 feet (2.7 m) high?
4. Name the flying dinosaur
discovered by Chinese fossil
hunters in 2003.
birds born?
6. What two theories do
paleontologists use to explain
how birds started to fly?
7. What is the largest known
flying animal?
8. When did many birds
become extinct?

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30 QUIZ
Glossary
adapted: adjusted to different migration: the movement from
conditions or environments on3 region to another for feeding
or breeding
bipedal: an animal that walks
on two legs paleontologists: scientists
who study dinosaurs and other
continent: a large land mass
prehistoric animals
distinctive: a feature that
predators: animals that catch
makes something unique
and eat other animals for food
or special
pray: an animal that is hunted
embryo: what an animal is
for food
called before it is born
species: a group of animals
environment: an area in which
that are similar and can
something lives
breec together
evolved: changed slowly
tboory: an idea that explains
overtime
an event or fact
extinct: no longer alive
wisbbone: a special bone
anywhere on Earth
that is the right and left
mammals: warm-blooded collarbones fused together;
animals that give birth tc live founc only on birds
young, have hair on their bodies,
and produce milk for their young
meteorite: a body of rock
from outer space that has
reached Earth

BIRDS 31
 Index
Aepyornis 17,18 Ichthyornis 23,26
Albertosaurus 5
amber 10 Jurassic Period 4, 7, 8,17
Andalgalornis 17
Archaeopteryx 5,7, 9,10 mammals 7, 23
12,17,27,29 Mesozoic Era 6, 7, 8
archosaurs 7 meteorite 22
Argentavis 17,20,26 Microraptor gui 15, 27
moa 17,19,20,27
carnivore 21
Cenozoic Era 7 neognathous 15
Cretaceous Period 4, 8,
22,23 ornithologists 13
crocodiles 9
palaeognathus 15
Deinonychus 14,15 paleontologists 5,9,11,12
Diatryma 16,19 18,19,23,26,29
dinosaur ....4,5,6,7,9,11,14 Paleozoic Era 6
15,18,20,23,24,27,29 Pangaea 8
dodo 9,17,19,22 period 6
Precambrian Era 6
eggs 18,19,23 pterosaur 4, 5, 7, 9, 24, 27
embryo 18
Quezalcoatlus 5, 9,25
food web 21
fossil 6,7,10,11,12, theropod 5,9,14,15
18,23,26,27 Triassic Period 8

herbivore 21 wishbone 7,12,29

32 INDEX