A newly analysed fossil skull settles a palaeontological debate over Vegavis iaai, confirming it as a relative of ducks and ...

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Under these drastically changing conditions, the struggle to survive favored the larger birds with deep, strong beaks for opening the hard seeds. Smaller finches with less-powerful beaks perished.

How fast does the beak move? To answer these questions, I’m recording high-speed X-ray videos of the feeding birds. Interestingly, I discovered some fascinating differences in beak movement ...

The researchers now were able to diagnose Vegavis as nesting among the anatomically modern birds based on two cranial characteristics - the bones of its upper beak and the shape of its brain.

The new skull exhibits a long, pointed beak and a brain shape unique among all known birds previously discovered from the ...