In the age of the dinosaurs, why birds had no teeth has always been a fascinating mystery. Recent scientific research has suggested a thought-provoking explanation, and perhaps in the answer to this question, we can get a glimpse of the wonderful adaptation of life in the age of the dinosaurs.
Scientists believe that the ancestors of modern birds survived the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs because they had beaks and could eat seeds. At the end of the Cretaceous period, these small bird-like dinosaurs successfully rose to the top of the food chain through their ability to crush shells, and became the masters of the pecking order (referring to the most ferocious can peck the second fiercer, the second fierce can peck the general, and so on).
However, little is known about the Ornithosaurus of the Cretaceous period, which in turn are close relatives of modern birds. During the mass extinction event, many species of ornithosaurs went extinct, including the toothed bird, but the modern crested bird has somehow survived as a singular case in the evolution of life.
By analyzing the fossilized teeth of the Raptorsaur family, scientists found that the diversity of the Raptors lasted until the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago, suggesting a catastrophic event. Scientists speculate that diet played a key role in this mass extinction.
Using the findings of modern birds, scientists speculate that the Cretaceous ancestor of modern birds may have been a toothless, beaked, seed-feeding bird. After the cataclysmic event of a meteorite hitting Earth, these seed-feeding birds managed to survive thanks to their hard food**.
Meteorites hitting the Earth can cause short-term climate changes, with dust from the impact obscuring sunlight and mass vegetation dying. For many vegetarians, this means the loss of food and the starvation of large predators. But for small toothless birds, hard seeds become the key to their survival in this catastrophe.
The answer to why birds have no teeth may lie in this long and old story. Under the pressure of natural selection, they have evolved to find a way to survive and become unique in today's rich and diverse world of birds. This story teaches us that in the long course of life, every small change can be the key to adapting to the environment and surviving.
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