>> WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD DINOSAUR, MAYBE A STEGOSAURUS OR A TRICERATOPS OR A SCENE FROM THE MOVIE JURASSIC PARK.

BUT HOW ABOUT A PIGEON?

BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT BIRDS ARE DINOSAURS IN THE FIELD.

MUSEUM SAYS IT HAS A FOSSIL TO PROVE IT.

EARLIER TODAY THE FIELD MUSEUM UNVEILED THE CHICAGO ARE KEY AFTER ITS FOSSIL, WHICH HELPS CONNECT THE EVOLUTIONARY DOTS AND SHOW THAT BIRDS ARE MODERN-DAY DINOSAURS IN HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE FOSSIL IS JING MAY O'CONNOR AND ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF FOSSIL REPTILES AT THE FIELD MUSEUM AND WTW NEWS REPORTER PATTY WET LEE WHO GOT AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES.

LOOK AND HOW THE MUSEUM ACQUIRED THE FOSSIL.

PATTY.

WELCOME BACK.

JAMIE, WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

SO OF COURSE, YOU HELP THE FIELD MUSEUM ACQUIRED THIS FOSSIL.

WHAT, 4 YEARS AGO.

AND YOU HAD TO SIT ON THAT SECRET, WHICH I'M SURE IT WAS TOUGH FOR BUT WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT TODAY?

IT'S SUCH A RELIEF, YOU KNOW, TO FINALLY HAVE THAT THE SECRET BE OUT IN THE OPEN.

ALSO, I HAD THESE EARRINGS MADE 4 YEARS AGO AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE ABLE TO WEAR THEM.

SO THAT'S THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING HERE WHAT'S IMPORTANT I WOULD AGREE IS IS THE RINGS.

I'M SURE IT'S VERY EXCITING WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT A PATTY, YOU ALSO HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO SOME FIELD EXECS.

HOW BIG A DEAL IS THIS FOR CHICAGO?

I MEAN, IT'S HUGE FOR THE FIELD MUSEUM AND FOR THE CITY IN SO MANY LEVELS, THERE'S ONLY 13.

>> OF THESE ARE KEY AFTER ITS FOSSILS OUT THERE.

ARE THE ONLY MAJOR CITY OUTSIDE OF YOUR TO HAVE ONE.

>> SO IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR URGING MAY TO DO SCIENCE AND RESEARCH.

I'M ON A SPECIMEN THAT YOU WOULDN'T NORMALLY HAVE ACCESS TO HUGE OPERATION TO NUTTY FOR EDUCATION BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN'T HEARD OF OUR CAP TRICKS UP TO THIS POINT, BUT ALSO LIKE A FEATHER IN CHICAGO'S CAP.

YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVES, EVEN THE GOVERNOR WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CHICAGO DINOSAUR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

IT'S IT'S AMAZING FOR THE CITY, A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SELL OURSELVES AND AND HOW IMPORTANT SCIENCE IN CHICAGO.

I THINK YOU HAVE FRIDAY WHEN I STARTED PREPARING FOR THIS SEGMENT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT IN OUR KEY AFTER A MAY TAKE US BACK TO THE BASICS.

WHAT IS IN OUR >> OUR KAILE TRICKS THE OLDEST KNOWN FOSSIL BIRD.

SO IT'S ONLY FALL SOBER THAT'S EVER BEEN FOUND FROM JURASSIC AGE DEPOSITS.

IT'S 150 MILLION YEARS OLD, WHICH IS ABOUT 20 MILLION YEARS OLDER THAN THE SECOND OLDEST FOSSIL BIRDS.

AND SO WHEN IT WAS FOUND IN 18 61, IT WAS THE OLDEST FOSSIL BIRD THEN AND EVEN IN THE NEXT 163 YEARS, WE'VE NEVER FOUND.

AND OLDEST FOSSIL BIRD THAT IS CONVINCING EVERYONE.

IT REALLY IS ALSO BURNED.

SO THERE ARE SOME OTHER DINOSAURS THAT ARE VERY BIRD-LIKE.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST PIECE OF EVIDENCE WE HAVE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF BIRDS AND BERT OF THE MOST DIVERSE GROUP OF VERTEBRATES ON LAND VERTEBRATES ON OUR PLANET TODAY.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST PIECE OF PUZZLE TO UNDERSTAND ONE OF EVOLUTION'S, GREAT SUCCESS STORIES BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS MIGHT SIMPLIFY IT AND KIND WANT TO COMPARE IT TO WHAT IS THE THE FLYING DINOSAUR WAS AT A LOT THINK OF THAT AND GO WAITED THIS THIS THIS THIS NOT NEW.

