Science News


Monthly Archives: April 2008

Genetic Sequencing of Protein from T. rex Bone Confirms Dinosaurs’ Link to Birds

Scientists have put more meat on the theory that dinosaurs’ closest living relatives are modern-day birds. Molecular analysis, or genetic sequencing, of a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein from the dinosaur’s femur confirms that T. rex shares a common ancestry with chickens, ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators.
The dinosaur protein was wrested from a fossil [...]

Upright Walking Began 6 Million Years Ago

A shape comparison of the most complete fossil femur (thigh bone) of one of the earliest known pre-humans, or hominins, with the femora of living apes, modern humans and other fossils, indicates the earliest form of bipedalism occurred at least six million years ago and persisted for at least four million years.
William Jungers, Ph.D., of [...]