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Patricia Barnes-Svarney. The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book
About the Authors
Also from Visible Ink Press
Contents
Introduction
Acknowledgments
IN THE BEGINNING. How old is Earth?
How old is the oldest rock and mineral found on Earth?
What caused the early Earth’s water and atmosphere to form?
What gases began to accumulate after Earth’s crust finally solidified?
How did oxygen form on early Earth?
What is the greenhouse effect?
What is ozone and how did it benefit the early Earth?
BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. When did life first begin on Earth?
What were the conditions on the early Earth that scientists believe may have led to life?
What are the oldest-known fossils found in rock on Earth?
When did the basic form of life develop on Earth?
When did larger cells develop?
When did the first multicellular forms of life develop?
Did life develop more than just one time?
When did the first true plants appear on land?
When did the first soft-bodied animals appear in the oceans?
What is the oldest-known life form that existed on land?
What were the first land animals and why did they move onto the dry land?
When did the first primitive dinosaurs appear?
How long did it take for dinosaurs to evolve from the first land animals?
GEOLOGIC TIME. What is geologic time?
What is the geologic time scale?
What are the divisions of the geologic time scale?
How are the divisions on the geologic time scale named?
What are the major time units used in the geologic time scale?
What do the divisions on the geologic time scale represent?
What is relative time in relationship to geologic time?
What is absolute time in relationship to geologic time?
When were radiometric dating techniques discovered?
Who first developed an absolute geologic time scale using radiometric dating?
TIME PERIODS. What is the Pre-Cambrian era?
Why do scientists believe that several ice ages occurred during the late Pre-Cambrian era?
Why was the “Cambrian Explosion,” also called the “evolutionary big bang”?
What were trilobites and when did they exist?
What theories attempt to explain why the Cambrian Explosion occurred?
What are the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras?
What are the divisions of the Mesozoic era?
What are the more recent time divisions on the geologic time scale?
FIRST FOSSILS. What is a fossil?
How does a fossil form?
How likely is it that an organism becomes a fossil?
How do scientists determine the age of fossils?
What are molds and casts?
What are trace fossils?
What can some trace fossils of dinosaur tracks tell us?
DINOSAUR FOSSILS. How do paleontologists identify species of dinosaurs from other fossils?
When was the first dinosaur bone collected and described?
What are some of the oldest dinosaur fossils found to date?
What is a dinosaur?
What does the term dinosaur mean?
DINOSAUR ANCESTORS. How did life evolve after the early one-celled organisms?
What are vertebrates?
What were the early amphibians and when did they live?
What were some of the earliest species that led to amphibians?
What were some of the problems amphibians faced in moving from water to land?
When did reptiles first evolve from amphibians?
What was one of the most important changes that enabled reptiles to become true land-dwelling animals?
What were some of the earliest known reptiles?
Why did the reptiles dominate during the Mesozoic but not the amphibians?
Did some reptiles return to the oceans?
How are reptiles grouped?
DINOSAURS FIRST APPEAR. How did the reptiles give rise to the dinosaurs?
What were early archosaurs like?
What were other archosaurs like?
What are thecodonts?
What was the next stage in the evolution towards true dinosaurs?
What are some of the earliest known primitive dinosaurs?
What were early carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs like?
How are dinosaurs classified?
How has the definition of dinosaur changed over the years?
How many species of dinosaurs are currently known?
How many species of dinosaurs have been named since the first skeletons were uncovered?
How do the number of known dinosaur species compare to some modern species?
How is a dinosaur currently defined using cladistic analysis?
How are dinosaurs named?
How did dinosaurs evolve?
How are dinosaurs classified?
Is there a continent where dinosaur fossils have never been found?
What kinds of dinosaurs were in the saurischian group?
What kinds of dinosaurs were in the ornithischian group?
What events led to the dominance of dinosaurs in the Mesozoic era?
How long were dinosaurs dominant on Earth?
Were there dinosaurs at the beginning of the Mesozoic?
When did the age of dinosaurs end?
What is the Triassic period and how did it get its name?
How long did the Triassic period last?
What are the divisions of the Triassic period?
What did the Triassic period signify?
CONTINENTS DURING THE TRIASSIC PERIOD. Do Earth’s continents change positions?
What are continental drift and plate tectonics?
How did fossil evidence support the theory of continental drift?
Who discovered seafloor spreading?
What magnetic evidence did scientists use to verify seafloor spreading?
