If today's birds are really living dinosaurs, when did they lose their teeth?

Question

And are there any birds today that happen to have teeth?

Answer 1

Teeth were lost within the clade that comprises birds. In other words, early birds actually did have teeth, and it's only more recently that birds "lost" their teeth. In fact, of all the characteristics that people associate with birds (feathers, pygostyle, carpometacarpus, edentulous beak, etc.), the loss of teeth is the last of these to have evolved.

For a good example of an essentially modern (anatomically, not temporally) bird, do an image search for Hesperornis. Hesperornis was an aquatic (non-flying) bird from the Late Cretaceous that had all of the typical bird characteristics, except for the lack of teeth and the secondary loss of flight.

Answer 2

If you are ever lucky enough to visit the forests of Ecuador you would see the Hoatzin. Seeing one of these birds live would really cement the idea of dino-bird evolution as it retains a lot of characteristics reminiscent of Archeaopteryx. Over time most birds lost use for their teeth as beaks became stronger and diets changed. Try to think of the beak as two opposing teeth. It is a highly evolved mechanism.

http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/hoatzin.html

Answer 3

Evolution gradually receded the teeth into the jawbone. They never really 'lost' their teeth, per se. The beaks of most birds have a serrated edge just inside the mouth, which helps the birds grip and swallow food. This serration is part of the beak/jawbone, and is all that remains of the teeth their ancestors had.

Answer 4

Birds were not the only animals to lose their teeth in the evolutionary process. Many anteaters have done so and the platypus has as well. Fossilised ancestors of platypuses and anteaters have teeth as have feathered dinosaurs, the ancestors of birds.

Answer 5

Probably during the Cretaceous. That's a long time ago.
Today's birds don't have teeth (apart from the "egg tooth" that they use to chip their way out of the egg).

Answer 6

i have a wonderful little love bird, now for at least 10 years, she has to deal with 3 cats, the cats sit back and watch her drink out of there bowl, i;m sure they are thinking she would make a great snack but they know better.....anyway getting to your dilemma about bathing your bird, don't bathe the bird but spray with a spray bottle, put and hook a bowl in the cage and the bird will drink and bathe out of it without forcing baths on it.. the bird will come around on its own... carefully clip the wings and place the bird periodically in the shower up high on the door for instance @ that will introduce water slowly.

Answer 7

Birds have beaks. Teradacyls were prehistoric birds which were huge and had huge beaks. Beaks are good for shredding food for swollowing. Some beaks have sharp ridges on them, but as teeth are in a mouth, they cannot be classified as having teeth.
May God bless you.

Answer 8

T-Rex did not evolve into a bird.
of the many small dinosaurs, not all had teeth.
in China they have found some really neat fossils of dino's with feathers.