Photo: Dinosaurs' Rise Due to "Blind Luck," Study Says

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Far from besting their competitors in a long struggle to become Earth's dominant land animals, dinosaurs may have just gotten lucky, a study released in September 2008 suggests.

Scientists compared anatomical features across nearly 60 fossils of dinosaurs and crurotarsans (above), ancient reptiles that gave rise to modern-day crocodiles.

Image courtesy of Stephen Brusatte, Columbia University

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