TARA SORES ARE YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU SEE LIKE FLYING REPTILES THAT ARE ALONGSIDE DINOSAURS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY THEY'RE NOT DINOSAURS AT ALL.

AND THEY'RE NOT BIRDS, BUT THEY ARE A GROUP OF REPTILES VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO DINOSAURS.

SO A COMMON MISCONCEPTION.

>> BUT WE NOW KNOW THERE WERE OTHER FLYING DINOSAURS LIKE THIS CAN STORY OF COURAGE IS I WAS MENTIONING ALSO, MIKE OR AFTER WE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW FLIGHT EVOLVED IN DINOSAURS.

IT INVOLVED MULTIPLE TIMES OR A SINGLE TIME A PRODUCING ALL THESE DIFFERENT FLYING ORGANISMS AND THEN A LOT OF >> THINGS LIKE VELOCIRAPTOR.

ACTUALLY.

SECONDARILY, LAST FLIGHT, BUT MAYBE THIS FALL.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HELP US TO SHED LIGHT ON THESE CONTROVERSIES.

BUT THIS IS JUST THE OLDEST FOSSIL BIRD.

SO THE ALL BIRDS ARE DINOSAURS.

BUT THIS IS THE OLDEST DINOSAUR THAT CAN ALSO SAY IT'S BIRD, PATTY, WHO BEEN INVOLVED WITH BRINGING THIS FOSSIL THERE WERE A COUPLE OF FANTASTIC FOSSIL PREPARED ERS, WHICH WAS THE JOB.

I DID NOT REALLY HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH THE 04:00AM COUNTY VAN BEEK AND AKIKO SHINYA AND THEY TOOK, YOU KNOW, THIS SORT OF LIKE BLANKETS LAB AND CHIPPED AWAY, CHIPPED AWAY AND REVEALED THAT THE BEAUTIFUL SKELETON THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE ON EXHIBIT GORGEOUS CALL, THE VERTEBRAE.

IT'S ONE OF THE BEST.

BEST PARKING AFTER EXPECT SUMMONS OUT THERE.

I MEAN, I'M SURE THE BEST IN PEOPLE.

AND TO THAT WHY IS THIS PARTICULAR FOSSIL SO SPECIAL?

WELL, I THINK IT'S SO SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'S AT THE FIELD MUSEUM.

AND BECAUSE WE ARE A RESEARCH INSTITUTE THAT REALLY PRIORITIZE IS THE WORK DONE BY OUR SCIENTISTS.

BUT ALSO THAT REGULARLY ENGAGES IN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.

WE REALLY WE TAKE JOY IN SHARING OUR RESEARCH WITH THE PUBLIC AND SO THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THESE 2 QUALITIES, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN SO MUCH FROM THIS AMAZING FALL.

SO AND WE'RE GOING TO SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD.

SO I HOPE IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY GOING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT ABOUT EVOLUTION, BUT ALSO ABOUT THE FACT THE PIGEONS ARE LIVING DINOSAURS AND ALSO HOPEFULLY INSPIRE SCIENTISTS OF THE FUTURE.

IT THE WAY THIS ONE CAME TO YOU AS WELL, OBVIOUSLY WAS VERY WELL PACKAGE.

BUT THE FOSSIL ITSELF WAS TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU WERE ABLE TO SORT OF DICTATE, YOU KNOW, HOW TO BRING THIS FOSSIL OUT.

>> TOTALS LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, PLEASE.

YES.

SO THIS FOSSIL HAD BEEN IN HANDS.

THE HANDS OF PRIVATE COLLECTORS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

>> AND LUCKILY NO ONE EVER THOUGHT TO REPAIR IT OR TO EVEN LOOK INSIDE AND SEE HOW COMPLETE IT WAS.

SO IT CAME TO US WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF PHONES EXPOSED.

AND THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS POPPING X-RAY MACHINE.

WE IT WAS COMPLETE ALMOST 100% COMPLETE, WHICH LIKE BEYOND OUR WILDEST EXPECTATIONS.

AND IT'S ALSO PERFECT BECAUSE WE HAVE 2 OF THE BEST PREPARED ERS IN THE WORLD.

CONNIE AND AKIKO.

SO THEY REALLY PREPARED THIS SPECIMEN FOR SCIENCE.

NOW, A LOT OF OTHER RECENT SPECIMENS THAT WERE DESCRIBED IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE IN THE HANDS OF PRIVATE COLLECTORS.

SO THEY WERE PREPARED TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL FOR A COLLECTOR.

