Feathered dinosaurs

[[File:Sinornithosaurus IVPP V12811.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Fossil of ''Sinornithosaurus millenii'', the first evidence of feathers in dromaeosaurids.]]{{Evolution}}'''Feathered dinosaurs''' deliver yet another crushing blow against the arguments put forward by [[creationists]]; they clearly show [[transitional fossil|evolutionary transitions]] from non-avian [[dinosaurs]] (specifically theropods, which include all known carnivorous dinosaurs) to avian dinosaurs ([[birds]]).

==Denialism==
[[File:Etty Bay cassowary 2.jpg|thumb|left|165px|A feathered dinosaur outside the window]]
Creationists blatantly [[deny]] the existence of feathered dinosaurs<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Feathered_dinosaur CreationWiki: Feathered dinosaur]. One example they use: since dinosaurs are reptiles and reptiles have scales, birds have, unfortunately, feathers, and scales and feathers are different; therefore, feathered dinosaurs make no sense. Mind-blowing. Even though birds ''do'' have scales, even if they are only degenerate feathers, but nuance isn't something creationists are adept at. And even if scales don't look entirely feather-like (seeing is believing), caterpillars don't look much like butterflies. Ah, the Wonders of Nature!</ref>  - problem solved. And yet... there are several feathered dinosaurs on Wikipedia<ref>{{wpa|Feathered dinosaurs}}</ref> and right outside your window. Creationists will claim that many are not transitional forms because they come after ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'', iconically the "first bird". This is a misunderstanding of what a transitional form is: it is not necessarily a direct ancestor or descendant of two distinct [[species]], but a creature that has traits of two different species, illustrating an evolutionary link. Even ''Archaeopteryx'' is now considered not ancestral to modern birds (a "dethroning" of which creationists made much hay), with other theropod groups considered closer to the transition.

Despite this, popular culture is still having trouble accepting the post-1990s ideas of feathered dinosaurs. While the [[Discovery Channel]] and the [[BBC]] have made films with downy dinosaurs, the 900lb gorilla of dinosaur films, ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' (1993) and its sequels, didn't give their dinosaurs feathers until the third film (2001), and then only four on the back of the head. They are accurate as dragons and should thus be classified as such.

[[File:Distribution of feathers in Dinosauria.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Distribution of feathers among groups of dinosaurs]]
To some degree, popular understandings result from the simple order of fossil discovery.<ref group=note>Plus good ol' unfeathered raptors are ''way cooler'' than those [http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Chocobo chocobo]-like… things and [https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2307-featherless-chicken-creates-a-flap/ featherless chickens] will be equally as cool as them for far-future generations.</ref> If the first ''Velociraptor'' had been found with feathers, the press could have labeled them clawed flightless birds, and in a sense it wouldn't be that far off (since the point of demarcation is arbitrary). Conversely, if ''Archeopteryx'' hadn't been discovered until the present, it would likely be considered a new type of "feathered dinosaur". Of course, per a [[clade|cladistic]] understanding of things, ''Archeopteryx'' is definitely a feathered dinosaur, and other feathered dinosaurs (the birds) are alive and widespread today.

==See also==
*[[Archaeopteryx]]
*[[Avian phylogeny and origins]]
*[[Microraptor]]
*[[Transitional fossil]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Dinosaur]]
*[[Bird]]
*''[[Jurassic Park]]''
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{stub|evolution}}
[[Category:Denialism]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Transitional fossils]]

Categories: Denialism, Dinosaurs, Transitional fossils