Anatomy and Biochemistry
Dinosaurs are seemed to be related with birds and avian dinosaurs, and evolved from Theropods. Birds are also technically considered to be reptiles. Archaeopteryx Lithographica, the oldest bird known resembled the Maniraptora more than any other birds, and has a fairly unique semi-lunate carpal bone that allows it to aviation. It is also evident that the footprints of the Theropod dinosaurs and modern birds are very similar. Coelurosaurian dinosaurs are thought to be the closest relatives of birds, yet in fact, birds are considered to be coelurosaurs. This is based on Gauthier's analyses of the skeletal morphology of these animals. The first birds shared the following major skeletal characteristics with many Coelurosaurian dinosaurs (especially the Maniraptora) including elongated arms forelimbs and metatarsals, flexible wrists, and hollow, thin walled bones. Not only is the anatomy of dinosaurs and birds similar, they also have similar digestive systems.
In dinosaurs, melanin is the colour pigment for hair, skin, feathers, fur, pheomelanin: gives reddish colour, and eumelanin: gives dark brown/black colour. Sinosauropteryx, a feathered dinosaur, is found to have pheomelanosomes and eumelanosomes. As for birds, colour pigment comes from melanins, carotenoids, porphyrines. Melanin produces wide range of colours depending on location and concentration (dark black - pale yellow) and makes feathers stronger and more resistant to wear carotenoids, which are acquired from consumption of plants and produces yellow colours. It may also interact with melanin to produce green colours. Porphyrines are made from amino acid modifications and produce a wide range of colours (pink, green, red).
Long-necked Sauropods had 4 chambered hearts (same as birds). Birds are suggested to have evolved from dinosaurs, as well as the avian air sac. The respiratory system
is more efficient than the mammal respiratory system, and would be the answer to Sauropod's breathing issues due to their long necks. For birds, air sacs are used to allow them to take in more air, increase oxygen exchange efficiency, have a high metabolism, and allow unidirectional air flow. The air goes in one direction and out from another in the organism with greater oxygen content. Respiratory system in mammals is bidirectional, which means air goes in and out of lungs using the same pathway, and has lower oxygen content. Parts of sacs are incorporated into the skeleton which causes pockets of air to form in the bone, which in return, makes bones lighter and allows birds to fly and dinosaurs to stand upright.
Herbivorous dinosaurs include the long-necked Sauropods, the beaked Ornithischians, and some Theropods, digest their food that is akin in comparison to birds. The food goes down their oesophagus, then enters the gizzard, and some contain stones to help crush food against the walls of the gizzard, then moved to the intestine for extraction of nutrients. Many stones have been found in the bodies of herbivorous dinosaurs. This process is familiar to the digestion in which birds undergo. The digestion for birds begins with the oesophagus, then enters the stomach which is separated into two parts, the proventriculus and the ventriculus. The proventriculus/glandular stomach receives the food and secretes HCl to convert pepsinogen into pepsin - enzyme that digests protein. Then the ventriculus/gizzard grinds and breaks food against its muscular walls (may contain stones). The short intestine absorbs nutrients from the food and the long intestine absorbs water and electrolytes.
Dinosaurs are seemed to be related with birds and avian dinosaurs, and evolved from Theropods. Birds are also technically considered to be reptiles. Archaeopteryx Lithographica, the oldest bird known resembled the Maniraptora more than any other birds, and has a fairly unique semi-lunate carpal bone that allows it to aviation. It is also evident that the footprints of the Theropod dinosaurs and modern birds are very similar. Coelurosaurian dinosaurs are thought to be the closest relatives of birds, yet in fact, birds are considered to be coelurosaurs. This is based on Gauthier's analyses of the skeletal morphology of these animals. The first birds shared the following major skeletal characteristics with many Coelurosaurian dinosaurs (especially the Maniraptora) including elongated arms forelimbs and metatarsals, flexible wrists, and hollow, thin walled bones. Not only is the anatomy of dinosaurs and birds similar, they also have similar digestive systems.
In dinosaurs, melanin is the colour pigment for hair, skin, feathers, fur, pheomelanin: gives reddish colour, and eumelanin: gives dark brown/black colour. Sinosauropteryx, a feathered dinosaur, is found to have pheomelanosomes and eumelanosomes. As for birds, colour pigment comes from melanins, carotenoids, porphyrines. Melanin produces wide range of colours depending on location and concentration (dark black - pale yellow) and makes feathers stronger and more resistant to wear carotenoids, which are acquired from consumption of plants and produces yellow colours. It may also interact with melanin to produce green colours. Porphyrines are made from amino acid modifications and produce a wide range of colours (pink, green, red).
Long-necked Sauropods had 4 chambered hearts (same as birds). Birds are suggested to have evolved from dinosaurs, as well as the avian air sac. The respiratory system
is more efficient than the mammal respiratory system, and would be the answer to Sauropod's breathing issues due to their long necks. For birds, air sacs are used to allow them to take in more air, increase oxygen exchange efficiency, have a high metabolism, and allow unidirectional air flow. The air goes in one direction and out from another in the organism with greater oxygen content. Respiratory system in mammals is bidirectional, which means air goes in and out of lungs using the same pathway, and has lower oxygen content. Parts of sacs are incorporated into the skeleton which causes pockets of air to form in the bone, which in return, makes bones lighter and allows birds to fly and dinosaurs to stand upright.
Herbivorous dinosaurs include the long-necked Sauropods, the beaked Ornithischians, and some Theropods, digest their food that is akin in comparison to birds. The food goes down their oesophagus, then enters the gizzard, and some contain stones to help crush food against the walls of the gizzard, then moved to the intestine for extraction of nutrients. Many stones have been found in the bodies of herbivorous dinosaurs. This process is familiar to the digestion in which birds undergo. The digestion for birds begins with the oesophagus, then enters the stomach which is separated into two parts, the proventriculus and the ventriculus. The proventriculus/glandular stomach receives the food and secretes HCl to convert pepsinogen into pepsin - enzyme that digests protein. Then the ventriculus/gizzard grinds and breaks food against its muscular walls (may contain stones). The short intestine absorbs nutrients from the food and the long intestine absorbs water and electrolytes.