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Feathered dinosaurs are regarded by many paleontologists as transitional fossils between birds and dinosaurs (see origin of birds). It was already well known that ancient birds such as Archaeopteryx had many saurian characteristics, such as claws on their 'fingers' and teeth. For many years it had been theorized that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs. In the late 1990s, discoveries of feathered dinosaurs provided conclusive evidence of the connection, though the genealogical details are still incomplete.