Is there a connection between birds and dinosaurs?

It is generally believed that birds evolved from small, feathered, meat eating dinosaur during the Jurassic period. This is because of the similarities between those dinosaurs and early birds, which include feathers, 'hollow' bones (really they have an internal honeycomb structure), beaks, and other similar features. Additionally, animals that appear to be evolutionary links between birds and dinosaurs exist, such as Archaeopteryx.