As the only dinosaurs to survive the last mass extinction 66 million years ago, it’s quite remarkable that emus, pelicans, hummingbirds, hawks and woodpeckers are all part of the same class of animals given their broad diversity, including the shape and size of their skulls. Surprisingly, the skull evolves much slower in birds than non-avian dinosaurs.
Beaks were their fastest evolving (and most variable) feature, which the specialists attribute to different food sources and feeding strategies. Here we have a few real specimens beautifully displayed on a glass bell jar and wooden base.
