Hold onto your feathers! 🦅 An international team of scientists just dropped a bombshell: modern birds started diversifying before dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago. Published in PNAS, this research rewrites the evolutionary playbook we thought we knew. 🌍🔬
Using next-gen genomic analysis (think Jurassic Park meets Silicon Valley 💻), researchers found that key bird groups like ostriches and ducks emerged millions of years earlier than previously believed. Talk about survival skills—these feathered icons outlasted T-Rex! 🦆✨
Why does this matter? It challenges the long-held theory that bird evolution only took off post-asteroid impact. As one scientist put it: \"Birds weren’t just lucky survivors—they were already innovators.\" 🚀🔍
For young explorers and science nerds: this discovery reshapes how we understand biodiversity crises. Could today’s climate challenges spark similar evolutionary leaps? 🌱🦜 Only time—and more research—will tell!
