Paleontologist says that ‘birds are winged dinosaurs’ and were the first ‘inhabitants’ of Fernando de Noronha | Living Noronha

Fernando de Noronha’s formation was evaluated by paleontologist Luiz Eduardo Anelli, who is also a biologist, professor at the University of São Paulo (USP) and specialist in dinosaurs. According to him, the island was formed 12 million years ago, and the first “inhabitants” of Noronha were birds.

“At the very end of the Jurassic Period, there were dinosaurs that ‘invented’ feathers to maintain body heat, like a coat. At the end of this Jurassic Period, with evolution, miniaturized dinosaurs learned to use feathers and make wings suitable for flight. From there, the great lineage of flying dinosaurs was born, which are birds, until today”, stated Luiz Eduardo Anelli.

He traveled to the island to participate in the “Ocean Planet Week” program, an event in which he gives lectures to students, residents and tourists. According to the expert, birds survived the destruction of the world at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

“Some birds that had long beaks and were able to feed on seeds and grains that were hidden in the soil of the hidden world, which is why they survived. To give you an idea, there are 5 thousand species of mammals and 11 thousand species of birds. Dinosaurs that occupied this island 12 million years ago are birds”, declared Luiz Eduardo Anelli.

The professor also said that birds appeared 150 million years ago and how they are known by experts. “Birds are winged dinosaurs. In paleontology, we often say that birds are the glorified dinosaurs. They are beautiful, colorful and diverse,” he said.

According to the paleontologist, Fernando de Noronha is an extinct volcano. “The base of the volcano is 4 thousand meters deep. Sea levels have fallen and risen a lot over time. In addition to fish, the island was home to many flying dinosaurs,” said Anelli.