Why Birds Are Really Living Dinosaurs

If you thought that dinosaurs were extinct, think again. According to a new exhibit at The American Museum of Natural History, birds are a form of living dinosaur! The myriad evolutionary connections between birds and dinosaurs are apparently found in bird bone structure, flight mechanisms, feathers and nesting patterns. We now know more than ever about these common traits thanks to new technologies like CT scanners, synchrotrons and advanced computer modeling that paleontologists have used to examine fossils, bones, and other ancient remnants. On this week’s Please Explain, we’ll dive into these connections with Dr. Mark Norell, the chair of the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Paleontology.  Event: Dr. Norell's exhibit “Dinosaurs Among Us,” at the American Museum of Natural History opens March 21st and will run until January 2nd, 2017. The exhibit will open exclusively to AMNH members March 18th through March 20th. For tickets and more information, click here.  Want to hear more from Dr. Mark Norell? Check out our interview with him in 1994. Think dinosaurs are extinct? Think again. https://t.co/48fb3Vtk8I pic.twitter.com/Mvxf2wuJmm — Leonard Lopate Show (@LeonardLopate) March 18, 2016 "It's even hard today to say what a bird is," says Dr. Mark Norell, the chair of the @AMNH Division of Paleontology. https://t.co/BpOcrlHalh — Leonard Lopate Show (@LeonardLopate) March 18, 2016 Flamingos were alive during the same time as T-Rex. Guess which one survived the asteroid? https://t.co/m767oQ4SQP — Leonard Lopate Show (@LeonardLopate) March 18, 2016 #TIL Crocodiles can communicate while still inside the egg. https://t.co/6g8uyeNYhP — Leonard Lopate Show (@LeonardLopate) March 18, 2016 "The more you find in the fossil record, the crazier it gets" says @AMNH's Dr. Mark Norell https://t.co/UhIJyLAvls pic.twitter.com/uZ0SwZ53NE — Leonard Lopate Show (@LeonardLopate) March 18, 2016