On Saturday, February 10, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Andrew Dolby, a nationally recognized ornithologist, demystifies the evidence supporting avian evolution and pre-avian dinosaurs. He poses an interesting question and offers some background:
Tyrannosaurus Rex at my bird feeder? It may be hard to fathom that the chickadee at your feeder is close kin to the mightiest predators to ever roam the earth, according to River Country News. However, biologists have long suspected a historical relationship between dinosaurs and birds. Evidence supporting such links between animal groups can be difficult to find, but over the last two decades, troves of new fossils and a variety of new laboratory techniques have been rapidly piecing together the origins of birds. Can we settle the question: are birds dinosaurs?
Dolby, University of Mary Washington’s (UMW) Department of Biological Sciences, will review the evidence for this fascinating evolutionary story in an illustrated presentation and field observation. Dr. Dolby has been a UMW faculty member for 18 years and teaches courses in ornithology, ecology, and evolution. Additionally, he leads field trips to the Galapagos Islands and Panama and conducts field research on birds. To read more, go to http://www.rivercountrynews.com/29950/314297/a/geo-series-are-birds-dinosaurs.