What is the driving force behind the movement of the continental plates?
What are the consequences of continental plate movements?
What did our planet look like at the start of the Triassic period?
What led to the original formation of the supercontinent Pangea?
How did the supercontinent Pangea change during the Triassic period?
How did this continental configuration affect the dinosaurs?
Where are Triassic period rocks found?
What is the Newark Supergroup and why is it significant?
What is the Ischigualasto formation and why is it important?
TRIASSIC DINOSAURS. Did any Triassic period dinosaurs fly?
Did any Triassic period dinosaurs live in the oceans?
Were there many dinosaurs during the Triassic period?
Why did the dinosaurs begin to thrive in the Late Triassic period?
What were some of the early dinosaurs?
Why is Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis thought to be one of the earliest dinosaurs known?
Is the Eoraptor lunensis also one of the most primitive dinosaurs?
Which Triassic period dinosaurs were herbivores?
What is the earliest-known herbivorous dinosaur?
Which Triassic period dinosaurs were carnivores?
What was Coelophysis like?
What were the smallest dinosaurs known to have existed during the Triassic period?
Were there other reptiles in the Middle to Late Triassic period that may have been early dinosaurs?
What was the largest dinosaur known to have existed during the Triassic period?
OTHER LIFE DURING THE TRIASSIC. If the dinosaurs were just evolving, which land and marine animals dominated the Triassic period?
What are the tetrapods?
Where did tetrapods live on Pangea during the Late Triassic period?
What were the major groups of land organisms during the Triassic?
What were the major marine animals living during the Triassic period?
What is the Jurassic period and how did it get its name?
What are the divisions of the Jurassic period?
How long did the Jurassic period last?
What event occurred at the division between the Triassic and Jurassic periods, and why was this important to the dinosaurs?
What is the Morrison formation and where is it found?
What is the Tendaguru formation?
How did dinosaurs become so prolific between the Triassic and Jurassic periods?
Where were the continents located during the Jurassic period?
What were Laurasia and Gondwana?
How did the northern continent of Laurasia and the southern continent of Gondwana change during the Jurassic period?
Did climate conditions lead to new dinosaur groups in the Jurassic period?
IMPORTANT JURASSIC DINOSAURS. What are some of the major dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic period?
SAURISCHIAN DINOSAURS. How are the saurischian dinosaurs classified?
What were some general characteristics of the sauropods?
In general, what characteristics determine if a dinosaur skeleton is a sauropod?
What were the prosauropods?
What prosauropod fossils have been discovered?
What were some major groups of sauropods during the Jurassic?
What were some Jurassic period sauropods?
What were some general characteristics of the other saurischian group, the theropods?
In general, what characteristics determine if a dinosaur skeleton is that of a theropod?
How are the theropods classified?
What were the ceratosaurs?
What were the tetanurans?
What were the carnosaurs?
What were the coelurosaurs?
What were the ornithomimosaurs?
What were the maniraptorans?
Were there any dromaeosaurs, troodontids, therizinosaurs, or oviraptorosaurs in the Jurassic period?
What were some Jurassic period theropods?
ORNITHISCHIAN DINOSAURS. How are the ornithischian dinosaurs classified?
What were two of the earliest known ornithischian dinosaurs?
What are the main characteristics of the thyreophorans?
What were some early thyreophorans?
What were the stegosaurs?
Why were stegosaurs originally thought to have had a “second brain”?
What were the ankylosaurs?
What were the cerapods?
What ornithopod dinosaurs lived in the Jurassic period?
What were some Jurassic period ornithischian dinosaurs?
GENERAL JURASSIC DINOSAUR FACTS. Which major Jurassic period dinosaurs were herbivores and carnivores?
What were some of the smallest and largest dinosaurs known in the Jurassic period?
Did the first dinosaur fossil to be named come from the Jurassic period?
What possible large Jurassic dinosaur is only known from drawings of a fossil?
What Jurassic period dinosaur was formerly called Brontosaurus?
What Jurassic period dinosaurs lived the longest?
OTHER LIFE IN THE JURASSIC. Besides dinosaurs, what other land animals were present during the Jurassic period?
What were the major marine animals living during the Jurassic?
What was so special about the evolution of the ichthyosaurs?
What was the Cretaceous period and how did it get its name?
What are the major divisions of the Cretaceous?
Why did the dinosaurs thrive and diversify in the Cretaceous?
