Scientists suggest that bigger brains in bird ancestors led to more flexible skulls, playing a key role in their evolution.

Yet birds differ from their reptile ancestors in many important ways. A turning point in their evolution was the development of larger brains, which in turn led to changes in the size and shape of ...

An 80-million-year-old fossil bird has been discovered with a skull so exquisitely preserved that scientists have been able to study the detailed structure of its brain. In both age and ...

“This is one of the best-preserved fossil bird skulls of any age, from anywhere in the world. We almost had to pinch ourselves when we saw it, knowing that it was from such an important time in ...

A recent study found a nearly complete skull in Antarctica that may belong ... It could be the oldest known modern bird. Its brain structure and long beak resemble those of today’s waterfowl ...

At first glance the bird’s skull appears similar to many species flying around today, such as the aforementioned toucan. It’s an excellent example of convergent evolution, which can lead to distantly ...

Animation of a theropod dinosaur skull, showing muscle forces. Credit: Alec Wilken, Casey Holiday Modern birds, as well as other animals like snakes and fishes, have skulls with jaws and palates ...

The benefits of ‘wiggly’ skulls Modern birds, as well as other animals like snakes and fishes, have skulls with jaws and palates that aren’t rigid and fixed in place like those in mammals ...