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Which Dinosaurs Were Able To Fly

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Dinosaurs were large and small creatures that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Feathered dinosaurs had heavy bones which prevented them from flying. Those that did fly actually resembled birds but are often included in the dinosaur category.

Pterodactyls were flying reptiles in the Mesozoic era. They were as large as giraffes with wingspans up to twenty five feet. Archaeopteryx lived during the late Jurassic period and had brains and feathers like a bird but no large breastbone. Only the size of a crow, they sported a large, bony tail with feathers.

Many lived during the Cretaceous period such as the sparrow-sized Iberomesornis with its small teeth and long tail. Eoalulavis weighed less than one pound and were only half a foot long. The Microraptor gui was two feet long and weighed up to four pounds. This creature had wings on both their arms and legs. Pigeon-sized Ichthyornis sported teeth only in the middle with a beak at the tip. They are called fish birds due to their fish-like vertebrae.

Sixty five million years ago, the mass extinction of dinosaurs occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period. Research shows that a meteorite striking the Earth prompted a sudden ice age which caused their demise.

Were All Of The Dinosaurs Meat Eaters

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Not all dinosaurs were meat eaters. Just like people and animals of today, some ate meat, and some ate just plants. Approximately 65 percent of all dinosaurs were plant eaters (herbivores), while only 35 percent ate meat (carnivores). Carnivores usually had large jaws and sharp teeth. They also had long strong legs so they could be quick enough to catch their prey. One of the most notorious meat eaters was the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Other carnivores include the Velociraptor, Allosaurus, Megalosaurus and the Utahraptor. Plant eaters, which outnumbered their counterparts, have several different characteristics that help them get their food. Most herbivores had blunt, flat teeth for grinding leaves, plants, etc. Some even had pouches in their cheek to store their food for a longer period. As expected, herbivores have to consumer a far greater amount of vegetation than carnivores in order to obtain enough calories to sustain their life. They sometimes had to eat rocks to help grind up the tough plant fibers, which is similar to what a turkey must do today. Some herbivores include the Triceratops, Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus and the Pterodactyl. Even though we mostly know what dinosaurs ate, scientists sometimes have to theorize based on the dinosaurs teeth and body type.

What Caused The Extinction Of The Dinosaurs

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Around 65 millions years there is an iridium glitch in the fossil record. Scientists estimate that about 50 percent of all life on earth died out at the same time including dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops as well as plants and tiny marine organisms. This is known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction or K-T Event. Incidentally, itâ€™s â€œKâ€ not â€œCâ€ because geologists use â€œKâ€ as shorthand for Cretaceous. Many scientists believe the iridium layer or K-T boundary found all over the world is evidence of a gigantic asteroid hitting the earth since iridium is not commonly found in high concentrations on earth. Itâ€™s more common in space. Since the dinosaurs died at this time, it is believed a large meteorite slammed into the earth and killed them, but the storyâ€™s more complicated then that. Not all dinosaurs are extinct. Birds are living dinosaurs.

A massive meteorite did slam into the earth. Chicxulub, in Mexico, is the probable site. The crater can still be seen on satellite images. When it hit, it disintegrated and sent mega tons of iridium debris flying into the atmosphere. The friction from the impact and the particles careening around superheated the atmosphere instantly killing all life on one third of the planet. It took decades for the particles in the atmosphere to settle. They deflected the sunâ€™s light killing plant life and anything above it on the food chain.

The fossil record also shows evidence of heavy volcanic activity, global wildfires and rapidly changing sea levels at this time. Were these large-scale changes in environment already occurring or were they caused by the impact? The answer is still unknown.

Did Dinosaurs Live All Over The Planet

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Did dinosaurs live all over the planet? There are many questions surrounding the existence of dinosaurs, how and where they lived as well as how they became extinct. First it’s important to consider that yes, skeletal remains of dinosaurs have been found all over the world. However the question remains if they actually lived in the areas where the bones have been found or if the bodies traveled along with the glacier to end up at there final resting place.

However, it is known that dinosaurs did live in many areas around the world. While it is likely that there are several areas where existence was not possible, there is so little known about the actual life of a dinosaur today that it really cannot be determined with any certainty. As more and more skeletal remains are found, more information is gradually being gained. However it is known that many of the species in existence today are relatives of the ancient dinosaurs.

The question has yet to be answered however regarding the absolute extinction of the creatures. For example, it is known that existing creatures today such as the crocodile is a very near relative of those creatures from the time of the dinosaurs, as are some species of turtles.