Your full information to dinosaurs! Learn on to change into an knowledgeable on all elements of dinosaurs and life within the Mesozoic Period!
On this web page, you may discover lists of dinosaurs by interval, plus an enormous quantity of fascinating dino details, together with: What’s a dinosaur? When and the place did dinosaurs reside? How lengthy did dinosaurs reside on Earth? When and why did dinosaurs go extinct?
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Dinosaurs Web page Index
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Uncover Dinosaurs with Lively Wild
Welcome to the Lively Wild Dinosaurs web page, your all-in-one information to the rulers of the Mesozoic Period!
Under, you may discover a checklist of dinosaurs by interval (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous). Click on on the hyperlinks to see photos and information in your favourite dino!
Additional down the web page, you may discover a full information to dinosaurs, overlaying: what dinosaurs had been, after they existed, how lengthy they lived for, and why they died out… along with way more info that gives you an concept of what the world was like through the ‘Age of Reptiles’.
By the point you’ve got completed, you may be a real dinosaur knowledgeable!
Varieties Of Dinosaurs By Interval
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Different Dinosaur Pages On Lively Wild
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Dinosaurs: A Full Information (From Egg to Extinction)
What Does ‘Dinosaur’ Imply?
The phrase ‘dinosaur’ was invented by the English biologist Sir Richard Owen. He first used the time period ‘Dinosauria’ in 1842, when he wanted a phrase for a brand new group of animals that he had not too long ago recognized.
The phrase dinosaur comes from two Greek phrases: ‘deinos’, which suggests ‘horrible’, and ‘sauros’, which suggests ‘lizard’. Due to this fact ‘dinosaur’ means ‘horrible lizard’.
Strictly talking, dinosaurs aren’t lizards, however it’s nonetheless a really becoming title!
What Is A Dinosaur?
This may occasionally shock you, however dinosaurs are nonetheless alive, within the form of birds! You’ll study extra in regards to the relationship between dinosaurs and birds additional down the web page.
On this web page, after we use the phrase dinosaurs, we imply ‘non-avian dinosaurs’. That’s, the entire dinosaurs that did not evolve into birds.
Evolution, by the way in which, is how animals change over time. It would not occur in a single day; a chook did not immediately hatch from a T. Rex egg! Evolution can take 1000’s–if not tens of millions–of years, with numerous tiny adjustments occurring over these immense timespans.
What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur? Dinosaur Traits
Paleontology (or palaeontology in British English) is the scientific examine of prehistoric life, and a paleontologist (or palaeontologist in British English) is a scientist concerned on this department of science.
Dinosaurs had been a tremendously diverse group of animals. Some dinosaurs had been grazers, some had been predators, some lived in herds, some had horns and a few had armour, however regardless of all these variations, there have been issues that each one dinosaurs had in frequent.
Dinosaurs had been reptiles, and all dinosaurs laid eggs.
The legs of dinosaurs projected downwards from the physique. This adaptation gave dinosaurs added mobility and pace, setting them other than early reptiles and crocodiles, which had “sprawling” gaits, their legs projecting outwards from the physique.
Dinosaurs lived between 250 and 65 million years in the past, from the early Triassic interval to the top of the Cretaceous interval.
Being reptiles, dinosaurs are associated to the snakes, crocodiles, lizards, and so on., of right this moment. Nevertheless, whereas nearly all of right this moment’s reptiles have little or no inside management over physique temperature (i.e. they’re cold-blooded, or ectothermic), there’s proof to counsel that not less than some dinosaurs had been warm-blooded, or endothermic.
Dinosaurs had been land animals (though some are thought to have had semi-aquatic life), and, till they started to evolve into birds, there have been no flying dinosaurs.
Pterosaurs, the well-known “flying dinosaurs”, weren’t truly dinosaurs; neither had been “swimming dinosaurs” akin to plesiosaurs and mosasaurs.
There have been many various kinds of dinosaur, they usually lived in many various habitats. There have been meat-eating, plant-eating and omnivorous dinosaurs, and plenty of advanced to have specialist diets akin to seeds or bugs.