How did Laurasia and Gondwana (Gondwanaland) change during the Cretaceous period?
IMPORTANT CRETACEOUS DINOSAURS. What were the major dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period?
Which major Cretaceous period dinosaurs were herbivores and carnivores?
How did the distribution of dinosaur species change during the Cretaceous period?
What were some of the dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous period?
SAURISCHIAN DINOSAURS. How were Cretaceous period saurischian dinosaurs different from Jurassic dinosaurs?
What were the titanosaurids?
Were there any other sauropods that survived into the Cretaceous period?
How did the theropods change during the Cretaceous period?
Did any ceratosaurs live in the Cretaceous period?
What were the carnosaurs like in the Cretaceous period?
What were the coelurosaurs like in the Cretaceous period?
What were the ornithomimosaurs like in the Cretaceous period?
What were the maniraptorans like in the Cretaceous period?
What were the unique characteristics of the Deinonychosauria?
What were the unique characteristics of the Therizinosauria?
What were the unique characteristics of the Oviraptorosauria?
What were the tyrannosaurs?
What are some examples of theropods in the Cretaceous period?
ORNITHISCHIAN DINOSAURS. How are the ornithischian dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period classified?
What changes occurred in the Thyreophora during the Cretaceous period?
What changes occurred in the cerapods during the Cretaceous period?
Why did the plant-eating sauropods die out while the ornithopods thrived during the Cretaceous period?
What were the heterodontosaurs like?
What were the hypsilophodontids like?
What were the iguanodons like?
What were some general characteristics of the hadrosaurs?
How did the Lambeosaurinae and Hadrosaurinae differ?
What were the marginocephalians?
What were the pachycephalosaurs like?
What were the ceratopsians like?
What were the general characteristics of the Triceratops?
What were some ornithischian dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period?
GENERAL CRETACEOUS DINOSAUR FACTS. What were the smallest and largest dinosaurs known in the Cretaceous period?
What was the top predator among the Cretaceous dinosaurs?
What is the oldest-known horned dinosaur?
Where did the last dinosaurs live?
Did any dinosaur species survive the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?
OTHER LIFE IN THE CRETACEOUS. Besides dinosaurs, what other animals were present during the Cretaceous period?
Were there any flying animals during the Cretaceous period?
What were the major marine animals living during the Cretaceous period?
GROWING BONES. Why are fossil bones important to our understanding of dinosaurs?
What does the dinosaur skeleton tell us about the animals’ soft parts?
What is the composition of most dinosaur bones?
How does bone composition differ between dinosaurs and modern reptiles?
Did dinosaurs differ in bone structure?
When did primary bones develop during a dinosaur’s life?
When did Haversian (or secondary) bone tissue develop during a dinosaur’s life?
When did growth ring bone tissue develop during a dinosaur’s life?
What do these three types of bone tissue indicate about dinosaur physiology?
Where are extremely large dinosaur bones being found and why?
What happened to North and South American dinosaurs over time?
Why did larger dinosaurs evolve in South America?
How many bones made up the average dinosaur skeleton?
What are the major parts of a dinosaur skeleton?
In general, what comprises a dinosaur’s skull?
What is the axial skeleton?
What were the vertebrae of a dinosaur?
How was the vertebral column in ornithischian dinosaurs strengthened?
How were connections between theropod dinosaur vertebrae strengthened?
What are some of the richest dinosaur bone areas in the world?
What was unique about dinosaur feet?
What was unique about the feet of most quadruped dinosaurs?
What were osteoderms?
Can you tell the difference between male and female dinosaurs from their bones?
What do dinosaur bones tell us about a dinosaur’s stance?
What can paleontologists tell about the lifestyle of a large herbivore (sauropod) from its fossil bones?
What were unique skeletal features of large sauropods?
What can paleontologists tell about the lifestyle of a small herbivore from its fossil bones?
What can paleontologists tell about the lifestyle of a large carnivore (theropod) from its fossil bones?
ABNORMAL DINOSAUR BONES. What do dinosaur bones indicate to paleontologists about the health of these animals?
What caused asymmetrical bone growth in dinosaurs?
What caused traumatic and repetitive stress fractures in dinosaur bones?
What do traumatic fractures in the bones of large theropods (carnivores) tell us about the behavior of these animals?
Have any dinosaur DNA or proteins survived 65 million years?
