Our ad hoc journal club convened this morning, after hearing that researchers have shown that collagen genes salvaged from the thighbone of a T. rex skeleton are closely related to the collagen genes of modern birds (sp. chickens!). Thus, bird are the extant representatives of the dinosaur species! This, of course, has always been well known to us. The comet didn't get everybody! (Click on the title to link to the abstract.)
The mature female staged this "picture" of a plastic T. rex on the cage top. We perched on the kitchen window, and wouldn't go near it for at least 30 minutes. She removed it when she realized window cleaning was going to be necessary...
Geoffrey
Reference:
(Organ, et al, Molecular Phylogenetics of Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex. Science, 25 April 2008: Vol. 320. no. 5875, p. 499 DOI: 10.1126/science.1154284)
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