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Birds are the dinosaurs that survived the mass-extinction event 66 millions years ago

WBUR

Published October 12, 2026 at 12:04 PM EDT

A tufted titmouse sits in a tree, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Milford, Ohio. (Joshua A. Bickel/AP)

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Birds are the only dinosaurs that survived the devastating asteroid impact 66 million years ago. The songbirds you see today are directly linked to the velociraptor, triceratops and T. rex.

In June, Here & Now‘s Scott Tong spoke with Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist, about his new book “The Story of Birds,” which explains how birds evolved and how they survived the extinction event that wiped out so many other species.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.