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Feathered Dinosaurs Were Venomous Predators

Posted by samzenpus on from the bite-worse-than-their-bark dept.

Dananjaya writes "Early dinosaurs weren’t just covered in feathers. They were also poisonous. Analysis of skulls belonging to different species of Sinornithosaurus, a group of feathered predatory theropods that lived 125 million years ago in what is now northeast China, shows skeletal features reminiscent of modern rear-fanged snakes and lizards."

8 comments

  1. Parallel evolution? by dryeo · · Score: 1

    I wonder how many times venom, especially venom delivered by fang, has evolved?

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  2. Sequential evolution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Considering only reptiles -- and their forebears and descendents -- deliver venom with fangs, I'd say "once."

    (I mean, yes, of course this isn't the DIRECT ancestor of snakes, but... this isn't really divergent enough to be declared parallel, is it?)

    1. Re:Sequential evolution? by bar-agent · · Score: 1

      Considering only reptiles -- and their forebears and descendents -- deliver venom with fangs, I'd say "once."

      Also spiders. Insects. And fanged, venomous mammals known as Solenodons.

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      i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
    2. Re:Sequential evolution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK, then, I fail. (although insects generally use stingers rather than actual fangs, eh?)

    3. Re:Sequential evolution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering that dinosaurs are *no* reptiles, at least > 1.

    4. Re:Sequential evolution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You fail. Dinosaurs were reptiles and so are birds. They were also lobed fin fishes just like you. Welcome to late 20th century science.

    5. Re:Sequential evolution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and american shrews...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Short-tailed_Shrew

      plus a few others..

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venomous_mammals

  3. Don't panic, Randall, but... by bar-agent · · Score: 1

    Has anyone told xkcd about this?

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    i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]