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Great Transitions: The Origin of Birds

Topic

  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Skin & Musculoskeletal System
  • Evolution
  • Paleobiology

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:18:59
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
21 Users
Share This
View in Spanish

Description

This film follows paleontologist Julia Clarke as she describes some of the most important fossil evidence showing that birds descended from dinosaurs.

The discovery of Archaeopteryx in a quarry in Germany in the early 1860s provided the first clue that birds descended from reptiles. But what kind of reptile? In the last 40 years, scientists have discovered that birds descended from a group of carnivorous dinosaurs called theropods. By following this trail of discovery, the film illustrates many of the iterative and inquiry-based practices of science: asking important questions, formulating and testing hypotheses, analyzing and interpreting evidence, and revising explanations as new evidence becomes available.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

Archaeopteryx, Deinonychus, dinosaur, feather, fossil, theropod

Primary Literature

Ostrom, John H. “Osteology of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an Unusual Theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana.” Peabody Museum of Natural History Bulletin 30 (1969). 
 

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files partially meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.12.15
Date Updated 05.14.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4.A, HS-LS4.C

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-3, SYI-2

IB Biology (2016)

5.1, 5.4, 10.3

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 2.7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC2

Materials

HD (M4V) 916 MB
HD (WMV) 589 MB
SD (M4V) 154 MB
SD (WMV) 150 MB
Transcript (PDF) 279 KB
Spanish Dub (Español) (MP4) 332 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 246 KB
Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 7 MB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Activity for The Origin of Birds
Activity Resource
How Did Dinosaurs Regulate Their Body Temperatures?
Activity Resource
Living Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?

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Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
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1-Minute Tips

The Origin of Birds

Valerie May explains how she uses the BioInteractive short film "Great Transitions: The Origin of Birds," along with its related activities, with her students. She also notes that many of BioInteractive's resources align to NGSS standards.
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This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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