T‑Rex's bird connection confirmed: Closer to chickens than crocs
The remains of a T-Rex, studied by scientists and which have survived nearly 68 million years, have provided new insights into this animal. This gives scientists an unprecedented opportunity to analyse the tissues of extinct dinosaurs.
These findings came from research published in the scientific journal "Science". As scientists point out, they used proteins extracted from dinosaur bones to study their molecular similarities to modern animals. Although the theory of the dinosaur-bird connection was not new, previously, it was based solely on anatomical similarities and skeletal data.
They compared T-Rex tissues with modern species
A research team from several leading American universities, in possession of 68-million-year-old T-Rex bones, extracted collagen—a protein also found in the bones of today’s animals. This discovery was groundbreaking, as it was the first time the potential survival of this protein over millions of years was demonstrated, providing an unprecedented opportunity to analyse the tissues of dinosaurs.
Scientists used an advanced analytical technique—mass spectrometry—to detect collagen, and the obtained peptide sequences were compared with collagen from 21 modern species. Based on the results, phylogenetic trees were created, showing the connections of the popular dinosaur with different groups of animals. Most analyses placed the T-Rex among the archosaurs, a group that includes birds and crocodiles, with a stronger inclination towards birds.
T-Rex closer to birds than reptiles
The molecular similarities of the dinosaur's collagen indicated that it is closer to chickens and ostriches than to crocodiles, which resemble dinosaurs, although the study authors admitted that some gaps in the data made it challenging to create a complete picture. Does this mean birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs? Everything suggests that this is the case. The results of the study suggest that if biomolecules of other non-avian dinosaurs were studied in the same way, they would also show a greater resemblance to birds than to other vertebrates.
John M. Asara of Harvard University, the study's author, emphasised in a conversation with "The New York Times" that their genetic findings are consistent with skeletal data, with over a 90% probability that the connection of the T-Rex with living birds is real.
There are plenty of memes online depicting a chicken looking up at the sky, where a mighty tyrannosaurus emerges from behind a cloud with the message "Remember who you are." It turns out it's not just a funny graphic.
