Feathered Dinosaurs Were Venomous Predators

Dananjaya writes "Early dinosaurs weren’t just covered in feathers. They were also poisonous. Analysis of skulls belonging to different species of Sinornithosaurus, a group of feathered predatory theropods that lived 125 million years ago in what is now northeast China, shows skeletal features reminiscent of modern rear-fanged snakes and lizards."

Parallel evolution?

[dryeo]

I wonder how many times venom, especially venom delivered by fang, has evolved?

Re:

[bar-agent]

Considering only reptiles -- and their forebears and descendents -- deliver venom with fangs, I'd say "once."

Also spiders. Insects. And fanged, venomous mammals known as Solenodons [wikipedia.org].

Don't panic, Randall, but...

[bar-agent]

Has anyone told xkcd about this?