Chickens Grow 'Dinosaur Legs'

D-brief
By Nathaniel Scharping
Mar 15, 2016 11:37 PMNov 20, 2019 12:08 AM
2916159987_d72f9921ce_o.jpg

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

(Credit: ap./Flickr) It may not be Jurassic Park, but it's certainly a step in that direction. Scientists from the University of Chile have successfully created chicken embryos with a unique feature: dinosaur legs. Don't imagine chickens stomping around with giant Brontosaur legs, though — the changes are all internal. The feature in question is the fibula, one of two bones inside the leg. In normal birds, the fibula stops about halfway down the leg, connected at the top but not the bottom, leaving it just hanging in space.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group