Dinosaurs ranged in dimension from the chicken-sized compsognathus (and a few not too long ago found species that will have been even smaller) to the large sauropods – together with the Titanosaurs, the largest recognized dinosaurs.
Some dinosaurs walked on two legs (i.e., they had been bipedal), some on 4 (i.e., they had been quadrupedal), and a few (akin to Iguanadon) had been capable of stroll on each two and 4 legs.
The very first dinosaurs – the ancestors of all dinosaurs that adopted – had been bipedal.
Traits Of Dinosaurs: Abstract
- Dinosaurs had been reptiles
- Straight legs projecting downwards from the physique.
- Lived on land (with some semi-aquatic exceptions). (Plesiosaurs and mosasaurs weren’t dinosaurs!)
- Couldn’t fly (till they advanced into birds). (Pterosaurs weren’t dinosaurs!)
- Lived in all three intervals of the Mesozoic Period (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous).
- First appeared through the mid-Triassic interval.
- Turned extinct on the finish of the Cretaceous interval.
Varieties Of Dinosaurs
- You will discover out extra in regards to the various kinds of dinosaurs on this web page: Varieties Of Dinosaurs
We’ve all heard of dinosaurs akin to Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus and Allosaurus. Every of those, and the entire different well-known dinosaurs, had been one in every of both of the 2 essential varieties of dinosaur, Ornithischia and Saurischia.
The 2 varieties of dinosaur had been recognized by British paleontologist Harry Seeley.
1. Ornithischia
The title Ornithischia comes from the Greek for “bird-hipped”. The hip bones of those dinosaurs are much like these of present-day birds.
Confusingly, birds are literally descended from the Saurischians, fairly than the Ornithischians.
Ornithischians had been herbivorous (plant-eating) dinosaurs. Early Ornithischians had been small and bipedal (strolling on two legs). Nevertheless, as they advanced, the ornithischians got here to be extra diverse than the saurischians. Most well-known ornithischians walked on 4 legs.
Some examples of ornithischians embrace the armoured dinosaurs akin to ankylosaurus and stegosaurus, ornithopods akin to Iguanodon, and ceratopsians akin to triceratops.
2. Saurischia
Saurischian means ‘lizard-hipped’; the sort of dinosaur’s hip bones resemble these of a lizard. Saurischian dinosaurs will be divided into two essential varieties: theropods and sauropods.
Theropods
Theropoda is the group of dinosaurs that features the entire well-known carnivorous species you’ve little doubt seen in movies akin to ‘Jurassic Park’. These dinosaurs walked on two highly effective legs, and had lengthy tails, quick arms, and large jaws!
Examples of theropods embrace Allosaurus, Oviraptor, and Tyrannosaurus.
A bunch of theropod dinosaurs ultimately advanced into birds; and theropods had been due to this fact the one dinosaurs to outlive the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction occasion that befell round 66 million years in the past, through which all different dinosaurs grew to become extinct.
Sauropods
The opposite essential sort of saurischian dinosaurs had been the sauropods. These had been big, herbivorous dinosaurs, with small heads, lengthy necks, and 4 stout legs to hold their huge weight. Nicely-known sauropods embrace Apatosaurus, Diplodocus and Brontosaurus.
How Did Dinosaurs Evolve?
Reptile-like animals advanced from four-legged amphibians 350 million years in the past, through the Carboniferous interval. The change from amphibian to reptile-like animal concerned gaining legs, lungs, and eggs that would survive on land.
These variations meant that early reptiles had been not tied to the water; they might transfer round and reproduce on land.
The primitive reptile-like animals break up into a number of branches. Some would ultimately change into the acquainted reptiles that we all know right this moment, akin to snakes, lizards and turtles. Others would change into mammals. Different branches, akin to plesiosaurs, wouldn’t survive the varied extinction occasions that will later befall the world.
One group of early reptiles had been the archosaurs. The phrase ‘archosaurs’ means ‘ruling reptiles’.
An instance of an archosaur is Erythrosuchus, a meat-eating early reptile which was round 5 metres (16 ft.) lengthy.
