are birds and lizards related

Yes, birds are reptiles, but let me explain a bit. Biologists use two types of classification systems, the Linnaean and the phylogenetic. The Linnaean system was developed by Carolus Linnaeus in the 1730s. In the Linnaean system, organisms are grouped by characteristics regardless of their ancestry. So a reptile is an animal that is ectothermic and has scales, and birds would not be reptiles. In the 1940s, a biologist named Willi Hennig came up with another classification system that he called phylogenetics. In this system, organisms are grouped only by their ancestry, and characteristics are only used to discover the ancestry. So a reptile is any animal descended from the original group called reptiles. Both birds and mammals share ancestors sometimes referred to as reptile-like animals (Reptiliomorpha), but its not very common for people to talk about mammals as reptiles. The situation is different for birds. Birds are part of the group Diapsida, which also includes all other living reptiles (crocodilians, turtles, tuataras, and squamates (mostly snakes and lizards)).

Usually what people mean when they say birds are reptiles is that birds are more closely related to reptiles than anything else, and this is true in a way, but there are many types of reptiles. Birds are most closely related to crocodiles. To understand this, we should look at some history. The first groups of reptile-like animals evolved about 320 million years ago. About 40 million years later, (very quickly by geologic standards), a group called therapsids branched off, which eventually became modern mammals. Other groups of reptiles split off over the next 120 million years, and one branch called the archosaurs were very successful.

Archosaurs were the ancestors of dinosaurs and crocodiles, but they were only distantly related to modern snakes, lizards, and turtles, groups that had split off at different times. Then, 65 million years ago there was a massive extinction event, and all dinosaurs were killed except for a single group of feathered dinosaurs. These evolved over the next 65 million years into modern birds. So birds arent just closely related to dinosaurs, they really are dinosaurs! And they are most closely related to crocodiles, which also came from archosaurs. This is what most people mean when they say that birds are reptiles, although technically, according to the phylogenetic system, birds, reptiles, and mammals all share a reptile-like ancestor.

You may wonder why biologists have two systems of classification. One reason, of course, is the history behind them, but they are also both useful in their own ways. The phylogenetic system is useful for understanding the relationships between animals, while the Linnaean system is more useful for understanding how animals live. Its sort of like cooking. If you organized all your ingredients phylogenetically, you would put everything that was made from peanuts on the same shelf. Then you could see that peanut butter, peanut oil, and peanut brittle are related to each other. But when you really want to cook, you would use something like the Linnaean system and put all your oils together, all your dry goods together, etc. So both systems have their uses.

How Birds and Reptiles are Related

We specialize in reptiles and amphibians here at the zoo, and that includes exhibits with emus and parakeets. [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=” av_uid=’av-vutdal’] As a result, we frequently receive feedback from guests who question why, exactly, there are birds at a reptile zoo. The short answer is that birds are reptiles, but it wasn’t always so. Let us explain. [/av_textblock].

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Av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=” av_uid=’av-7pq8rwt’] The four main categories of reptiles that exist today are: crocodilians, dinosaurs, turtles and tortoises, and lizards and snakes. The final two groups are the living reptiles most closely related to birds, the archosaurs, a highly specialized group of reptiles that have existed for 225 million years.

Here’s a more detailed explanation from Arizona State University’s Ask a Biologist:

© Arizona Board of Regents / ASU Ask A Biologist.

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Source: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/museum/events/bigdinos2005/turkey.html

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Due to anatomical similarities, many scientists have long assumed that birds and reptiles are related, but there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=” av_uid=’av-4t893sd’] However, in 1860, a highly detailed fossil of the dinosaur Archaropteryx lithographica, which resembled a bird, was found by archaeologists. This fossil filled the gap left by the absence of the “transitional species” that scientists needed to connect reptiles and birds. Since then, many fossils of feathered dinosaurs have been found. [/av_textblock].

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=” av_uid=’av-2ge1jm5?] Birds may be most closely related to living reptiles, but they descended from theropod dinosaurs when it comes to their relationship with dinosaurs. These theropods share over 100 traits with modern birds. Here are a few:

• Three forward-facing toes
• Fused collarbone, called a wishbone (yes, that kind of wishbone!)
• Hollow bones
• Feathers

Granted, not every theropod dinosaur was able to soar—imagine a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the air!—but some did have inadequate skeletal adaptations or primitive feathers. Feathers are believed to have been used for mating displays in the past, and birds today continue to do so.

As was previously mentioned, 65 million years ago, a mass extinction event caused swift worldwide events like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Larger animals were at a disadvantage when resources became scarce, and all dinosaurs other than birds perished. Ultimately, birds evolved because they had to adapt to a changing environment, which is what made them successful. There are between 9,000 and 10,000 species of birds today, deriving directly from dinosaurs! [/av_textblock]

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Yes, birds are reptiles, but let me explain a bit. Linnaean and phylogenetic classification systems are the two types used by biologists. Carolus Linnaeus created the Linnaean system in the 1730s. Regardless of their lineage, organisms are categorized using traits in the Linnaean system. Thus, an ectothermic animal with scales is called a reptile; birds are not considered to be reptiles. A biologist named Willi Hennig developed a different classification scheme in the 1940s and named it phylogenetics. Under this system, the only way to group organisms is based on their ancestry, and traits are only used to determine ancestry. Therefore, any animal descended from the original reptile group is considered a reptile. Although mammals and birds have common ancestors that are occasionally referred to as reptile-like animals (Reptiliomorpha), it is uncommon for people to refer to mammals as reptiles. The situation is different for birds. Together with all other living reptiles (tuataras, crocodilians, turtles, and squamates, which primarily consist of snakes and lizards), birds are members of the Diapsida group.

When people refer to birds as reptiles, they usually mean that they are more closely related to reptiles than to anything else, which is somewhat accurate, but there are many different kinds of reptiles. Birds are most closely related to crocodiles. To understand this, we should look at some history. Around 320 million years ago, the first groups of animals that resembled reptiles began to evolve. A group known as therapsids split off approximately 40 million years later—quite quickly by geologic standards—and eventually gave rise to modern mammals. Over the course of the next 120 million years, other groups of reptiles split off, with the archosaurs being one of the most successful branches.

You may wonder why biologists have two systems of classification. Of course, their respective histories are a contributing factor, but they are also both beneficial in different ways. While the Linnaean system is more helpful for understanding how animals live, the phylogenetic system is useful for understanding the relationships between animals. Its sort of like cooking. All products derived from peanuts would be arranged on the same shelf if your ingredients were arranged according to their evolutionary relationships. The relationship between peanut butter, peanut oil, and peanut brittle was then evident. However, if you truly wanted to cook, you would combine all of your dry goods, oils, and other ingredients using something like the Linnaean system. So both systems have their uses.

Dinosaurs and crocodiles descended from archosaurs, but modern snakes, lizards, and turtles—groups that broke off at different times—were only tangentially related to them. Then, a massive extinction event occurred 65 million years ago, wiping out all dinosaur species save for a small group of feathered dinosaurs. Over the following 65 million years, these gave rise to modern birds. Thus, birds are actually dinosaurs, not just closely related to them! The closest living relative of birds is a crocodile, which descended from archosaurs. Although technically, birds, reptiles, and mammals all share a reptile-like ancestor, this is what most people mean when they say that birds are reptiles.

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