鸟类起源于基干的初龙类

中亚三叠纪和中国早白垩世的新的重要化石发现或许可以帮助解决有关鸟类起源的争议。鸟类的飞行可能起源于三叠纪一些小型的、四脚滑翔的初龙类。羽毛的起源最初是为了滑翔而不是保温。“手盗龙类”实际上起源于鸟类 ,并至少发育了初级飞羽 ,具备滑翔的能力

A basal archosaurian origin for birds

The controversy over the origin of birds may have been resolved through the discovery of new and remarkable fossils from the Triassic of Central Asia and the Early Cretacous of China. Flight probably originated in small, quadrupedal gliding archosaurs in the Triassic. Feathers originated for gliding rather than for insulation. The "maniraptoran dinosaurs" are actually derived from birds with at least gliding capabilities and primary feathers on the handsActa Zoologica Sinica 50(6):978-990,2004].