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About Rahonavis:
Rahonavis is one of those creatures that triggers life-long feuds among paleontologists. When it was first discovered (an incomplete skeleton unearthed in Madagascar in 1995), researchers assumed it was a type of bird, but further study showed certain traits common to dromaeosaurs (better known as raptors). Like such undisputed dinosaurs as Velociraptor and Deinonychus, Rahonavis had a single huge claw on each foot, as well as other raptor-like anatomical features.
What is the current thinking about Rahonavis? Most scientists agree that raptors were early ancestors of birds, meaning Rahonavis might be a "missing link" between the two families. The trouble is, it wouldn't be the only such missing link; it's believed that dinosaurs may have made the evolutionary leap to flight multiple times, and only one lineage went on to spawn modern birds.