Do dinosaur bones show evidence of arthritis, a common affliction in humans?
What bone phenomena do both humans and dinosaurs share?
DINOSAUR SKIN. Are there any fossils of dinosaur skin?
What dinosaur “skins” have recently been found?
Did all dinosaurs have the same type of skin?
Have any dinosaur embryo skin impressions been found?
Have any other soft parts of dinosaurs been found?
What dinosaur fossil found in Italy showed the remnants of soft parts?
What color or colors were the dinosaurs?
TEETH AND CLAWS. What bones held the dinosaur’s teeth?
What was the composition of dinosaur teeth?
What do we know in general about dinosaur teeth?
What can scientists tell from the shape of carnivorous dinosaurs’ teeth?
What was unusual about the teeth of a Tyrannosaurus rex?
Are there any known toothless theropod dinosaurs?
Were the arms of some carnivorous dinosaurs used for anything?
What were the dromaeosaurids and what type of claws did they have?
What is the largest raptor claw found to date in North America?
What is the largest raptor claw found to date in the world?
DINOSAUR METABOLISM. Why is the debate over dinosaur metabolism so important?
Who first proposed that dinosaurs were warm-blooded?
Why did Robert T. Bakker believe dinosaurs were endothermic homeotherms (warm-blooded)?
What can dinosaur bones tell us about their internal heat regulation?
What kind of heart did dinosaurs have?
What does theropod dinosaur brain size tell us about their metabolism?
Do dinosaurs’ noses indicate they were not warm-blooded?
DINOSAUR SIZE. What was the purpose of the different sizes and shapes of dinosaurs?
Was there an upper limit to the size of a dinosaur?
What was the average size among the dinosaurs?
How do scientists determine the weight of a dinosaur?
Which dinosaurs were the biggest?
What are the smallest dinosaur fossils found to date?
Where have dwarf dinosaur fossils been found?
Which dinosaur had the longest neck of any animal known?
What was possibly the longest predatory dinosaur?
EATING HABITS. What did dinosaurs eat?
What food was available to the dinosaurs?
Did dinosaurs need water?
What are coprolites?
Are all coprolites large, especially those from the larger dinosaurs?
What have paleontologists learned from dinosaur coprolites?
Did dinosaurs urinate?
What do dinosaur trackways tell paleontologists about dinosaur diets?
What are fossil assemblages and what do they tell us about dinosaur diets?
What do tooth marks tell us about dinosaur diets?
To what group did all the meat-eating dinosaurs belong?
What adaptations enabled carnivorous dinosaurs to eat meat?
What adaptations did the herbivorous dinosaurs have that enabled them to eat plants?
What was an omnivorous dinosaur?
Have any fossilized stomach contents of dinosaurs been found?
Did other animals prey on dinosaurs?
DINOSAURS IN MOTION. What are some major questions associated with the movement of dinosaurs?
What evidence do we have concerning the movement of dinosaurs?
What is an important factor in determining the probable motion of dinosaurs?
What are dinosaur trackways?
Where was one of the first dinosaur footprints found in the United States?
What conditions might lead to the best footprints?
What are some of the largest dinosaur trackways in North America?
What are some of the largest dinosaur trackways outside North America?
What do dinosaur tracks tell us about locomotion of some dinosaurs?
Where did a dinosaur stampede take place?
How do paleontologists determine speeds of dinosaurs using the trackways?
What are some calculated speeds of dinosaurs?
How are dinosaur speeds calculated?
What was the fastest dinosaur based on the trackways?
Did dinosaurs travel in herds?
Did dinosaurs migrate?
Did dinosaurs hunt in packs?
Did any dinosaurs climb or live in trees?
Did any dinosaurs fly?
What was the purpose of the giant sauropod Apatosaurus’s (formerly known as Brontosaurus) tail-tip?
DINOSAUR BABIES. What do dinosaur eggs look like?
Did all dinosaurs lay eggs?
Where were the first clutch of dinosaur eggs discovered?
Have other clutches of dinosaur eggs been discovered?
What is one of the smallest dinosaur eggs known?
Have any dinosaur eggs been found in a dinosaur’s belly area?
What did a dinosaur nest look like?
What else has been discovered about dinosaur nesting sites?
What dinosaur was named as a consequence of its nesting behavior?
How have the fossils of the Oviraptor changed our image of this dinosaur?
How did the dinosaur eggs hatch?
How can parental care traits of dinosaurs be extrapolated from living animals?
