Dinosaurs
What are Dinosaurs?
Dinosaurs were a group of reptiles that lived on Earth for about 165 million years, from the Triassic period (about 231.4 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (about 66 million years ago).
Dinosaur Classification
Dinosaurs are classified into two main groups: the Saurischia (lizard-hipped) and the Ornithischia (bird-hipped) dinosaurs. The Saurischian dinosaurs include the well-known carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, while the Ornithischian dinosaurs include herbivorous dinosaurs like Triceratops and Stegosaurus.
Dinosaur Characteristics
- Dinosaurs were mostly terrestrial, although some were adapted to life in water or air.
- They had a wide variety of body shapes and sizes, ranging from the massive sauropods to the small, bird-like theropods.
- Dinosaurs laid eggs, and evidence suggests that some dinosaurs cared for their eggs and young.
Dinosaur Extinction
The mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period, often attributed to a massive asteroid impact, led to the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. However, some dinosaur descendants, such as birds, survived and continue to thrive today.
Studying Dinosaurs
To study dinosaurs, researchers use a variety of methods, including fossil excavation, comparative anatomy, molecular biology, and computer modeling. By piecing together evidence from fossils and other sources, scientists continue to uncover new information about these fascinating creatures.
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