Ten News Road Trip Remix: A Prehistoric Playlist 🦖

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ten News Road Trip Remix: A Prehistoric Playlist 🦖

Podcast: The Ten News, News For Curious Kids
Episode Date: June 26, 2025
Host(s): Small But Mighty Media (Ryan Willard and Tracy Leeds Kaplan)

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Overview

This special "Road Trip Remix" episode of The Ten News takes young listeners and their families on a fun-filled adventure through some of the coolest and quirkiest recent discoveries in paleontology and ancient life. Whether in the car, on a scooter, or just dino-mad at home, the episode offers a playlist of bite-sized, engaging, and educational stories. Listeners explore mind-boggling facts about dinosaurs, legendary fossil finds, the mysterious Anzu Wyliei ("the chicken from hell"), and real-life efforts to revive extinct animals like the woolly mammoth. The episode’s upbeat, conversational tone is packed with memorable moments, expert insights, and a few goofy asides.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dinosaur Road Trip Mix-Up (00:04–00:45)

• Hosts Ryan and Tracy hilariously realize they’ve ended up at two different dinosaur museums in Utah:
  • Ryan’s in Lehi; Tracy’s in Blanding.
  • Decide to meet in Salt Lake City—but Ryan’s on a scooter!
• Solution: Tracy proposes sharing a playlist of top Ten News segments about dinosaurs and ancient creatures to make the time pass faster.

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2. Five Fascinating Dino Discoveries (01:04–03:45)

A rapid-fire "top five" list of dino science standouts:

1. A Tail Trapped in Time (01:08)

   • Paleontologists discovered a feathered dinosaur tail preserved in amber.
   • Significance: First time feathers were found attached to a dinosaur’s skeleton (a la Jurassic Park, but “no dino DNA here”).

2. Digging Through Dino Dung (01:45)

   • Fossilized dino poop (coprolites) may seem gross ("Ew"—01:54), but yields vital ecosystem clues.
   • Rare finds reveal ancient food webs and environments.

3. Their True Colors (02:05)

   • New microscope tech shows details of skin/feather pigments.
   • The first dinosaur recreated in full color: Anchiornis, “a chicken-sized feathered dinosaur” with black, white, and blazing red on its head.

4. Dinosaurs in the Snow (02:29)

   • Tracy: “Dinosaurs having a snowball fight seems pretty crazy, I know, but actually, there were polar dinosaurs.” (02:51)
   • Some fossils show species lived year-round in snowy conditions; possible burrowers in cold seasons.

5. Super Swimmer—Spinosaurus (03:10)

   • The Spinosaurus, “the first semi-aquatic dinosaur ever discovered,” had a “huge sail on its back and a tail that looks like a giant oar.”
   • Used tail as a paddle to swim and hunt.

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3. Dino Imagination Gone Wild (03:45–04:09)

• Ryan: Imagines T. rex carnage during dino snow days.
  • “I can imagine a T. Rex ripping the guts out of a smaller dino. And the blood splurting everywhere, turning the snow red.” (03:48)
• Tracy: “Oh wow, Ryan, that is dark.” (03:55)
• Sets up the next quirky dino tale—about the chicken from hell.

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4. Anzu Wyliei: The "Chicken from Hell" (04:23–08:12)

• Lane presents the story of Anzu Wyliei:
  • “Have you ever looked at an ostrich and thought, man, I wish this bird was bigger, more ferocious and armed with long razor-like claws? If so, then you’re in luck…” (04:23)
  • Anzu stood 10 ft tall, 650 lbs, feathered, with knife-like claws—dubbed the “Chicken from Hell.”
• Recent discovery: New fossils from Hell’s Creek could yield the first complete Anzu skeleton.
• Why it matters: Anzu bridges the dino–bird connection—showing how bird-like features evolved in some dinosaurs.
• Shocking fact: “Birds are a type of dinosaur, just like humans are a type of primate.” (06:13)
  • All modern birds are avian dinosaurs, closely related to theropods like T. rex and Velociraptor.
• If things had gone differently...
  • “Maybe we would see lighter versions of a scissored-fingered chicken from hell flying around our neighborhoods today.” (07:38)

