<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Curious Kids;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com" data-ylk="slk:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p><hr class="my-4"><blockquote class="mb-4 border-l-2 pl-5 italic text-tertiary"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><strong>If dinosaurs died, how come there are birds? Caiden S., age 9, Wylie, Texas</strong></p></div></blockquote><hr class="my-4"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Everyone knows what a bird is – and pretty much everyone knows what a dinosaur is. But not everyone is aware that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039056" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:birds evolved from dinosaurs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">birds evolved from dinosaurs</a> approximately 160 million years ago.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">In fact, birds and dinosaurs lived together for about 100 million years. Birds descended from a particular group of dinosaurs called the dromaeosaurs, or “running lizards,” which were a family of feathered theropod or “beast foot” dinosaurs that included velociraptor.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">But when an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago</a> off the coast of what is now Mexico, <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-have-found-dust-from-the-asteroid-that-wiped-out-the-dinosaurs-inside-the-crater-it-left-156232" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:dinosaurs went extinct;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">dinosaurs went extinct</a> – but some birds remained. You might wonder why.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">By acting like detectives, scientists who specialize in bird evolution are trying to figure out why birds weren’t wiped out too. They piece together clues like fossils and other evidence about life on Earth long ago. For now, scientists have ideas about why birds survived, but no firm answers.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">Perks of being toothless</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Today’s <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-birds-have-teeth/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:birds have no teeth;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">birds have no teeth</a>. Instead they have beaks or bills, which come in many shapes and sizes for eating and drinking. But some of the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.039" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:birds that lived in dinosaur times actually had teeth;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">birds that lived in dinosaur times actually had teeth</a>. Others did not.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="In the foreground is an artist&amp;#39;s rendering of a bird head. In the background is a fossil photo showing that bird&amp;#39;s skull. Teeth are clearly seen in the jaws." loading="lazy" width="960" height="823" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/.8EVq8W2gwQp6etZGl0OQQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTgyMztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/6a30c35850dfea67afaa988acb5f69f1"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible"><em>Ichthyornis dispar</em> was a primitive seabird with teeth that lived during the late Cretaceous Period – from 100 million to 66 million years ago – in North America. Courtesy of Michael Hanson and Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar.</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">After the asteroid struck Earth long ago, all birds with teeth went extinct. But many of the toothless ones kept living. Some scientists think <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.039" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:not having teeth is what allowed these birds to survive;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">not having teeth is what allowed these birds to survive</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Fossils of early toothless birds show <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011924108" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:they were able to eat more plant-based food;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">they were able to eat more plant-based food</a> – specifically nuts, fruits and seeds. This meant they relied less on eating other animals than birds with teeth did. Some scientists think this difference in diet became a big advantage after the asteroid impact.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When the asteroid struck Earth, it immediately <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-what-effect-did-the-asteroid-that-wiped-out-the-dinosaurs-have-on-plants-and-trees-132386" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:caused massive tsunamis and earthquakes;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">caused massive tsunamis and earthquakes</a>. A giant pulse of heat from the impact caused enormous wildfires near where the asteroid hit. In the months that followed, huge amounts of dust filled the layer of air that surrounds Earth. It blocked the sun, making <a href="https://teachingkidsnews.com/2014/09/21/4-scientists-explain-asteroid-impact-led-dinosaur-extinction/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:less light available for plants to grow;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">less light available for plants to grow</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For animals that ate plants, there was much less food. Many went extinct, which spelled trouble for the animals that ate them.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Since so many animal species died – and plants were struggling to get enough sunlight – food would have been hard to find if you were a bird. But if you could peck the ground and find buried seeds or nuts to eat, that might have made all the difference in your <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011924108" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:ability to survive as a species;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">ability to survive as a species</a>.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">How science works</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Of course, it’s possible other factors caused toothless birds to survive while their toothy cousins perished – including luck.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For now, it’s a mystery with no definite answer. This is how science works. Scientists formulate ideas or hypotheses using existing knowledge and information. Then they test their ideas – either by conducting experiments or by gathering more evidence. This information either supports or disproves their ideas.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">So the scientists who study bird evolution are ready to revise the story of how birds made it and dinosaurs didn’t as they collect more information from rocks, fossils and <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-possible-to-recreate-dinosaurs-from-their-dna-164060" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:ancient DNA;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">ancient DNA</a>.</p><hr class="my-4"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com" data-ylk="slk:CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com/us?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link-0&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:The Conversation;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">The Conversation</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-lituma-1404798?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Chris Lituma;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Chris Lituma</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/west-virginia-university-1375?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:West Virginia University;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">West Virginia University</a></em> </em></p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><strong>Read more:</strong><br></p><ul class="mb-4"><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/is-it-possible-to-recreate-dinosaurs-from-their-dna-164060?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link0&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Is it possible to recreate dinosaurs from their DNA?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Is it possible to recreate dinosaurs from their DNA?</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/millions-of-years-ago-the-megalodon-ruled-the-oceans-why-did-it-disappear-182841?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link1&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Millions of years ago, the megalodon ruled the oceans – why did it disappear?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Millions of years ago, the megalodon ruled the oceans – why did it disappear?</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/how-did-cockroaches-survive-the-asteroid-that-led-to-the-extinction-of-dinosaurs-177118?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link2&amp;utm_content=article-197185" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:How did cockroaches survive the asteroid that led to the extinction of dinosaurs?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">How did cockroaches survive the asteroid that led to the extinction of dinosaurs?</a></p></div></li></ul><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em><span>Chris Lituma does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p></div>

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