EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:
NGSS Standards:
LS
3-LS4-1
Crosscutting Concepts:
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Julia Clarke grew up wanting to be like the intrepid explorer, Indiana Jones. But instead of raiding Lost Arks, she's studying the evolution of birds and dinosaurs. She travels on expeditions to distant lands - like Antarctica's Vega Island - to find fossils. These fossils contain clues to how ancient world sounded, and why birds survived a mass extinction when other dinosaurs didn't.
Want to dig (pun intended) into Julia's research? Here are some links to find out more!
Bird Research Suggests calling Dinosaurs may have been tight-lipped
Oldest Known Squawk Box Suggests that Birds Likely Did Not Sing
NPR: New Research Debunks the Dinosaur Roar
New Scientist: First Birds Made Honking Sounds More Than 66 Million Years Ago
Unlike many paleontologists who loved dinosaurs as kids, Julia's first love is birds. She studies dinosaurs because birds are modern day dinosaurs!
Julia narrates this 20 minute documentary called "The Origins of Birds." (Bonus for teachers: This film comes with educator materials!)
Julia's research goes far beyond dinosaur sounds, to dinosaur feathers and colors!
Color Explosion Led to Fabulous Dinos 150 M Years Ago
Birds and the feather did not evolve together
Microraptor suggests feathers evolved to attract mates
She's even discovered a giant penguin. That's how Lindsay found out about Julia's awesome work. She interviewed her for a story called, "Penguin Ancestors Didn't Wear Black And White."