The Field Museum in Chicago just got its hands on an Archaeopteryx

fossil, only the 13th one in the world.

Oh, it's incredibly exciting. I think for any paleontologists they would be

really stoked to have a specimen of archaeologists because it really is the icon of

evolution. It's Monday, May 13th, and you're listening to Science Friday.

I'm Cyfry producer Kathleen Davis.

You might know that birds, yep, all living birds, are dinosaurs,

and the fossil that helped prove that is

archeopteryx. We'll hear why it's so exciting to have another fossil of this

ancient bird and what scientists are learning from it. But first, here's why

planting trees isn't always a green solution. Here's guest host Sophie Bushwick.

Since grade school, I've been told that planting trees is the height of

environmentalism. Plant a tree save the planet, right? Well it's a little more

complicated than that. Trees don't actually belong in every biome,

and in some cases they can be downright bad. That's the case for the Great Plains

where a wave of trees and shrubs is burying this threatened habitat.

Joining me now to talk about this is my guest,

Celia Yopis-Jepson, host of the podcast Up From Dust from KCU R studios in Kansas City, Missouri. Welcome to Science Friday.

Great to be here. Let's talk about the Great Plains prairies. What makes this

ecosystem so special?

Yeah, so there is really nothing like standing on a healthy prairie where you can see this kind of ocean of grass and wildflowers that stretches all the way to the horizon.

These are really special places with their own wildlife, including some very cool animals that, you know, were once widespread on this

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