6. Dinosaur Traits In Chickens
The connection between dinosaurs and birds has long fascinated scientists, and in 2015, Dr. Bart Anjanbular and Dr. Arat Abzinov embarked on a daring experiment. They sought to reverse-engineer chicken embryos to express ancestral traits similar to dinosaur snouts instead of the typical beaks. This research involved inhibiting the proteins responsible for forming the bird’s beak during the embryonic stage. While the study did not lead to the hatching of “dino-chickens” (as it wasn’t the primary objective), Dr. Jack Horner, a paleontologist, holds great interest in resurrecting a creature resembling a “chickenosaurus.”
To achieve this, he believes four major modifications would be required, including the development of teeth, a long tail, and the transformation of wings into arms and hands. The pursuit of this unique vision is driven by the desire to demonstrate how evolution can activate ancestral characteristics, providing insights into the link between dinosaurs and birds.
