Tag: dinosaur birds

[ad_1] Birds are the only dinosaur group that survived the terrible asteroid strike that caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. Scientists have been puzzled for years about why birds, descendants of dinosaurs, survived while most others did not, including the fearsome giants that we know all about, Interesting Engineering reports. Now, two new studies have focused on one possible answer: molting.The importance of molting as survival mechanism after asteroid strikeMolting is when birds shed old feathers and grow new ones. Feathers are made of a protein called keratin, which is the same stuff that makes up human hair and nails. Feathers are important for birds because they help them fly, swim, attract mates, stay warm, and protect their skin from the sun. Feath...