How Did Birds Get Their Wings? Feathered Ornithomimids from Alberta and the Origin of Wings

This lecture examines feathered ornithomimids from Alberta and fossil evidence concerning the origin and development of dinosaur wings. It considers feather types, wing function, growth, and hypotheses for the evolution of flight.

Syllabus

Intro
FIRST HALF OF 19th CENTURY
SECOND HALF OF 19 CENTURY
DISCOVERY OF FIRST FEATHERED DINOSAURS IN 1998
THE OLD LOOK OF VELOCIRAPTOR
EVIDENCE OF FEATHERS IN VELOCIRAPTOR
THE NEW LOOK OF VELOCIRAPTOR
VELOCIRAPTOR LOOKED LIKE AN ANGRY BIRD
PHYLOGENETIC DISTRIBUTION OF FEATHERS IN DINOSAURS
TYPES OF FEATHERS FOUND IN DINOSAURS
FUNCTION OF SHAFTED FEATHERS
HYPOTHESES FOR THE EVOLUTION OF WINGS AND FLIGHT
WHY DID WINGS FIRST EVOLVE?
GEOGRAPHIC OCCURRENCES OF DINOSAURS WITH FEATHER IMPRESSIONS (PRE-2012)
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST FEATHERED DINOSAURS IN NORTH AMERICA
FIRST FEATHERED DINOSAURS FROM NORTH AMERICA
THREE FEATHERED ORNITHOMIMIDS
ARRANGEMENT OF COVERT FEATHERS ON THE WINGS OF MODERN BIRDS
CALAMUS IS A HOLLOW STRUCTURE
IS THERE EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF SHAFTED FEATHERS IN JUVENILE ORNITHOMIMIDS?
AGE OF WING DEVELOPMENT
SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS
WING FUNCTION IN ORNITHOMIMIDS
ORIGIN OF WINGS
CONCLUSIONS