An asteroid strike 66 million years ago devastated the dinosaurs. But today’s birds are proof there were a few survivors.
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Birds are exceptionally diverse, with more than 10,000 known species—all of them the descendants of dinosaurs. Modern birds consist of 247 families and 10,731 species, more than any other vertebrate group except fish. The latest genetic clues and fossil finds suggest that at least three lineages of modern birds arose during the Cretaceous period and survived the mass extinction. These discoveries are helping us better understand how birds evolved and how they’re related to each other, from the tiny hummingbird to the towering ostrich.
Read more in “These Are the Dinosaurs That Didn’t Die”
Are Birds Modern-Day Dinosaurs? | National Geographic
National Geographic