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5. De-Extinction: Bringing Back the Woolly Mammoth (08:12–11:14)

• Ryan: “Wow, I am glad we have normal chickens and that there aren’t any actual dinosaurs alive today.” (08:12)
• Tracy: “There’s a company working to bring back extinct creatures… The woolly mammoths.” (08:17)
• Story Overview:
  • Colossal, a bioscience company, aims to “bring back the mammoth by 2027” (09:06) using genetic engineering.
  • The mammoth’s closest living relative: Asian elephants.
  • Scientists identified 60 genes that make a mammoth unique: “everything from having more fat to survive in the Arctic, to the mammoth’s distinctive fur and domed head.” (09:30)
• How?
  • Editing elephant DNA to add mammoth genes, then attempting to gestate a baby mammoth (which, as noted, "would take two years, and it could weigh more than 200 pounds." (10:04))
  • Huge technical and ethical challenges remain.
• Potential Benefits:
  • Pioneering tools could help endangered species adapt to climate change or resist disease.
• Pop culture aside:
  • “This definitely sounds a little too close to Jurassic Park for my taste.” (10:49)
  • Tracy: “Clever girl.” (11:03; callback to Jurassic Park)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the “Chicken from Hell”
  • Lane: “They're like stretched out chickens with knife fingers. Incredible.” (05:24)
• On birds being dinosaurs:
  • Lane: “Birds are a type of dinosaur, just like humans are a type of primate.” (06:13)
• On the wild possibilities of de-extinction:
  • "Maybe we would see lighter versions of a scissored fingered chicken from hell flying around our neighborhoods today.” (07:38)
• Dinosaurs in the snow:
  • Tracy: “Dinosaurs having a snowball fight seems pretty crazy, I know, but actually, there were polar dinosaurs.” (02:51)
• Dino dung:
  • E: “Ew.” (01:54)
  • C: “Coprolites are actually pretty rare. But by examining the fossils... paleontologists have been able to discover way more about the ancient ecosystems that these prehistoric coopers lived in.” (01:55)
• Potential future with mammoths:
  • A: “Whoa. That’s so cool. One day soon, we could be hanging out with woolly mammoths.” (11:14)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Dino Museum Mix-up & Road Trip Plan: 00:04–00:45
• Five Fascinating Dino Finds: 01:04–03:45
• T. rex Snow Imagination: 03:45–04:09
• Anzu Wyliei—“Chicken from Hell”: 04:23–08:12
• Bringing Back the Mammoth: 08:12–11:14

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Tone & Style

Upbeat, fun, and occasionally a little irreverent, the episode balances solid science with kids-first humor, curiosity, and plenty of “ew” moments. The hosts and contributors encourage listeners to see how amazing—and weird—natural history can be, while leaving them excited for real-life discoveries still to come.

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In Summary

The “Prehistoric Playlist” remix gives listeners a tour of the wildest new dino discoveries, connects the dots between birds and their dino ancestors, and peppers in wild ideas about bringing ancient creatures back to life. It’s perfect for curious minds of all ages, filled with unforgettable dino facts, and a reminder that science is always evolving—sometimes in ways even cooler than the movies.

Transcript

[A]

Yo, Tracy, where are you? I'm already in the parking lot of the Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi, Utah.

[B]

Oh, no, Ryan. I'm in the parking lot of the dinosaur museum in Blanding, Utah.

[A]

Blanding, Utah? What the what?

[B]

Well, this is why we don't say, let's meet in the best dino museum in Utah.

[A]

Yeah, you're probably right. But how could I have known? There's so many dinosaur activities in one state.

[B]

Okay, listen, new idea. Let's meet in Salt Lake City at the Museum of Natural History.

[A]

But Tracy, that'll take so long. And you know that I'm riding a scooter.

[B]

While I have a good idea for how to make the time fly by, I'll send you some of our best 10 news segments on dinosaurs and ancient creatures.

