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. 1994 Mar 29;91(7):2621–2624. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.7.2621

Molecular evidence for the origin of birds.

S B Hedges 1
PMCID: PMC43421  PMID: 8146164

Abstract

The major groups of amniote vertebrates appeared during a relatively short time span at the end of the Paleozoic Era, a fact that has caused difficulty in estimating their relationships. The fossil record suggests that crocodilians are the closest living relatives of birds. However, morphological characters and molecular sequence data from living amniotes have repeatedly challenged this hypothesis by indicating a bird-mammal relationship. DNA sequences from four slow-evolving genes (mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA, tRNAVal, and nuclear alpha-enolase) now provide strong statistical support for a bird-crocodilian relationship.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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