Are there any examples of the dinosaur parenting care methods?
Were Triceratops social animals?
MATURE DINOSAURS. How long did dinosaurs live?
Does the microstructure of dinosaur bones indicate the age of these animals?
What is another way to estimate a dinosaur’s life span?
Do we definitely know the growth pattern of dinosaurs?
What are the estimated growth rates for a ceratopsian and sauropod dinosaur?
Are there problems with estimating dinosaur growth rates based on modern reptiles?
DINOSAUR QUIRKS. Did any dinosaurs live in the colder, polar regions?
Did dinosaurs sleep standing up?
Did dinosaurs see in color or black and white?
Did dinosaurs have binocular vision similar to humans?
How large was a dinosaur’s brain?
Were dinosaurs intelligent?
What are the encephalization quotients (EQs) for some typical modern-day mammals?
THE CRETACEOUS EXTINCTION. What is an extinction?
When did the idea of extinction become accepted?
What is the evidence for dinosaur and other life form extinction?
What is the “fern spike”?
What were the major extinctions during Earth’s long history?
How many species of dinosaurs were living at the end of the Cretaceous period?
How many other organisms became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What were some other organisms besides dinosaurs that became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What animals didn’t experience as many extinctions?
What plants became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period?
Why did certain plants and animals survive through the end of the Cretaceous period?
Can scientists see the Cretaceous boundary in rock?
Why aren’t huge amounts of dinosaur bones found in late Cretaceous period rock layers?
What “bone spike” was found in Late Cretaceous period rock layers?
THEORIES ABOUT DINOSAUR EXTINCTION. How long ago did the dinosaurs disappear?
Were the dinosaurs inferior because they became extinct?
What are the two general theories as to how fast the dinosaurs went extinct?
What is the “disease theory” of dinosaur extinction?
Could the atmosphere have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?
Would a lower oxygen level affect dinosaurs?
What is the theory concerning radiation killing off the dinosaurs?
What could have caused lower oxygen levels at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What is the “mammal theory” of dinosaur extinction?
What is the “climate theory” of dinosaur extinction?
What is the “poison plant theory” of dinosaur extinction?
Did dinosaurs get blown away by hurricanes?
THE IMPACT THEORY. What is the “impact theory” of dinosaur extinction?
What are asteroids and comets?
Where are asteroids and comets found in our solar system?
What are near-Earth objects?
Who first hypothesized the impact scenario?
What are impact craters and are there any on Earth?
What evidence supports the impact theory?
Why was the impact at Chicxulub so devastating?
How many impact craters are associated with dinosaur extinction?
How long after the asteroid impact did the dinosaurs become extinct?
Has there been any evidence of a recent killer asteroid?
OTHER EXTINCTION THEORIES. Did changes in Earth’s environment lead to dinosaur extinction?
What is a problem with the environmental theory of dinosaur extinction?
What are killer cosmic clouds?
Could a killer cosmic cloud have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?
Is there any proof that Earth has encountered a cosmic cloud in the past?
What is the true story of dinosaur extinction?
AFTERMATH OF EXTINCTION. What is the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary and what does it indicate about the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What groups survived the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What was a common characteristic of the surviving land animals?
What groups did not survive the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period?
How did the end of the Cretaceous period rank among Earth’s extinctions?
What types of plants did not disappear at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What percentage of marine animals went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What percentage of land animals went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period?
Why did certain animals survive and other animals did not?
Are mammals surviving relatives of the dinosaurs?
What mammals lived at the end of the Cretaceous period?
Why did the mammals come to dominate in the Cenozoic era?
Are mammals the most abundant animals on modern Earth?
What are the closest living relatives to the dinosaurs?
What is a reptile?
When did modern reptiles evolve?
How well did reptiles fare at the end of the Cretaceous period?
What reptile species survived past the end of the Cretaceous period?
What are the two types of modern crocodiles?
What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
How might dinosaurs have evolved if they had not gone extinct 65 million years ago?
FROM DINOSAURS TO BIRDS. What are birds?
How are birds classified?
Were any birds around when dinosaurs roamed Earth?
Did some early scientists believe birds were related to dinosaurs?
Who first published papers noting the resemblance of birds to dinosaurs?
What is Archaeopteryx lithographica?
Who first proposed the idea that birds were descendants of dinosaurs?
Have other skeletons of Archaeopteryx been found?