Archosaurs went on to separate into two essential branches. One in all these was the early crocodilians – the ancestors of right this moment’s crocodiles and alligators.
The opposite essential sort of archosaur was the Avemetatarsalians. That is the department that will give rise to dinosaurs (and likewise to pterosaurs, the flying reptiles).
When Did Dinosaurs Reside?
Dinosaurs lived within the Mesozoic Period, which is also called the “Age of Reptiles”. The Mesozoic Period started round 252 million years in the past, and ended round 66 million years in the past. It’s subdivided into three smaller intervals: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous intervals.
The earliest dinosaurs began appearing between round 231 and 243 million years in the past, through the Triassic interval. They had been small, and walked on two legs.
Round 201.3 million years in the past, a worldwide extinction occasion befell. This marked the top of the Triassic interval and the start of the Jurassic interval.
The Triassic–Jurassic extinction occasion, as it’s now recognized, worn out over half of the species we all know existed throughout that point. It additionally set the scene for the dinosaurs to take over the world!
Dinosaurs grew to become the dominant land vertebrates (animals with backbones) after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction occasion. They remained so all through the Jurassic and Cretaceous intervals.
Their reign got here to an finish with one other extinction occasion – the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction occasion – which occurred round 66 million years in the past. This prompted the entire non-avian dinosaurs to change into extinct.
Are Dinosaurs Extinct?
Technically, dinosaurs survived (as birds), however with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction occasion, the age of the large reptiles was over. The reign of the dinosaurs lasted for round 170 million years.
Dinosaurs existed for round 170 million years. Homo sapiens (trendy people) have solely been round for 200,000 years, and Primates (the group that features all apes and monkeys) has been round for 60 to 80 million years. We have got an extended solution to go to be as profitable as dinosaurs!
Birds Descended From Dinosaurs
Scientists now assume that each one of right this moment’s birds are descended from therapods, which had been Saurischian dinosaurs (see ‘Kinds of Dinosaur’, above). Many therapods are believed to have had feathers – even Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Essentially the most bird-like of the therapods branched off into a gaggle known as Coelurosauria, which comes from the Greek that means ‘hollow-tailed lizards’.
Though outwardly, many Coelurosaurians didn’t precisely resemble birds (Tyrannosaurus Rex was a Coelurosaurian), a department of Coelurosauria known as maniraptorans would change into the ancestors of the entire birds on the planet right this moment.
Birds began appearing within the Jurassic interval, and can be the one dinosaurs to outlive the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction occasion.
The place Did Dinosaurs Reside?
Dinosaur stays have been discovered on each continent. They’ve even been present in Antarctica, the place scientists have discovered fossils of each plant-eating and meat-eating dinosaurs.
This doesn’t imply, nonetheless, that dinosaurs lived in Antarctic circumstances. Within the Triassic interval – when dinosaurs began appearing – there was just one big supercontinent, known as Pangaea, which suggests ‘all Earth’.
The Triassic local weather was dry and heat. Dinosaurs might unfold far and vast throughout the huge landmass. This is the reason we discover fossils of the identical sort of dinosaurs in numerous elements of the world right this moment.
Within the Jurassic interval, Pangaea started to separate into two essential landmasses known as Laurasia and Gondwana.
Because the continents pulled aside, oceans flooded into the gaps between them. Dinosaurs had been not free to roam throughout the entire of the world’s land. The local weather started to chill (though it was nonetheless scorching), and there was extra rain.
All through the Jurassic and Cretaceous intervals, the landmasses would proceed to slowly separate into the continents we all know right this moment.
Dinosaur Extinction
Dinosaurs had been extraordinarily profitable animals, however ultimately the ‘Age of Reptiles’ got here to an finish.
Round 66 million years in the past, life on Earth was devastated by a sudden, dramatic incidence that prompted 75% of all plant and animal species to change into extinct.
There are numerous explanations for what’s now generally known as the Cretaceous–Paleogene (Ok-Pg) extinction occasion. Theories embrace large worldwide volcanic eruptions and adjustments in world temperatures.
