I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast

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Paleontologist Interviews: Steve Brusatte on How Birds Survived the Dinosaur Extinction May 28, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Steve Brusatte joins us for a paleontologist interview about The Story of Birds, exploring how birds survived the dinosaur extinction, evolved from dinosaur ancestors, and became one of Earth's most successful groups of animals.

In this episode of I Know Dino, we cover new dinosaur discoveries and dinosaur research before sitting down with Steve Brusatte, paleontologist, author, and University of Edinburgh professor. We discuss what the fossil record reveals about bird evolution, why birds are living dinosaurs, and how paleontologists connect modern species to their dinosaur ancestors. Steve explains how scientists study dinosaur evolution, brain evolution, and the survival of bird lineages through the end-Cretaceous extinction.

We also talk about giant fossil birds, terror birds, penguins that once rivaled large mammals, and how dinosaur research continues to reshape our understanding of prehistoric life. Along the way, Steve shares stories from his work as a researcher, science communicator, and author, including insights from writing The Story of Birds and helping connect modern bird biology to deep dinosaur history.

Before the interview, we cover a new tiny alvarezsauroid from Argentina, discuss what it reveals about dinosaur evolution, and look at new research tools that help scientists reconstruct ancient environments and extinction events.

Thanks for listening to I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast—your source for dinosaur discoveries, dinosaur news, dinosaur research, paleontology news, and interviews with the scientists making new fossil discoveries.

Steve Brusatte joins to discuss the only group of dinosaurs that survived the asteroid. Plus a new alvarezsauroid which is the most complete and smallest dinosaur ever found in South America.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Tataouinea, links from Steve Brusatte, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Tataouinea-Episode-566/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Tataouinea, a rebbachisaurid sauropod and the first articulated dinosaur skeleton found in Tunisia.

Interview with Steve Brusatte, a professor of Palaeontology and Evolution at the University of Edinburgh. He is also the paleontology advisor for Jurassic World and author of a numerous of best-selling paleontology books. His latest book is The Story of Birds (which is already a NYT Best Seller)

In dinosaur news this week:

There’s a new alvarezsauroid, Alnashetri, which has set a record as the most complete dinosaur found in South America

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A tyrannosaur tooth embedded in a hadrosaur skull May 13, 2026

Show notes

An extraordinary fossil find provides fresh evidence about dinosaur behavior and predator-prey interactions.

Plus hadrosaurs breaking their tails while mating, a diplodocoid with a broken tail tip, and many more paleopathologies.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Koparion, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Koparion-Episode-565/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Koparion, a small troodontid we only know from a tooth.

In dinosaur news this week:

There’s a new herrerasaur, Ptychotherates bucculentus
Hadrosaurs may have injured their tails while mating
A Barosaurus with a long whip-like tail had a fracture at the tip of its tail
A tyrannosaur lost the tip of its tooth in the skull of an Edmontosaurus
A Plateosaurus with a bone infection in its right arm is the oldest known dinosaur bone infection
Cancer has been around for millions of years, including in dinosaurs
A few titanosaurs were found with cysts in their tails
A mamenchisaurid sauropod had a tumor on its shoulder and arm

Tell us what you think about our show in our 2026 IKD Survey! We want our show to be as enjoyable as possible, and your input will help us improve. Head to iknowdino.com/survey to help shape the future of I Know Dino!

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Rob Sula who co-discovered the Tanis site Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The Tanis site is one of the most important paleo sites in North America, showing details of the exact day when the Cretaceous ended. Plus two new cute dinosaurs.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Silvisaurus, links from Rob Sula, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Silvisaurus-Episode-564/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Silvisaurus, an ankylosaur with a pear-shaped skull.

Interview with Rob Sula, the Senior field supervisor for Paleo Prospectors. He's a field paleontologist, teacher, and artist with decades of experience hunting and excavating dinosaurs and has co-discovered some very important fossil sites. He was also recently featured in the documentary Why Dinosaurs?

In dinosaur news this week:

Dr. Hans Sues has ascended to paleo legend status
There’s a new cute ornithopod, Foskeia pelendonum
There’s another new, possibly even cuter dinosaur, the thescelosaurid ornithischian Doolysaurus huhmini

Tell us what you think about our show in our 2026 IKD Survey! We want our show to be as enjoyable as possible, and your input will help us improve. Head to bit.ly/ikdsurvey26 to help shape the future of I Know Dino!

