The Dwarf and the Raven is a representation of Jurassic Germany. Three europasaurs approach a tree, alarming two resting Archaeopteryx. Europasaurus represents a case of insular dwarfism. It descended from much larger sauropods that were stranded on a small ancient island with insufficient resources to support a population of huge herbivores. The evolution of this dwarf sauropod, "just" three meters tall, must have been quite rapid. The feathered Archaeopteryx was also small, about the size of a bantam chicken. It was discovered more than 150 years ago--around the time On the Origin of Species was published--and it became an evolution icon and the first evidence of the origins of modern birds.
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keywords (additional): |
speed of evolution, reconstructions, sauropods, bird |
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