[A]

Okay, that actually sounds pretty great. Send it on over, Cap. I'm Ryan Willard, that's Tracy Leeds Kaplan. And this is a 10 news road trip remix.

[B]

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

[C]

From feathers to tails and bones to fossilized poop, paleontologists have uncovered tons of secrets about dinosaurs. With so much science, we could go on for 65 million years. But for now, let's run down this list of five fascinating finds. Number one, a tail trapped in time. A paleontologist made dino history when he found a feathered dinosaur tail trapped in amber. Individual feathers had been found before, but never attached to a skeleton. While this may sound like a scene from Jurassic park, you won't find any dino DNA here.

[D]

Oh, man.

[C]

Number two. Digging through dino dung. Sounds gross, but fossilized poop called coprolites have taught us so much.

[E]

Ew.

[C]

Coprolites are actually pretty rare. But by examining the fossils that have been found, paleontologists have been able to discover way more about the ancient ecosystems that these prehistoric coopers lived in. Number three, Their true colors. Using high tech microscopes, paleontologists can now see teeny, tiny details of dinosaur feathers and skin. And by comparing these structures with those in living animals, scientists have been able to tell what colors dinosaurs might have been.

[E]

Wow.

[C]

The first dinosaur to be recreated in full color was a chicken sized feathered dinosaur called Anchiornis. It had black and white patterns and a big bright red head. Four snow days. Dinosaurs Having a snowball fight seems pretty crazy, I know, but actually, there were polar dinosaurs.

[D]

No way.

[C]

Paleontologists have found all sorts of fossils recently that show that some dinosaurs stayed in the snow year round. Others suggest they may have made burrows during the coldest seasons.

[E]

Smart.

[C]

Number five, super swimmer. Nope. It's not a shark. It's a Spinosaurus. The first semi aquatic dinosaur ever discovered. Spinosaurus had a huge sail on its back and a tail that looks like a giant ore. Paleontologists think they used it like a paddle to swim and chase down its prey. Who wants to dive in first?

[B]

Isn't it cool to think of dinosaurs playing in the snow?

[A]

Yeah, I can imagine a T. Rex ripping the guts out of a smaller dino. And the blood splurting everywhere, turning the snow red.

[B]

Oh wow, Ryan, that is dark.

[A]

That's just how life was in the Mesozoic. It was a dino eat dino world.

[B]

That reminds me, do you remember Lane reporting on a little dino called the Chicken from he double hockey sticks?

[A]

No way. I gotta hear this.

[E]

Have you ever looked at an ostrich and thought, man, I wish this bird was bigger, more ferocious and armed with long razor like claws? If so, then you're in luck because such a creature does exist. Well, did exist. Standing at 10ft tall and weighing roughly 650 pounds, the feathered dinosaur Anzu Wyliei once roamed our planet.

[A]

Yikes.

[E]

Paleontologists have been intrigued by the bird like dinosaur, nicknamed the Chicken from Hell since its discovery in 1998. And now Anzu is in the news once again. Following a very successful fossil dig at the Hell's Creek geological formation this past summer, a team of paleontologists, volunteers, teachers and students successfully unearthed the fossilized remains of four different dinosaurs. Amongst the fossils were a pelvis, toe claw and limbs that closely resembled those of Anzu. Okay, so why is this such a big discovery? Well, ANZU fossils are rare. Scientists have only found a few different specimens of the dinosaur preserved in our fossil records. Unearthing more bones could result in the first complete ANZU skeleton. And who wouldn't want to see that in the Smithsonian? They're like stretched out chickens with knife fingers. Incredible. So we can all agree that more ANZU representation in our national history museums would be rad. But scientists have a unique interest in the dinosaur that goes beyond its interesting looks. Paleontologists love the ANZU because its existence highlights the fascinating connection with between dinosaurs and birds. Now this fact might blow your mind, but dinosaurs and birds are related. What? In fact, they are so closely related that modern day birds are classified as avian dinosaurs.