What are some of the Archaeopteryx fossils found to date?
What has been discovered about Archaeopteryx lithographica fossil feathers?
Did some scientists believe Archaeopteryx lithographica was a transition between dinosaurs and modern birds?
Does everyone believe Archaeopteryx was a link to dinosaurs?
What was the bird-like animal named Confuciusornis sanctus?
DINOSAURS ALL AROUND US. What are the major camps in the dinosaur-bird evolution debate?
What is cladistic analysis?
What does cladistic analysis tell us about birds and dinosaurs?
How long ago did modern birds originate?
What recent genome study may rewrite the evolutionary history of birds?
What overall characteristics are seemingly shared by dinosaurs and modern birds?
How did feathers evolve?
What dinosaurs are thought to have evolved into birds?
Do scientists believe the Microraptor could fly?
What is the latest theory stating birds are truly dinosaurs?
Do all paleontologists believe that birds and dinosaurs are related?
THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING LINK. What fossil evidence possibly shows that not all dinosaurs became extinct?
What fossil discovery indicated a link between birds and dromaeosaurs?
What is the bird-like animal named Shuvuuia deserti?
What is the bird-like animal named Unenlagia comahuensis?
What is the bird-like animal named Sinosauropteryx prima?
What do the Sinosauropteryx and other similar dinosaurs tell us about the evolution of feathers?
What was the original purpose of feathers on dinosaurs?
Were birds the only animals that sported feathers?
How did early feathered animals eventually develop flight?
What carnivorous dinosaur fossils had traces of a bird-like beak?
What does the internal structure of Scipionyx samniticus reveal about the ancestry of birds?
EARLY DINOSAUR HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES. Where and when were dinosaur fossils first discovered in the United States?
Where were the bones of an Anchisaurus first found in the United States?
Where were the first dinosaur footprints found in the United States?
What creatures did Edward Hitchcock think made the Connecticut dinosaur tracks?
What was the first dinosaur track to be described?
What early United States expedition mentioned a giant leg bone that was probably from a dinosaur?
When were the first fossils found in the Western Hemisphere accurately identified as belonging to a dinosaur?
Who first suggested that some dinosaurs were bipedal?
What was the first mounted dinosaur cast reflecting a bipedal stance in the United States?
What was the first mounted dinosaur skeleton in the Western Hemisphere?
What were the great North American “Bone Wars” of the late 1800s?
Who was Othniel Charles Marsh?
Who was Edward Drinker Cope?
Who was Charles H. Sternberg?
What is the Morrison formation?
What Colorado sites have been historically fruitful in terms dinosaurs finds?
What is Dinosaur Ridge?
What is the significance of the Hogback Ridge on the Colorado and Utah border?
Where and what is Como Bluff?
When was the first complete fossil skeleton of a Stegosaurus found in the United States?
Where is the largest known collection of theropod skeletons in the world?
When was the first Triceratops fossil discovered in the United States?
When was the first Tyrannosaurus rex fossil discovered in the United States?
Where was the first known fossilized dinosaur skin found in the United States?
Where was an almost complete skeleton of an Apatosaurus (formerly known as a Brontosaurus) found in the United States?
RECENT DISCOVERIES IN THE UNITED STATES. What are some notable dinosaur tracks in the United States?
Where was the first skeleton of Supersaurus found in the United States?
What famous dinosaur is nicknamed “Sue”?
What are some other notable Tyrannosaurus rex fossils found in the United States?
Which states in the United States have the most dinosaur fossil sites?
Have dinosaur fossils been found in any U.S. metropolitan areas?
What heavily armored dinosaur fossils were found in Utah?
Where was the world’s oldest and most primitive duck-billed dinosaur found?
Were east coast dinosaur tracks found by an amateur paleontologist?
Where were the fossilized remains of a Jurassic period tree found?
What discovery in Pennsylvania helps us understand the Triassic period extinction?
What are some findings from the Utah Cretaceous period fossils?
FAMOUS PALEONTOLOGISTS FROM NORTH AMERICA. Who was Elmer Riggs?
What discovery by John Ostrom led to new theories about dinosaur behavior and physiology?
Who is John R. Horner?
Who is Robert Bakker?
Who is Jim Kirkland?
Who is Paul C. Sereno?
EARLY DINOSAUR HISTORY OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. Who wrote the earliest description of dinosaur bones?
Where were dinosaur fossils first scientifically studied?
