20150513_me_how_bird_beaks_got_their_start_as_dinosaur_snouts.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=117&p=3&story=406256185&t=progseg&e=406357221&seg=4&ft=nprml&f=406256185 ...

Now, researchers have discovered that an iconic bird that inspired the likes of Charles Darwin bore the very first beak. The team reconstructed the ancient beaks of Ichthyornis dispar in a study ...

Scientists have successfully replicated the molecular processes that led from dinosaur snouts to the first bird beaks. Using the fossil record as a guide, a research team led by Yale paleontologist ...

Have you ever wondered why the Bald Eagle’s beak has a sharp curve at the end of the top of the beak yet sparrows’ beaks are short and end in a conical shape? A macaw’s beak is short and curved on the ...

A bird beak is the most important resource it has, and every species has one solely designed for survival. Birds use beaks for just about everything: building nests, feeding their young, cleaning ...

Over the years, scientists have learned about literally thousands of different bird species, and each one sports a distinctive beak shape. But why do bird beaks come in so many different shapes and ...

Researchers have pieced together the three-dimensional skull of an iconic, toothed bird that represents a pivotal moment in the transition from dinosaurs to modern-day birds. Ichthyornis dispar holds ...

During a drought, birds with larger beaks were more successful at survival, as they were able to eat the harder seeds found on the dry ground. Natural selection, the process by which advantageous ...

An artist's rendition of anchiornis, a non-avian dinosaur (top), and a modern tinamou, with key bones highlighted in each face. Scientists say they have reversed a bit of bird evolution in the lab and ...

(CNN) — Dark-eyed junco songbirds have been serenading the University of California, Los Angeles campus for decades as they forage for food. The species from the sparrow family is not usually found in ...