Scientists Confirm Birds Descend From 66-Million-Year-Old Theropod Dinosaurs

3 articles · Updated · The Times of India · May 27

Birds are now widely regarded by scientists as living theropod dinosaurs, with pigeons, chickens, ducks, ostriches and raptors all cited as surviving branches of that lineage.
Fossils, anatomy and genetics underpin the link, including shared feathers, light bones, beak and skeletal structures, egg-laying, nesting behavior and other reproductive traits.
Recent fossil finds in China have added support to the case that avian species survived the extinction event about 66 million years ago that wiped out other dinosaurs.
Chickens and pigeons are highlighted as especially familiar examples, while eagles and other predatory birds preserve hunting traits—sharp claws, hooked beaks and keen vision—seen as echoes of theropod behavior.
Lizards are not direct dinosaur descendants, researchers say, but remain useful for studying older reptile adaptations and the broader evolutionary backdrop of prehistoric life.