Scientists Create Hen with Dinosaur Snouts But Won't Call it Dino-Chicken

In a path breaking experiment, scientists have reversed the process of evolution to grow dinosaur snouts in chicken.

The research was done to understand the evolutionary transition of facial anatomy of dinosaurs as they took flight to evolve into birds. The experiment was conducted by studying the fossil record to understand the transition, and then looking for gene expression that explained the transition.

"Our goal here was to understand the molecular underpinnings of an important evolutionary transition, not to create a 'dino-chicken' simply for the sake of it," said Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar the study's lea author.

To find the genetic explanation, researchers analysed embryos of emus, alligators, lizards and turtles. They found expression of two facial development genes in bird embryos which differed from mammals and reptiles.

When they inhibited the proteins that were coded by the genes in chicken embryos, researchers noticed that the beak structure reverted to its ancestral state and the palatine bone that forms the mouth's roof also revert to its ancestral state like those seen in Velociraptor and Archaeopteryx fossils.

"This was unexpected and demonstrates the way in which a single, simple developmental mechanism can have wide-ranging and unexpected effects," Bhullar said.

The study has published in the journal Evolution. Researchers hope the method can help understand other important evolutionary transformations.