What are non-avian dinosaurs?

Non-avian dinosaurs are big, ancient creatures that lived millions of years ago, like the dinosaurs you see in movies and books.

Imagine your favorite toy truck. It's big, it goes vroom, and it can carry lots of blocks. Now think about a giant version of that truck, but instead of carrying blocks, it eats other animals or roars at them! That’s kind of what non-avian dinosaurs were like. Some were fast runners, some were tall and strong, and some even had feathers.

A long time ago, most of these big, ancient creatures disappeared, poof!, because of a big event, like a giant rock falling from the sky. But not all of them vanished. Some evolved into birds, that’s why we still have dinosaurs today, hiding in plain sight as birds.

So next time you see a chicken or a pigeon, remember: they're actually related to the ancient giants that roamed the Earth! 🦃🦖