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Hadrosaur Hooves, Head Combs, Muscles, and More Soft Tissues Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Lots of new discoveries of soft tissues in dinosaurs. Plus new studies to confirm old soft tissues and a new—controversial—iguanodont.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Santanaraptor, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Santanaraptor-Episode-563/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Santanaraptor, a small theropod found with soft tissue.

In dinosaur news this week:

There’s a potentially new iguanodont, Paulodon galvensis (but it is controversial)
Soft tissues can be preserved in fossils regardless of the species, age of the bones, or where the animal was buried
A new method using Cross-polarized light microscopy (XPol) helps identify organic molecules in fossils
New Edmontosaurus "mummies" show hooves, small spikes down the tail, and a banded fleshy crest over the neck and back
Scientists re-evaluated the soft tissue crest of an edmontosaur hadrosaur dinosaur
Dinosaurs likely had muscles forming cheeks
New titanosaur sauropod tracks found in Mongolia show a lot of soft tissue details in the hands and feet

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April Fowls: Archaeopteryx and Dinosaur Evolution Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

A new troodontid with a skull like a pachycephalosaur, two new prehistoric birds, the bird evolutionary tree, how birds developed the ability to fly, how we know Microraptor turned out to be a decent flier, and a mathematical rule that shapes theropod faces

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Archaeopteryx , and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Archaeopteryx -Episode-562/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Archaeopteryx , the "ancient wing" dinosaur that was originally named for just a single feather, but is now known from over a dozen individuals.

In dinosaur news this week:

A new troodontid theropod, Xenovenator espinosai, has an extremely thick skull—like a pachycephalosaur
Scientists have created a complete evolutionary tree of all birds (over 9,000 species)
There’s a new neoavian Aequornithes bird from Antarctica, Pujatopouli soberana
There is a new euornithean bird, Kunpengornis anhuimusei, that has gut contents!
How the structure of feathers in the Cretaceous tells us about their evolution
The specialization of a small wrist bone, the pisiform, helps birds to fly
A key wing muscle that helps birds fly appears to have evolved by fusing cells from multiple muscles
How often birds, bats, and insects flap when flying may be related to a built in constraint related to the vortex their wings generate with each flap
More Microraptor specimens (with soft tissues!) show it was a decent flier
A set of raptor dinosaur tracks indirectly shows it used its arms to help it run faster
Just because a theropod dinosaur had short arms and not many fingers, doesn’t mean their hands and arms were useless
Birds have a special organ to help them balance (which doesn't seem to matter as much for flight)
Birds have been nesting in the Arctic for at least 73 million years
How theropod dinosaur (non-avian and bird) faces are shaped may have followed a mathematical rule
A study of the Chicago Archaeopteryx found that could definitely fly
Birds need a lot of calories to fly, and Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird, has three features modern birds also have to eat efficiently

This episode is brought to you by the Colorado Northwestern Community College. Join them for two weeks digging up dinosaur bones in the field, preparing fossils in their lab, or in their new field geology program. For details go to CNCC.edu/paleo26

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The second dinosaur ever to be found with its voicebox Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

Plus a duck-billed dinosaur with a strong jaw and a couple of small dinosaurs from the the U.S. and Europe

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

In dinosaur news this week:

A New Jurassic neornithischian dinosaur with a Voice Box. Pulaosaurus qinglong, from China’s Tiaojishan Formation, has only the second larynx ever found preserved with a non-avian dinosaur. Source
The small ornithischian Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae was found in the Morrison Formation of Colorado. Reminding us that it wasn't just huge sauropods and stegosaurs eating plants in the Late Jurassic. Source
A new ornithopod named Obelignathus septimanicus was identified from a stronger jawbone than other Late Cretaceous ornithopods (like Rhabdodon) in what is now southern France. It's name refers to the French comic character Obelix who has superhuman strength (like the "unusually robustly-built" jawbone on Obelignathus). Source
An Early Cretaceous basal hadrosauroid, Cariocecus bocagei, was named from Portugal. It had a fused upper jaw and cheekbone, possibly letting it chew tougher plants than its relatives. Source

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Mark Witton and the King Tyrant Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Plus a new alvarezsaurid theropod, Manipulonyx; A huge bonebed in Romania; new dinosaur fossils found at Dinosaur National Monument; and our first Dino Duels winners

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Inosaurus, links from Mark Witton, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Inosaurus-Episode-561/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Inosaurus, a dubious theropod known from vertebrae and a piece of its shin.

