remains complicated as there’s tons of nucleic acids, genes and proteins involved. Today, the focus is on chicken to be precise as chicken is a simple model bird that could be studied in developmental biology. Scientists look to identify the genes involved in the formation of the wings instead of dinosaur arms or the genes stopping the tail from developing. One of the major steps made in that field is growing reptilian teeth on chicken, a character that dinosaurs and crocodiles had but was lost with birds.
Today, it is not impossible but not likely that non-avian dinosaurs can be resurrected. But scientists will continue their work to increase our understanding of those unique species whether scaly or feathery.
AFRICAN VULTURE CRISIS
Massive declines in numbers require conservation efforts to vultures.
A group of researches suggest that 6 out of Africa's 8 vulture species should be classified as 'Critically Endangered' due to their decline in numbers over the past 50 years.
“Vultures eat more meat than anything apart from blowflies,” said Murn. “If you take them out of the ecosystem, what will be the impact on tourism to places like the Serengeti?” Shaw said that the worst known poisoning incident killed 500 mainly white-backed vultures in Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park in July 2013. “It is hard to protect these vultures,” he added. “They are mobile and roam thousands of miles.” James Fair
FIND OUT MORE
Read the researchers’ abstract
in Conservation Letters:
http://bit.ly/1V9UDe3
SECOND COMING
Fan-made concept of "Chickenosaurus"
© John Haslam - Flickr