What is a Dinosaur?

Question

http://www.dinosaurs.name

Answer 1

Dinosaur, one of a group of extinct reptiles that lived from about 230 million to about 65 million years ago. The word dinosaur was coined in 1842 by British anatomist Sir Richard Owen, derived from the Greek words deinos, meaning “marvelous” or “terrible,” and sauros, meaning “lizard.” For more than 140 million years, dinosaurs reigned as the dominant animals on land.

Owen distinguished dinosaurs from other prehistoric reptiles by their upright rather than sprawling legs and by the presence of three or more vertebrae supporting the pelvis, or hipbone. Dinosaurs are classified into two orders according to differences in pelvic structure: Saurischia, or lizard-hipped dinosaurs, and Ornithischia, or bird-hipped dinosaurs. Dinosaur bones occur in sediments that were deposited during the Mesozoic Era, the so-called era of middle animals, also known as the age of reptiles. This era is divided into three periods: the Triassic (240 million to 205 million years ago), the Jurassic (205 million to 138 million years ago), and the Cretaceous (138 million to 65 million years ago).

Historical references to dinosaur bones may extend as far back as the 5th century bc. Some scholars think that Greek historian Herodotus was referring to fossilized dinosaur skeletons and eggs when he described griffins—legendary beasts that were part eagle and part lion—guarding nests in central Asia. “Dragon bones” mentioned in a 3rd century ad text from China are thought to refer to bones of dinosaurs.

The first dinosaurs studied by paleontologists (scientists who study prehistoric life) were Megalosaurus and Iguanodon, whose partial bones were discovered early in the 19th century in England. The shape of their bones indicates that these animals resembled large, land-dwelling reptiles. The teeth of Megalosaurus, which are pointed and have serrated edges, indicate that this animal was a flesh eater, while the flattened, grinding surfaces of Iguanodon teeth indicate that it was a plant eater. Megalosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period, and Iguanodon lived during the early part of the Cretaceous Period. Later in the 19th century, paleontologists collected and studied more complete skeletons of related dinosaurs found in New Jersey. From these finds they learned that Megalosaurus and Iguanodon walked on two legs, not four, as had been thought.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the science of paleontology grew and the search for dinosaur remains was extended around the world, new kinds of dinosaurs were discovered. At present, about 350 different varieties of dinosaur have been identified from bones found on all of the continents as well as on the islands of Greenland, Madagascar, and New Zealand.

Answer 2

The first answer is very good. But it is incorrect in saying that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. Radioactive dating methods produces random dates of millions of years on volcanic rocks that has no observable support. Volcanic rocks like those from historical times including the rocks from Mt Saint Helen's which erupted in 1980 are dated by radioactive methods in millions of years old. However, Carbon 14 only dates recent historical organic carbon. If the bone, etc is older it would have NO radioactive 14 left. But it has been discovered that all dinosaur bones CAN be dated by Carbon 14 - which dates them as thousands of years old. Also, unfossilized tissue from dinosaur bones, which breakes down at a known rate in only thousands of years has been found in many dinosaur bones. The evidence indicates that dinosaurs became extinct after an asteroid broke up and penetrated the earth releasing subterranion mineralized water which caused worldwide earthquakes, continent crossing tsunamis waves, and volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. The ocean rose and eventually covered the highest mountains, until the lighter continental crust or dry land rose.

Answer 3

Saur means lizard. Dinosaurs are actually closer to birds.

Answer 4

I think this is already covered, but the quick answer is anything belonging to the clade Dinosauria, comprised of orders Ornithischia and Saurischia. Speaking in monophyletic terms, birds fit in there because they directly evolved from a saurischian line.

Answer 5

The ancestor of every bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Answer 6

A tyranasauras rax

Answer 7

something 65 million years apart in feelings

Answer 8

a very big animal that is extinct.
they had very small brains ,
many were vegetarian because there was a lot of vegetation around
and some ate them.because they liked meat.

Answer 9

A sort of cow, but a long time ago

Answer 10

phil collins