Who first published a scientific name for fossilized dinosaur bones?
Who first published information on fossils classified as a dinosaur?
Who first coined the word palaeontology?
Who was the first person to coin the term “dinosaur”?
Where were the first life-sized dinosaur models publicly displayed?
Who first proposed extinctions had occurred during Earth’s history?
Who was first to reconstruct the way dinosaurs behaved?
Who first classified dinosaurs based on the structure of the pelvic area?
Why are the Solnhofen quarries of Germany so important to paleontology?
When was the most spectacular dinosaur fossil expedition mounted?
What dinosaur remains were excavated during the Tendaguru expedition?
Where were the first Albertosaurus fossil remains found?
How did the “Badlands” of the Red Deer River Valley form?
DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES. What great Jurassic and early Cretaceous period discovery was made in Asia?
Where do Cretaceous dinosaur fossils continue to be found in Mongolia?
What is one of the most famous dinosaur sites in the world today?
What Chinese dinosaur fossils may be the closest-known ancestor of birds yet found?
What do certain fossils in China indicate about dinosaur social groups?
What events in Russia have highlighted crime in dinosaur fossil collecting?
Who found the first evidence of dinosaurs in Australia?
Why is it interesting that dinosaurs lived in Australia?
What dinosaur fossils were recently found in Queensland, Australia?
What fossil was stolen from a site in Australia?
Where were the first duck-billed dinosaur fossils found outside the Americas?
What dinosaurs have been discovered in Antarctica?
What English island continues to be a hotspot for dinosaur fossil discoveries?
Why are dinosaur fossils relatively easy to find on the Isle of Wight?
What was Valdosaurus?
Where were the oldest fossilized dinosaur embryos found?
Where is one of the world’s largest paleontological institutes located?
Where were the remains of the oldest-known dinosaur discovered?
Where was the second oldest dinosaur found?
Where was a Giganotosaurus carolinii found?
Why was the discovery of Giganotosaurus important?
What major dinosaur egg discovery was made in South America?
Where were fossil remains of a Suchomimus tenerensis found?
What mysteries did the remains of the dinosaur Majungatholus solve?
How did the Majungatholus remains explain the pachycephalosaur?
How did the Majungatholus remains explain dinosaur migration from South America to Madagascar?
FAMOUS PALEONTOLOGISTS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA. Who was Gideon Mantell?
Who is Rinchen Barsbold?
Who is Peter M. Galton?
HOW TO FIND DINOSAUR BONES. What is the first precaution you should take before searching for dinosaur fossils?
How do paleontologists, or even amateur collectors, find dinosaur fossils?
How can geologic maps be obtained?
How is modern technology helping map and study dinosaur fossil finds?
Where are dinosaur dig sites usually located?
How are dinosaur fossils distinguishable from other fossils?
What are some examples in which amateurs found dinosaur sites?
DIGGING UP FOSSILS. What is a dig site?
How do paleontologists dig for dinosaurs?
Who first developed a method to protect excavated dinosaur bones?
What types of tools are used at dinosaur digs?
What kind of clothing and equipment should you take into the field?
PUTTING DINOSAURS TOGETHER. What happens to excavated dinosaur bones after they reach a museum?
How are dinosaur bones prepared for study and display?
How are missing dinosaur bones restored to a skeleton?
How are dinosaur bones mounted for display?
Do dinosaur bones ever get rearranged after they are mounted?
How will modern technology help paleontologists prepare, reproduce, and study dinosaur fossils finds in the near future?
LEARNING PALEONTOLOGY. Where can a person obtain more education in dinosaur paleontology?
What formal studies would lead to my becoming a professional paleontologist?
What kind of work does a professional paleontologist do?
Where can I get information about participating in dinosaur digs?
What are certification programs in the field of dinosaur paleontology?
What are some examples of certification programs offered?
RESOURCES. How can I learn more about dinosaurs?
Where can I find books about dinosaurs at my local library?
Where can I find books about dinosaurs at my local bookstore?
What are some books dealing with general dinosaur information?
What are some books explaining dinosaurs evolution and extinction?
Are there any books about dinosaur expeditions and paleontologists?
Are there any dinosaur books that are suitable for children and families?
DINOSAUR WEB SITES. What are some good Web sites about dinosaurs?
Index
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D
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G
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I
J
K
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M
N
O
P
Q
R
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T
U
V
W
Y–Z
