How did feathers come to be? - Carl Zimmer
Apr 16, 2026•5 min
Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episode description
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-feathers-evolve-carl-zimmer
To look at the evolution of modern bird feathers, we must start a long time ago, with the dinosaurs from whence they came. We see early incarnations of feathers on dinosaur fossils, and remnants of dinosaurs in a bird's wish bone. Carl Zimmer explores the stages of evolution and how even the reasons for feathers have evolved over millions of years.
Lesson by Carl Zimmer, animation by Armella Leung.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android