A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived

NPR | By Ari Daniel

Published September 12, 2026 at 6:04 AM MDT

The best preserved feather from the age of the dinosaurs was just revealed — and it was inside a blob of fossilized poop. That feather is from an aquatic bird that lived 66 million years ago.

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Ari Daniel

Ari Daniel is a freelance contributor to NPR's Science desk.

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