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Paraves (or "near-birds") are a widespread group of theropod dinosaurs that originated in the Middle Jurassic period. In addition to the extinct dromaeosaurids, troodontids, anchiornithids, and possibly the scansoriopterygids, the group also contains the avialans, which include diverse extinct taxa as well as the over 10,000 species of living birds. Basal members of Paraves are well known for the possession of an enlarged claw on the second digit of the foot, which was held off the ground when walking in some species. A number of differing scientific interpretations of the relationships between paravian taxa exist. New fossil discoveries and analyses make the classification of Paraves an active subject of research.

Anatomy
Like other theropods, all paravians are bipedal, walking on their two hind legs.

The teeth of basal paravians were curved and serrated, but not blade-like except in some specialized species such as Dromaeosaurus albertensis. The serrations on the front edge of dromaeosaurid and troodontid teeth were very small and fine, while the back edge had serrations which were very large and hooked.

Most of the earliest paravian groups were carnivorous, though some smaller species (especially among the troodontids and early avialans) are known to have been omnivores, and it has been suggested that an omnivorous diet was the ancestral state for this group, with strict carnivory evolving in some specialized lineages. Fossils also suggest that legs and feet covered with feathers was an ancestral condition, possibly having originated in the Coelurosauria, even if this trait was later lost in more advanced birds.

Evolution of flight

 * Robopteryx

Phylogeny
One of the primary phylogenetic matrices in the scientific literature is the so-called "TWiG Matrix" from the Theropod Working Group. This matrix was first published by Steven Brusatte and colleagues in 2014.
 * Turner et al. (2012)
 * Rauhut and Pol
 * Angolin at al. (2019)
 * Status of unenlagiids
 * Halzskaraptor and the origin of the paravian body plan
 * Halzskaraptor and the origin of the paravian body plan

Hartman et al., 2019

 * Hartman