Did you know birds are living dinosaurs? From the regal bald eagle to the ubiquitous cooing pigeon, all 10,000 species of birds we see today evolved from dinosaurs. But unlike dinosaurs, early birds survived the meteor that wiped out their relatives 65 million years ago. Join paleontologist Dr. Jingmai O’Connor for a trip back in time to learn how birds became birds and the adaptations that helped them thrive. Dr. O’Connor will share a new fossil discovery that tells us more about the earliest birds and the dinosaurs they evolved from.
About the Speaker
Jingmai O'Connor is associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum in Chicago, where she studies the early evolution of birds and other flying dinosaurs. Specifically, she focuses on understanding the dinosaur-bird transition and the evolution of modern bird physiology.
This event was sponsored by Nathan Myhrvold and Rosemarie Havranek.
This lecture was recorded on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at Kane Hall at the University of Washington.
Please note: A portion of this lecture was redacted as it is currently unpublished information. A new version of this video will be uploaded once the information is published.
