Monthly Archives: August 2011

“Sparrows” still came from “falcons”

Well, as good as. The passerines, named after the Latin for sparrow, include over 50% of bird species, and in 2008 Hackett et al’s (1) landmark genetic study suggested they were most closely related to parrots but also close to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Lynxhandlers

The title is how I like to think the German term for left-hander (“Linkshänder”) sounds, but there definitely is something different that isn’t just opposite about left-handers. Saturday 13th August was International Lefthanders Day. By now it’s well-known but still … Continue reading

Posted in fencing, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

All over bar the Xiaotingia?

The title’s really to help remember the name of the new dinobird – the new find actually adds a little subtlety rather than clarity, so it isn’t all over bar the shouting thanks to this fossil – though actually much … Continue reading

Posted in Bird evolution, dinosaur evolution, The Secret Dinobird Story | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment