If you've ever found the evolutionary journey from dinosaur to chicken a little hard to imagine, scientists can help, as they've just added another step on the path - and it might involve a series of colossal volcanic eruptions across the planet.
A new study, led by researchers at University College London and the University of Vigo in Spain reveals the moment, 180 million years ago, when some dinosaurs developed endothermy: the ability to regulate their body temperature and generate internal heat. This trait of being 'warm-blooded' is shared by mammals and birds today.
It's only in the last few years that research has challenged the established understanding that dinosaurs were all cold-blooded animals, like today's reptiles. The fact that some had feathers suggested they might have been endothermic. But the question of when warm-blooded dinosaurs first appeared, including the ancestors of modern-day birds, was not known until now.
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