Richard Dawkins, the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, in his collection of essays entitled A Devil’s Chaplain, writes:
“Modern birds are descended from dinosaurs (or at least from ancestors we would now happily call dinosaurs if only they had gone extinct as decent dinosaurs should).”
Modern birds and dinosaurs share over 90 anatomical features. Since the discovery of Sinosauropteryx in western Liaoning Province, China, cladistic analysis (biological systematic that classifies organisms into hierarchical evolutionary groups) has strengthened the cased for the dinosaur/bird link. A recent exhibit on dinosaurs at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry included one display of flying dinosaurs.
Confuciusornis:
Confuciusornis lived in China during the Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago). Like modern birds it had a toothless beak.
Sinosauropteryx:
Also known as the Chinese Winged Lizard this animal lived in China during the Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago). This was the first feathered dinosaur fossil found by paleontologists. In 2009, scientists discovered the Sinosaurpteryx had a rusty orange and white-ringed tail.
Angustinaripterus:
With a wingspread of 1.6 meters (5.25 feet) Angustinaripterus lived in China during the Mid-Jurassic (170 million years ago. This was a fish-eating animal.
Microraptor:
Microraptor dates to the Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago). This was a four-winged glider which was unable to flap its wings to fly. The fossilized flight feathers of the Microrapter are asymmetric in shape to give lift with the help of airflow.