Some individuals even assume that one other star – known as Nemesis – approaches the Solar each 26 million years, inflicting asteroids to smash into Earth.
Meteorite Idea
Geologists have recognized a slim band of sedimentary rock that runs between rocks shaped within the Cretaceous and Paleogene intervals. This band is named the Cretaceous–Paleogene, or Ok–Pg, boundary.
Contained inside this rock is a excessive focus of an in any other case uncommon metallic known as iridium. Iridium is discovered primarily on the centre of the Earth, and in asteroids and comets.
This gave rise to one of many likeliest explanations for the Ok-Pg extinction occasion: Earth was struck by a meteorite that was round 6 miles (10 km) throughout.
The influence would have prompted an explosion round 2 million instances larger than a nuclear bomb.
The explosion would have despatched up a gasoline cloud sufficiently big to envelop the world and trigger a number of years of darkness. Temperatures would have dropped dramatically. Vegetation would have been unable to develop, and full meals chains would have been worn out.
The meteorite idea is supported by the invention of the Chicxulub crater in Mexico. This big influence crater seems to have been created across the time of the Ok-Pg extinction occasion.
How We Know About Dinosaurs
Paleontology
Scientists who examine historical life are generally known as paleontologists (palaeontologists in British English). They examine fossil stays, utilizing information from different scientific fields akin to biology, chemistry and geology to create an image of how the world used to look.
Fossils
- You will discover out extra about fossils on this web page: Fossil Info
A lot of our information of dinosaurs is pieced collectively from fossils. Fossils are the preserved traces and stays of dwelling issues.
Fossils had been being found lengthy earlier than man actually realised what they had been. They might even have given rise to myths and legends about dragons and different monsters.
It was solely within the 19th century that critical examine of fossils started.
Fossils are shaped in a number of methods. One form of fossil is shaped when the buried stays of an animal are changed by minerals, making a stone fossil.
One other approach a fossil is made is when the unique stays dissolve away utterly, leaving a top level view of the stays. That is known as a ‘mould fossil’.
Not all fossils are of the animals themselves. Traces of dinosaurs, akin to footprints and even dinosaur droppings will be fossilised.
Scientists can piece collectively a shocking quantity of knowledge from fossils. Not solely can they inform what a dinosaur could have appeared like, but in addition the way it lived and what it ate. From the rock through which the fossil was discovered they will inform how previous it’s.
High Ten Dinosaur Info
- The scientific examine of historical life is named paleontology (palaeontology in British English). Due to this fact, if you happen to examine dinosaurs, then you definately’re a paleontologist!
- All of our information of dinosaurs comes from fossils – the stays or traces of dwelling issues which have been preserved as rocks.
- The phrase ‘dinosaur’ means ‘horrible lizard’. It was invented by the English biologist Sir Richard Owen.
- Dinosaurs lived throughout a lot of the Mesozoic Period, which occurred from round 252 to round 66 million years in the past.
- Dinosaurs had been the dominant land vertebrates through the Triassic and Cretaceous intervals of the Mesozoic Period.
- Most scientists now contemplate birds to be dinosaurs.
- The non-avian dinosaurs (e.g. dinosaurs that weren’t birds) had been worn out within the Cretaceous–Paleogene (Ok-Pg) extinction occasion, which occurred round 66 million years in the past.
- Dinosaurs existed for round 170 million years. Homo sapiens (trendy people), however, have solely existed for a mere 200,000 years.
- Even the fearsome T Rex could have had feathers.
- Dinosaur stays have been present in each continent.
Dinosaurs: Conclusion
Now that you’ve completed the article, attempt to think about what life was actually like within the Jurassic and Cretaceous intervals. Image in your thoughts how these big reptiles might need appeared strolling, feeding, searching and preventing.
Think about seeing the consequences of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction occasion, with darkened skies, crops dying, and the final of the non-avian dinosaurs wandering round trying to find meals.
Now mirror on the truth that every little thing that we learn about dinosaurs comes from fossils! It is superb how a lot we will piece collectively utilizing many various branches of science, from geology to zoology.
We hope that you’ve loved studying about dinosaurs.
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