• Question: is it true that the closest living relative of a t- rex is a chicken?

    Asked by laraa to Meeks, Pete, Stephen, Steve, Tom on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Stephen Curry

      Stephen Curry answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Hi Lara

      I’m not sure if its the *closest* living relative, but it is certainly a relative since birds are related to dinosaurs through evolution. This was first pointed out by a scientific hero of my, Thomas H. Huxley (who used to work at Imperial College, where I work now!)

    • Photo: Tom Hartley

      Tom Hartley answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus are related to modern birds. I am not sure that the chicken is the closest relative amongst the birds (in fact I doubt it), but it is a pretty close relative, I believe.

    • Photo: Marieke Navin

      Marieke Navin answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      In evolutionary terms, birds (chickens included) are the living descendants of dinosaurs (such as T-Rex!)

    • Photo: Steve Roser

      Steve Roser answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      there seems to be a lot of similarity between the skeletons of certain dinosaurs and birds – and if you see an ostrich running across the veldt you can see what looks like a dino running! Plus birds are scaly, so they do look very closely related. There are those who argue against this, but here is a good article

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