Fossils and avian evolution

Early penguin fossils, plus mitochondrial genomes, calibrate avian evolution.

Testing models of macroevolution, and especially the sufficiency of microevolutionary processes, requires good collaboration between molecular biologists and paleontologists. We report such a test for events around the Late Cretaceous by describing the earliest penguin fossils, analyzing complete mitochondrial genomes from an albatross, a petrel, and a loon, and describe the gradual decline of ...

Evidence for evolution from fossils

That is, carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14, an electron, and an electron antineutrino. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that it is not possible to predict when any given nucleus will decay. In addition, the probability of decay in the next time interval dt is completely independent of how long the nucleus has lasted up to that point, be it an attosecond or a billion years. What this means is ...

The Debate on Avian Ancestry Phylogeny , Function , and Fossils LAWRENCE

Evolution of retroviruses: fossils in our DNA.

NIQUE AMONG INFECTIOUS AGENTS, retroviruses provide the opportunity for studying their own evolution, evolution of the host-virus relationship, and evolution of the host. This utility stems from the property that retroviruses must, as a normal and essential part of every cycle of replication, cause their genetic information, in the form of a DNA molecule called the provirus, to be joined with, ...

Avian Paleontology and Evolution

Miocoracias chenevali, nov. gen., nov. spec., a new genus and species of roller (Aves: Coraciiformes s. s.: Coraciidae) is described from the Early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy. This family had not yet been reported from the rich fossil avifauna of this area. Although the material is fragmentary it shows morphological characteristics different from those of the extinct family Geranopteridae, ...