Why is the chicken more closely related to the T. Rex as opposed to something like an Ostrich?
In: Biology
It’s not. They’re both equally closely related to the T. rex. Think of it like a family: you (chicken) and your sibling (ostrich) are both equally related to your cousin (T. rex). You both share a common ancestor (grandparents).
Well, it’s not so much that chickens are more closely related to T. Rex than ostriches are, but rather that ALL birds share a common ancestor with T. Rex. Birds are basically modern-day dinosaurs, so it’s like one big family reunion. Chickens just happen to preserve a lot of the traits that make that relationship easier to see. 練🍗
Ostriches, chickens, and *T. rex* are all descendants of dinosaurs, but *T. rex* is a different branch of dinosaur. Ostriches and chickens are both descendants of *archaeopteryx* or its relatives, making them “maniraptorans” (literally, “hand-thief”), dinosaurs that can fly. The *tyrannosauroidea* split from the ancestors of the *maniraptora* some 170-200 million years ago.
Like *all* modern birds, they are more closely related to *T. rex* than any non-bird species today is, but that’s like saying you are more closely related to giant sloths or woolly mammoths than any non-mammal species is. Of course you are! That doesn’t mean you’re *closely* related.
Because birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs like the T. Rex. Chickens inherited a lot of the same traits, while ostriches adapted differently over time. Feathers, skeletal structure, etc. basically make chickens tiny, clucking dinos. 練閭
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