How a Small Ground Dwelling Bird Survived a Mass Extinction Event Caused by an Asteroid

PBS Novaexplained how the Asteriornis, a small prehistoric bird related to geese and ducks, was able to survive the devastating asteroid that wiped out almost every other species on Earth in a mass extinction event.

Birds are the only dinosaurs still alive today, but how did they survive the asteroid? Most birds were wiped out, along with the rest of the dinosaurs and 75 percent of all life on Earth, but one group of birds made it through. Discover how they endured, and which traits made them resilient in the brutal aftermath of the mass extinction event.

The bird had several advantages to allow for survival, it was terrestrial, had a generalized diet, a small size and did not fly at all.

Archaic birds, although more numerous, were devastated by the asteroid. Their ecosystems were destroyed. In this hostile environment, their imposing size, life in the trees and specialized diets led to their extinction. Only modern ground-nesting birds, with more flexible diets, were resilient enough to survive a decimated landscape.