History of Bird Taxonomy

"Book of Birds" published by Belon

Mar 7, 1555

An analysis of ~200 species based on comparative anatomy, by Pierre Belon

"Ornithologiae"

Mar 7, 1676

Written by Francis Willughby and John Ray, created the first major system of bird classification that was based on function and morphology.

Linnaean System for taxonomy established

Mar 7, 1758

Featured binominal nomenclature and class Aves for all extant birds

Dinosauria coined

Mar 7, 1842

Sir Richard Owen coined the term dinosauria to decribe reptile fossils that were being discovered.

"Origin of Species"

Mar 7, 1859

Written by Charles Darwin, this book open the door for discussion of common decendancy.

Archaeopteryx discovered

Mar 7, 1861

"early bird" fossil discovered

Huxley proposes bird/dino link

Mar 7, 1868

based on Darwin and comparisons between Archaeopteryx and other small theropod dinosaurs, Huxley writes "On the animals which are most nearly intermediate between birds and reptiles."

Owen refutes Huxleys claim

Mar 7, 1868

Famed paleontologist, Richard Owen dismisses Huxleys dino connection, instead claiming that Archaeopteryx is the first know bird species outside the reptile line. He and other collegues do not deny a reptile link (opting for a crodylomorph or thecodont ancestry), but do rule out dinosaurs.

John Ostrom notes major similarities

Mar 7, 1964

while studying Deinonychus antirrhopus, John Ostrom noted major similarities between it and Archaeopteryx, including fused tails and nesting behavior.

Cladistics introduced for new taxonomy

Mar 7, 1966

Willi Hennig published phylogenetic systematics, in an attempt to revolutionoze taxonomy based upon common ancestry.

acceptance of link by most paleontologists

Mar 7, 1990

During the 1990's most paleontologists came to accept the dinosaur bird connection.

cladistics becomes dominant

Mar 7, 1991

cladistics becomes the accepted standard of classification for evolutionary biologists.

Jurasic Park features no feathers

Mar 7, 1993

Jurasic Park III features "Raptors" with some feathers

Mar 7, 2001

closer to public acceptance, though they were not fully feathered nor were their tails rigid.

feathers found on more dinosaurs

Mar 7, 2010

Feathers and quill knobs have been noted on over a dozen genera of dinosaurs.

wikipedia depicts feathers

Mar 7, 2012

Wikipedia and other websites include drawings and descriptions of most maniraptor species as possessing lots of feathers.