What is a Dinosaur? - Definition and Features
The current academic definition of a dinosaur is 'the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops, and all of its descendants.'
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The current academic definition of a dinosaur is 'the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops, and all of its descendants.'
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Dinosaurs first appeared about 230 million years ago. They were small reptiles, like the 1-meter-long Eoraptor and Eodromaeus.
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The pelvis (hip bones) of dinosaurs comes in two different shapes. Based on the shape of the pelvis, they can be broadly divided into 'Saurischia' and 'Ornithischia'.
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Saurischia is further divided into 'Theropoda' and 'Sauropodomorpha', while 'Marginocephalia', 'Thyreophora', and 'Ornithopoda' belong to Ornithischia.
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How many dinosaurs have been discovered so far and scientifically recognized as valid? We'll explain this, along with the statistical methods used to estimate the number of unknown dinosaurs.
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When you think of dinosaurs, the first thing that comes to mind is probably their 'size'. Especially large dinosaurs were....
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This refers to dinosaurs whose fossils have preserved traces of feathers. The first was confirmed as a fossil in 1996.
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A method has been established to calculate this from fossil footprints and leg length.
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The cross-section of reptile bones has growth rings like a tree, which can be counted to determine their approximate age.
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In Mongolia, the theropod Oviraptor was discovered in a brooding position over its eggs.
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Recently, with the discovery of well-preserved fossils and advances in analytical techniques, it has become possible to determine their color in some cases.
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It is known that some herbivorous dinosaurs had countless replacement teeth under their jaws.
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Think back to the first time you saw the Tyrannosaurus rex appear in "Jurassic Park." That iconic "ROAR!" that thundered along with the earth-shaking footsteps is, for many, the definitive sound of a dinosaur. However, recent research suggests that this image may differ from scientific reality.
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Since the discovery of a sauropodomorph fossil in Iwate Prefecture in 1978, dinosaur fossils have been found one after another in Japan.
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About 66 million years ago, all non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. What happened at that time is becoming clearer.
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Determining the sex of a dinosaur from a fossil is extremely difficult, but there are some clues.
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The most famous fossil site in the world is probably Solnhofen in Germany. Here we introduce the main sites and formations.
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All living organisms are classified by being given a scientific name. Scientific names follow the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
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Knowing the size and weight is an important factor in understanding an animal's ecology. How do we estimate the weight of extinct dinosaurs?
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South America's Argentina is a treasure trove of diverse dinosaur fossils, reflecting the rich ecosystem of Gondwana. We introduce representative dinosaurs, including some of the world's largest sauropods and carnivores.
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Brazil is a key fossil site for understanding Gondwana's evolution. We introduce representative dinosaurs and pterosaurs from the 'miracle preservation' of the Araripe Basin and the end-Cretaceous Bauru Basin.
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