Starcast Join the waitlist
The World, the Universe and Us

The World, the Universe and Us

New Fossil Shows Birds Weren’t the Only Dinosaurs to Evolve Flight

Oct 2, 2026 · 28m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Episode 403 A new species of feathered dinosaur has been discovered - and it looks like a supercharged magpie with teeth. Fossil evidence and an artist’s reconstruction show the dinosaur looks remarkably like a bird - yet it’s not actually an ancestor of modern birds. Over 100 million years old, Norellraptor barsboldi is named after two famous palaeontologists - one of whom taught palaeontologist Steve Brusatte. Steve is the author of The Story of Birds and joins the team to discuss this incredible finding, which shows flight may have evolved at least two separate times. He also explains how dinosaurs didn’t go extinct - but still roam among us today. On the panel are Rowan Hooper and Penny…