The extant avian sternum is highly adapted to powered flight, but understanding of its early evolution is hindered by patchy fossil representation and the fact that where preserved, sterna in near-bird dinosaurs and early avialans are substantially different. To overcome this, the authors use ancestral character estimations and find that sternum evolution was episodic and experimental in relation to flight characteristics.
- Talia M. Lowi-Merri
- Roger Benson
- David C. Evans
