Season 1 Episode 52 | 11m 29s
Experts are still arguing over whether Archaeopteryx was a true bird, or a paravian dinosaur, or some other kind of dino. But regardless of what side you’re on, how did this fascinating, bird-like animal relate to today’s birds? It turns out its teeth were a clue that this story goes all the way back to what we now call the non-avian dinosaurs.
Aired: 08/07/18
Video has closed captioning.
The Two People We're All Related To
Two humans managed to pass on a very small fraction of their genomes to all of us.
Your Place in the Primate Family Tree
How did we get from a mouse-sized creature that looked more like a squirrel to you?
Scientists have been working for decades to unlock the genetic secrets of the past.
Is LH PV18 a Tarbosaurus bataar? Or a different theropod named Raptorex kriegsteini?
Human ancestors were already walking 3.6 million years ago. But who was first to walk?
Life, Sex & Death Among the Dire Wolves
Dire wolves were real! Their remains taught us a lot about how they lived.
How a Supervolcano Made the Cenozoic’s Coolest Fossils
Yellowstone contains some of North America's most amazing fossil deposits.
How Horses Took Over North America (Twice)
Horses vanished from North America for 10,000 years until a mammal brought them back.
Now Showing
How did Archaeopteryx relate to today’s birds? Its teeth provide a major clue.
420 million years ago, some fish wore armor – and it may have served a surprising purpose.
Ancestors of cephalopods all had shells until it proved to be their biggest weakness.
Why Triassic Animals Were Just the Weirdest
Why the Triassic was full of creatures that look a lot like other, more modern species.
Before a group of fish could live on dry land, they acquired the ability to breathe air.
Insects were the first animals to fly. Scientists are still working on how it happened.
420 million years ago, some fish wore armor – and it may have served a surprising purpose.
How Horses Took Over North America (Twice)
Horses vanished from North America for 10,000 years until a mammal brought them back.
Life, Sex & Death Among the Dire Wolves
Dire wolves were real! Their remains taught us a lot about how they lived.
When Giant Scorpions Swarmed the Seas
Sea scorpions thrived for 200 million years, coming in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
