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Theropods are what we would classically recognise as the meat-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era. They are best known from\xa0genera such as Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor but the group is much more diverse and includies herbivores, beaked and ostrich-like forms. It is however the\xa0link between theropods and birds that has long-caught the public's attention\xa0and perhaps represents one of the most scrutinised\xa0evolutionary transitions. As more dinosaurs are discovered with feathers, should we still be asking \xa0where the cut-off point is between the two groups and not if\xa0there should be a distinction?

We caught up with\xa0Dr. Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh,\xa0\xa0at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting, who spoke to us about the relationship between theropods and birds.