My entire childhood I was taught dinosaurs were reptiles but in recent years I’ve read that many scientists believe they are closer to birds than reptiles. Please help me understand this.
In: Biology
‘Reptile’ is not a technical term, unless you mean lizards, snakes and such. That group (the lepidosaurs) is more closely related to the dinosaurs than the mammals are, but is still on a different branch. The crocodiles are more close to dinosaurs than the snakes, and turtles and tortoises more distant – about as distant as mammals. Birds descent from one group of dinosaurs.
Better to think of the dinosaur groups as a major branch, one fork going on to birds, and various reptile groups as other major branches.
Latest Answers