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NOVA: Dino Birds

Why are birds the only dinosaurs still alive today? Rare fossil discoveries are revealing the secrets of bird evolution, telling the story of how some resilient feathered dinos became the vast array of colorful bird species that fill our skies.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!

Contrary to popular belief, dinosaurs never went extinct. They’re still alive among us in the form of birds! Birds are the only dinosaurs that survived the cataclysmic mass extinction caused by an asteroid the size of Mt. Everest crashing into Earth about 66 million years ago.

The big question is: How? How did birds manage to not only live through the apocalypse, but also go on to diversify and populate every corner of our planet?

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Now, rare fossil discoveries are revealing the secrets of bird evolution going back more than 100 million years, telling the story of how some resilient feathered dinos persevered and transformed into the vast array of colorful bird species that fill our skies today.

NOVA "Dino Birds" will be available to stream with the PBS app.

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