AND SO THEY DO THINGS LIKE FILL IN THE CAR OF EMPTY THE CARD, MISSING PARTS OF THE SKELETON TO MAKE IT SEEM MORE COMPLETE THAN IT IS.

WE REALLY MADE SURE THAT WHEN WE PREPARE THIS, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

ANY OF THESE LIKE MISLEADING TECHNIQUES, THAT YOU ADD THINGS TO THE SPECIMEN, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE OUR TIME AND JUST PREPARE THIS AS METICULOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.

WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF REALLY DELICATE RACES THAT I THINK MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT IN OTHER SPECIMENS, BUT WE'RE PREPARED AWAY WHEN THEY WERE PREPARED BY THESE CORPORATE COMMERCIAL PREPARE WHO ARE JUST REALLY TRYING TO DO THIS QUICKLY SO THAT THEY CAN SELL THE FOSSIL.

SO, YEAH, THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY FORTUNATE THAT CAME TO THE FIELD MUSEUM.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.

I THINK IS IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS FOSSIL THAT MIGHT HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND TODAY'S BIRDS?

YEAH, YOU KNOW, SO ARE OPTICS.

THERE'S 12 SPECIMENS BEFORE THAT CAN BE FOR HOURS.

AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST STUDIED TAX OF ALL TIME.

SO I DIDN'T REALLY THINK WE'RE GOING TO LEARN BASIC NEW INFORMATION, THINGS ABOUT HOW THE SKELETON LOOKS THAT WILL THEN HELP US UNDERSTAND WHICH GROUP OF DINOSAURS BIRDS ARE MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO.

WE'VE LEARNED JUST A TON OF NEW INFORMATION.

WE'VE ACTUALLY DRASTICALLY TRANSFORMED HOW SCIENTISTS NOW KNOW THIS TAX LOOK TO HOW THE SPECIES LOOKED AND FOR EXAMPLE, ON NEW INFORMATION WE'VE GLEANED FROM PALLET, WHICH OF THE BONES THAT FORM THE ROOT THEM OUT.

THEY SUGGEST THAT BIRDS MAY ACTUALLY BE LIVING SHOWDOWN TO DINOSAURS.

>> SOURCE.

BUT I I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT THEY NEST WITHIN A GROUP OF DINOSAURS COACH ODON TO AND SO TECHNICALLY.

>> BIRDS WOULD NOT ONLY BE LIVING DINOSAURS, BUT THEY WOULD BE LIVE INTRO DONTA DINOSAURS.

AND THIS IS JUST A HYPOTHESIS.

I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE PROBABLY STILL GOING TO BE ARGUING ABOUT FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS JUST BECAUSE THIS ALSO IS SO BUT I THINK WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION FROM THIS SPECIMEN MORE THAN I DREAMED OR HOPE TO GET.

THAT IS REALLY GOING TO DRASTICALLY CHANGE.

HOW SCIENTISTS LOOK AT OUR TRICKS.

AND I HOPE THAT SHARING THE STORY WITH PEOPLE WILL DRASTICALLY CHANGE HOW PEOPLE LOOK AT LIVING DINOSAURS THINGS LIKE PIGEONS SEAGULLS.

PATTY, ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

BUT YOU GOT EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO FOSSIL AHEAD OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH IS SUPER COOL.

YOU PUT TOGETHER SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

>> TO HELP VIEWERS BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS FOSSIL, WHAT CAN THEY FIND?

ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN SHE JUST MENTION TROY IT'S WE HAVE A FABULOUS WHAT I CALL ARE FINDING YOUR ROOTS DI KNOW EDITION WHERE SHE EXPLAINS, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR GAP TRICKS AND WHERE BIRDS FIT THE SORT OF DINOSAUR FAMILY TREE.

THAT'S NICOLE CARR GOES ADDED IT DOWN PERFECTLY.

WE HAVE AN EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH WE ALSO HAVE A DESCRIPTION WHERE THE OTHER SPECIMENS ARE, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT MAKES CHICAGO'S SO AMAZING.

OKAY.

A LOT MORE INFORMATION INFO.

YES, THIS IS VERY AND I WANT TO THANK THE CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.

JEN MADE WANT TO THANK THANK YOU BOTH, OF COURSE, FOR JOINING US.

I'M GING.

THEY O'CONNOR FROM THE FIELD MUSEUM.

PATTY, LEE, OF COURSE, THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR JOINING US.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE FOSSIL AT THE FIELD MUSEUM STARTING TOMORROW.

AND AS WE MENTIONED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEW CHICAGO ARE KEY OPTICS FOSSIL VISIT.

OUR WEBSITE.

AS PATTY MENTIONED THERE YOU'LL FIND