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A dinosaur was a reptile that lived on land during the Mesozoic
Era and who's bone structure
was either Saurischian (lizard-hipped) or Ornithischian (bird-hipped).
The word "dinosaur" means "fearfully-great lizard" or "terrible lizard"
The cause originates in the heat of the earth's core. Upward currents move this
heat so that it is just below the earth's crust. The current then spreads out sideways
and cools before returning to the core. If this upward current occurs beneath
a continent, it is able to split the continent into diverging fragments.
The movement of the continents (known as continental drift or plate tectonics),
in turn cause the other continents to split or become fused to others.
Answer under construction!
No. Pterodactyl and other Pterodons were flying reptiles.
According to the latest fossil find (see "debates" page) by Phillip Currie, it
appears that dinosaurs did have feathers and later on their arms evolved into
wings. The question is...were they then dinosaurs or birds?
No. All dinosaurs are classified as land animals. Large oceanic creatures
such as a Kronosaur or Elasmosaurus were considered marine reptiles.
No, the Ultrasaurus was. It was approximately 120-130 feet long. The
blue whale is approximately 100 feet long.
Hundreds of years ago when people found dinosaur fossils, they were believed
to have been the bones of dragons. People didn't know anything about dinosaurs
so it is logical to assume that they would try to explain what these fossils
were.
Many people have different opinions on whether there is such a thing
as the Loch Ness Monster. It has even been theorized that "Nessie" is
a surviving Plesiosaur. But if she is, then she is not a dinosaur. Plesiosaurs
are marine reptiles.
Dinosaurs are named using Latin words. Some dinosaurs are named to
reflect where they are found; some are named after the person who
first found their fossils; and others are named after the dinosaur's
physical characteristics such as "Triceratops" (Tri - meaning "three",
"Ceratops" basically means "horned face").
Considering that nearly all animals do, including birds and reptiles it
is probable that dinosaurs did as well.
Recreating what a dinosaur may have looked like from it's fossilized
bones, requires several steps. First, the fossils are cleaned and then
linked together to accurately form the dinosaur's skeletal system. Once
a dinosaur's skeleton is formed, it can be easily "fleshed out" using
anatomical principles that we know apply to muscle placement in vertebrates
and size of muscle in relation to the bone it is attached to. Also, the
weight of the muscle can be ascertained with a good degree of certainty and
from this the weight of the animal can be extrapolated.
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According to the latest fossil find of "Protoarchaeopteryx", it can now
be assumed with a fair amount of certainty that you can see a dinosaur
outside of your window nearly every day. They are called BIRDS.
Some paleontologists feel that they were warm-blooded like us. That
means that their bodies maintained a constant temperature regardless of whether
it was hot or cold outside. If this is the case, then dinosaurs would
likely have been able to move faster and not have to spend part of their
day lounging in the sun to absorb some heat.
Nobody really knows but one can make an educated guess based on how other
animals are coloured in relation to their environment. Most animals are coloured
for camoflage therefore a logical assumption would be that most dinosaurs
were earth-toned in greens, browns and tans.
Of course no one really knows. However, certain dinosaurs like hadrosaurs
has specialized head crests which may have been used to blow air through
to make a trumpeting sound. Sounds would have been used to warn others
about predators or to attract a mate.
There are two popular theories...one is that they became extinct 65 million years
ago. The other is that some of the dinosaurs became extinct and others evolved
into what we now know as birds.
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Answer under construction.
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Answer under construction
Many dinosaurs could probably see very well as do many reptiles today.
The scene in Jurassic Park that shows that the T-Rex cannot see prey
if it doesn't move is unlikely. T-Rex was a master predator and could
probably spot prey from long distances much as an eagle can today.
Answer under construction.
Dinosaurs layed eggs.
Some dinosaurs were solitary and some travelled in herds. Herd behaviour
usually occurs in prey-animals to act as protection for them. However, there
is evidence that dinosaurs such as velociraptor hunted in packs such
as wolves do today.
FOSSILIZED DINO POOP!
Anyone have a pooper-scooper handy?
Gastroliths are the fossilized remains of stones that dinosaurs swallowed in order
to aid in their digestion, much like birds do today.
Trackways are the impressions of the footsteps of dinosaurs. They are thousands of trackways
all over the world and can tell Scientists alot about the gait and lifestyles of dinosaurs.
There have been some fossilized impressions of dinosaur skin found and it appears to be
a pebbly texture as shown in the photo on the right.
I've heard dinosaurs had 2 brains. Is this true?
Behold the mighty dinosaur
Famous in prehistoric lore
Not only for his power and strength
But for his intellectual length.
You will observe by these remains
The creature had 2 sets of brains -
One in his head (the usual place),
The other in his spinal base.
Thus he could reason, "A priori"
As well as "A posteriori."
No problem bothered him a bit
He made both head and tail of it...
If something slipped his forward mind
'Twas rescued by the one behind.
And if in error he was caught
He had a saving afterthought.
As he thought twice before he spoke
He had no judgement to revoke.
Thus he could think without congestion
Upon both sides of every question.
- Written by Bert L. Taylor 1912
At the point where the spinal cord passes through the pelvis, there
appears to be a sacral plexus that in the stegosaurus is 20 times larger
than it's brain. This is not a brain but a sort of "junction box" where
many nerves from the hindlegs and tail enter the spinal cord. This anatomical
feature occurs in most reptiles but seems to be quite pronounced in some
dinosaurs.
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