Interview with Mark Witton, a paleontologist, author, and artist, known for his research on pterosaurs and his work with museums, universities, and shows including Walking with Dinosaurs, Planet Dinosaur, Prehistoric Planet, and the IMAX film T. rex. He also has published a number of books, including the recently published King Tyrant. Follow him on bluesky and patreon @markwitton

In dinosaur news this week:

There’s a new alvarezsaurid theropod, Manipulonyx reshetovi
Paleontologists have found thousands of fossils in a bonebed in Romania (Hateg Basin), including bones from titanosaurs and rhabdodontids
New dinosaur fossils have been found at Dinosaur National Monument

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, go to https://www.squarespace.com/IKD to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code IKD

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Riley Black Returns and a new Dino Duels Championship Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Riley, one of our favorite dinosaur writers, returns to discuss her latest book and lots of other dinosaur topics. Plus a new ceratopsian—Ferenceratops. And a new Dino Duels Championship.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Quaesitosaurus, links from Riley Black, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Quaesitosaurus-Episode-560/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Quaesitosaurus, a titanosaur with a skull similar to Diplodocus.

Interview with Riley Black, an award-winning science writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Nature, Smithsonian, and more. She has written a number of books, including “The Last Days of the Dinosaurs,” “When the Earth was Green,” and most recently “The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs”. Follow her on Bluesky @restingdinoface

In dinosaur news this week:

There’s a new ceratopsian dinosaur, Ferenceratops shqiperorum
Dinosaurs were “ecosystem engineers” that shaped their landscapes while they were alive—and after they died out
A study of New Mexican dinosaurs supports that they were still thriving before the Cretaceous-ending asteroid hit the Earth
Our dino duels are going again! Create your bracket here: bit.ly/dinoduelsbracket
Then enter your picks for a chance to win a year of Triceratops-level patreon membership at bit.ly/dinoduelspicks
Complete rules and restrictions at bit.ly/dinoduelsrules

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, go to https://www.squarespace.com/IKD to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code IKD

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Sauropod Shindig Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Five new sauropods from all across the world and the sauropod family tree. Plus new embryos and hatchlings, sauropod speed estimates, and much much more.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Cetiosauriscus, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Cetiosauriscus-Episode-559/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Cetiosauriscus, a sauropod that isn't Cetiosaurus, but was also from Middle Jurassic of England.

In dinosaur news this week:

Sauropod experts wrote an introduction to Diplodocoidea
There’s a new titanosaur sauropod, Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae
A new Alamosaurus fossil was found
There’s a new dicraeosaurid sauropod, Athenar bermani
There’s a new titanosaur sauropod, Yeneen houssayi
There’s a new eusauropod sauropod, Jinchuanloong niedu
There’s a new species of the sauropod Mamenchisaurus, Mamenchisaurus sanjiangensis
Some sauropods chose to lay eggs surrounded by fast moving waters, possibly to protect them from predators
New Massospondylus embryos and hatchling show how they started on all fours before growing up and walking on two legs
Large sauropods may have had max speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h)
A nearly complete Plateosaurus tail shows this sauropodomorph could do damage with its tail

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, go to https://www.squarespace.com/IKD to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code IKD

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Dinosaur Tracks & Escape Rooms Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

New track sites, swim tracks, and mating dance arenas around the world tell us about the behavior of theropods, ceratopsians, and sauropods. Plus David Spira joins from Room Escape Artist to share his favorite dinosaur themed escape rooms.

For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Segnosaurus, links from David Spira, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Segnosaurus-Episode-558/

Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.

Dinosaur of the day Segnosaurus, a therizinosaur with interesting teeth.

Interview with David Spira, co-creator of RoomEscapeArtist.com, which publishes well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room reviews, design tips, player tips, and industry commentary

In dinosaur news this week:

The Science Museum of Minnesota closed for a day in response to the local ICE presence. If you want to support Minnesotans go to www.standwithminnesota.com/
In Bolivia, there are almost 18,000 theropod dinosaur tracks that show evidence of running, sauntering, and swimming
An earlier study of the Carreras Pampa site also found that the theropods feet sunk in the mud
One set of footprints shows the fastest running theropod trackway in the Cretaceous
Scientists re-examined the longest known theropod trackway in China
Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado, has the largest known dinosaur mating dance arena
Tracks from 76 million years ago may show that ceratopsians and ankylosaurs hung out together
Paleontologists found a set of sauropod tracks that show it made a loop
Scientists found multiple trackways in Oxfordshire, England, from mostly sauropods walking at a steady pace
Theropod footprints were found in a crisscross pattern in Texas, U.S.
Thousands of prosauropod footprints from the Triassic were found in a national park in Italy

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