Jingmai O'Connor

you would see that it pretty much looks the same as a bird. I mean, there's some structural, like, you know, differences in proportions and some, you know, minor differences in the skeleton. But in terms of the plumage, like the soft tissues covering the body, it would have looked very, very bird-like.

you would see that it pretty much looks the same as a bird. I mean, there's some structural, like, you know, differences in proportions and some, you know, minor differences in the skeleton. But in terms of the plumage, like the soft tissues covering the body, it would have looked very, very bird-like.

Probably the million dollar question in my area of dinosaur paleobiology is, you know, understanding the selectivity of the end Cretaceous mass extinction. Why did only birds survive? And it's not just that birds survived. There were lots of birds that go extinct alongside non-avian dinosaurs. It's really just one group of birds that survives. So why did they make it through and nobody else?

Probably the million dollar question in my area of dinosaur paleobiology is, you know, understanding the selectivity of the end Cretaceous mass extinction. Why did only birds survive? And it's not just that birds survived. There were lots of birds that go extinct alongside non-avian dinosaurs. It's really just one group of birds that survives. So why did they make it through and nobody else?

Probably the million dollar question in my area of dinosaur paleobiology is, you know, understanding the selectivity of the end Cretaceous mass extinction. Why did only birds survive? And it's not just that birds survived. There were lots of birds that go extinct alongside non-avian dinosaurs. It's really just one group of birds that survives. So why did they make it through and nobody else?

We don't really have the answer. Like I said, if we did, I'd have that million dollars. I'm kidding. But we have a lot of hypotheses. And one of them is because birds are the most modified group of amniotes on our planet.

We don't really have the answer. Like I said, if we did, I'd have that million dollars. I'm kidding. But we have a lot of hypotheses. And one of them is because birds are the most modified group of amniotes on our planet.

We don't really have the answer. Like I said, if we did, I'd have that million dollars. I'm kidding. But we have a lot of hypotheses. And one of them is because birds are the most modified group of amniotes on our planet.

Now, every single biological system of making up the bird's body has been modified in some way for powered flight, which is the most physically demanding form of vertebrate locomotion. So they have incredibly efficient respiratory system. They have an incredibly efficient digestive system that is shorter, more lightweight, more efficient than a mammalian digestive system.

Now, every single biological system of making up the bird's body has been modified in some way for powered flight, which is the most physically demanding form of vertebrate locomotion. So they have incredibly efficient respiratory system. They have an incredibly efficient digestive system that is shorter, more lightweight, more efficient than a mammalian digestive system.

Now, every single biological system of making up the bird's body has been modified in some way for powered flight, which is the most physically demanding form of vertebrate locomotion. So they have incredibly efficient respiratory system. They have an incredibly efficient digestive system that is shorter, more lightweight, more efficient than a mammalian digestive system.

You know, they have very elevated metabolic rates and they have these very strange growth patterns where almost all birds grow to adult size in a matter of weeks to a couple months. I mean, there's just so many weird things about the biology, about the physiology of birds. And it's probably... these features that allowed them to survive this environmental crisis.

You know, they have very elevated metabolic rates and they have these very strange growth patterns where almost all birds grow to adult size in a matter of weeks to a couple months. I mean, there's just so many weird things about the biology, about the physiology of birds. And it's probably... these features that allowed them to survive this environmental crisis.

You know, they have very elevated metabolic rates and they have these very strange growth patterns where almost all birds grow to adult size in a matter of weeks to a couple months. I mean, there's just so many weird things about the biology, about the physiology of birds. And it's probably... these features that allowed them to survive this environmental crisis.

But I would guarantee you that it is not a single factor that you can point to and say, this is why. Evolution is incredibly complex and it's probably never just one reason that we can point to. It's probably a bunch of different reasons. And so we think it's this one group of birds just had evolved more advantage and characteristics and that allowed it to survive.

But I would guarantee you that it is not a single factor that you can point to and say, this is why. Evolution is incredibly complex and it's probably never just one reason that we can point to. It's probably a bunch of different reasons. And so we think it's this one group of birds just had evolved more advantage and characteristics and that allowed it to survive.

But I would guarantee you that it is not a single factor that you can point to and say, this is why. Evolution is incredibly complex and it's probably never just one reason that we can point to. It's probably a bunch of different reasons. And so we think it's this one group of birds just had evolved more advantage and characteristics and that allowed it to survive.

Okay, this is a cool question because I mentioned that we know that the wing-like structure was already present in non-avian dinosaurs and inherited by birds, right? So how do we know that those dinosaurs weren't flying? The key characteristic for us is the vein asymmetry in the primary feathers. So the primary feathers are the ones that attach to the hand.

Okay, this is a cool question because I mentioned that we know that the wing-like structure was already present in non-avian dinosaurs and inherited by birds, right? So how do we know that those dinosaurs weren't flying? The key characteristic for us is the vein asymmetry in the primary feathers. So the primary feathers are the ones that attach to the hand.

Okay, this is a cool question because I mentioned that we know that the wing-like structure was already present in non-avian dinosaurs and inherited by birds, right? So how do we know that those dinosaurs weren't flying? The key characteristic for us is the vein asymmetry in the primary feathers. So the primary feathers are the ones that attach to the hand.