[D]

No way.

[E]

Yes, you heard that correctly. Birds are a type of dinosaur, just like humans are a type of primate. Geese, sparrows, flamingos, penguins, all dinosaurs. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Birds are the closest living relatives to theropod dinosaurs. Theropod Dinosaurs were bipedal, meaning they walked upright on two feet and included ferocious predators like the T. Rex and Velociraptor. So what does the Anzu have to do with all this bird business? Well, Anzu was a very birdy theropod that lived during the late Cretaceous era. It had feathers, a beak and taloned feet. Despite this, Anzu was not a true bird. It had arms instead of wings, a heavy skeleton and a long bony tail. In other words, there was no way that ANZU was taking to the sky. Though they weren't true birds, the ANZU and other similar theropods evolved alongside some of the first species of prehistoric bird. The fact that these very different animals evolved to feature some of the same traits suggests that something from the environment during this time made bird like traits favorable. In other words, animals that had bird like traits that lived during that time period did really well.

[D]

Way to go.

[E]

Theropods like Anzu were headed for bird Dom when the asteroid struck our planet, killing off 75% of life on Earth, including all non avian dinosaurs like Anzu. So who knows what have happened? If that six mile wide space rock had flown past our orbit, maybe we would see lighter versions of a scissored fingered chicken from hell flying around our neighborhoods today.

[A]

Wow, I am glad we have normal chickens and that there aren't any actual dinosaurs alive today.

[B]

Well, hold that thought, Ryan. There's a company working to bring back extinct creatures.

[A]

Wait, what? Like Jurassic Park?

[B]

Sort of. But they're starting with a creature humans once lived alongside. The woolly mammoths.

[C]

If you are a big fan of the Ice Age movies, maybe you've wondered what it might be like to hang with a real live woolly mammoth. These cousins of the modern elephant, you know, the ones with huge tusks and thick fur, haven't been gone that long. They lived as recently as 4,000 years ago. And now a new bioscience company has said they're trying to bring them back using genetic engineering.

[E]

What?

[C]

You heard me right. A company called Colossal, which means huge, has given themselves the really huge task of bringing back the mammoth by 2027. How will they do it? With genetics. The idea for Colossal started in the laboratory of George Church, a biologist at Harvard. He, along with researcher Dr. Ariona Hisoly, used genetic tools they invented to pinpoint the differences between a mammoth and their closest living relatives, the Asian elephant. What they found were 60 genes that controlled everything from having more fat to so mammoths can survive in the Arctic, to the mammoth's distinctive fur and domed head. So to bring back a mammoth, all they need to do is start with the not yet born elephant, remove the genes that make it an elephant, and replace them with those mammoth genes. Sounds easy, right?

[E]

Help?

[C]

Not really. Their big idea also comes with huge problems to overcome. Mammoths are hard to work with because they're so big. To grow a baby mammoth in a test tube would take two years, and it could weigh more than 200 pounds. No one has ever done this with an elephant, never mind a mammoth. Most other scientists don't believe they can pull this off. But regardless of whether they can create a mammoth or not, the founders argue that the process is worth learning about. Researching how to bring back mammoths might help develop new techniques for species that are endangered, giving them a genetic boost to adapt to climate change or fight disease.

[E]

That's great.

[C]

This is cool research, and I sure hope they can help endangered animals. But this definitely sounds a little too close to Jurassic park for my taste.

[B]

Clever girl.

[E]

Whoa.

[A]

That's so cool. One day soon, we could be hanging out with woolly mammoths.

[B]

Hey, Ryan, I'm pulling into the museum now.

[A]

Perfect. Me too. I can't wait to see fossils galore.

[B]

And Ryan, remember to do an outro.

[A]

I'm on a cap. But first, here's a quick note for the grownups. This has been a 10 news road trip remix. Technically, we're off for the summer, but look out for a road trip remixes and re airing of some of our favorite episodes all summer long. I'm Ryan Willard, and thanks for listening to the ten News. Hope you're having a great summer and staying cool, kind and informed.