Alva Review-Courier -

Scientific evidence indicates that a massive asteroid struck the earth 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs in what is known as a “mass extinction.” While all non-avian dinosaurs perished, some relatives of modern ducks, ostriches and chickens survived, according to genetic data and fossil clues.

Birds and their dino-relatives were among the earliest forms of terrestrial life, the oldest of which is known as archaeopteryx, whose plumage has been re-created based on actual fossil feathers preserved in stone for 150 million years.

How do we know so much about a time when rock...