Are birds dinosaurs?

Brains On! Science podcast for kids

American Public Media

Kids & Family, Education For Kids

4.4 • 13.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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When you think of dinosaurs, you might picture giant, scaly creatures that roamed earth millions of years ago. And when you think of birds, you probably picture our fluffy, feathered, chirpy friends. But did you know that birds are actually dinosaurs?

Molly and cohost Siddharth dig into how some modern birds like chickens, evolved from dinosaurs like the T-Rex. They’ll chat with paleontologist Jingmai O’Connor about what it’s like to study dinosaurs and hear about an exciting new fossil discovery. Siddharth quizzes Molly on her animal knowledge, plus, there's a new mystery sound to be uncovered.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Brains-On, we're serious about being curious.
0:04.2	Brains-on is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
0:12.3	Bar-Berk! Dominique! You've hardly packed at your corn! What's up?
0:18.2	Oh! Burr! Daryl, I have big dreams of flying the coop.
0:24.0	There's just one problem.
0:25.8	I'm scared.
0:27.8	I'm not brave enough to chase after my dreams.
0:31.9	M-M-M-M-Term.
0:33.3	Dominique, you can't chicken out now.
0:36.7	But we are chickens. I mean, you can't chicken out now. But we are chickens.
0:39.3	I mean, you gotta stand up for yourself.
0:43.0	You gotta believe in yourself.
0:46.2	How the dickens am I supposed to doodle do that?
0:49.4	Don't get your feathers in a rubble.
0:51.7	Just listen to me, Dominic.
0:54.0	I have something to tell you in song
0:57.8	form. What could our wings if you don't spread them and fly? Life is too short to let your dreams
1:08.9	pass by. Your chicken ancestors knew this to be true. They believed in themselves,
1:21.9	and you can too. My chicken ancestors? Like chicken little?
1:29.3	He thought the sky was falling and boy was he wrong?
1:33.3	Just think of all the generations before.
1:37.3	Such avian excellence to adore.
	...

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