Hadrosaurus Research Paper

The author states that there is a considerable evidence that dinosaurs were endotherms and provides three resons. In contrast, the professor states that many scientists have problem with the author arguments and she oppses each of the author's reasons.

Some may argue that the T-Rex’s unusual anatomy was detrimental to its survival during the Cretaceous era but it actually quite the opposite. One thing the T-Rex is known for its massive disproportionate head, which seems useless but in reality, it helped it become a successful predator and scavenger. “From its thick, heavy skull to its 4-foot-long

Trace fossils are able to examine the behavior of the dinosaur. According to Varricchio et al., (2007), dinosaur digging was developed over time. Simpson et al. (2010), reported new evidence of track fossils which indicated that dinosaurs used burrows to hunt for underground mammals. In addition, there were burrows that dinosaurs and mammals used as a shelter for parental investment, cold climate, and predators. This trace fossils were based on observations.

One of the great unsolved mysteries in our planet’s history is the extinction of dinosaurs. We know they existed through fossil record and with the help of some geological evidence that supports various theories, some stronger than others, we start to narrow down the possible culprit. Dinosaurs evolved and existed for about 180 million years during the Mesozoic era. The Mesozoic is divided into three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. They thrived in the Triassic and Jurassic periods, but declined in the Cretaceous period. The Triassic period lasted about 245 to 213 million years ago where dinosaurs first evolved and all the continents were still connected, better known as Pangaea. The Jurassic period continued to the beginning of the Cretaceous period 144 million years ago. At this time, the continents started to break apart and dinosaurs increased in number. The Cretaceous period was the last period in the Mesozoic era and at the end of the period, some 65 million years ago, dinosaurs disappeared known as the K-T extinction event. We know this because fossils were found throughout the Mesozoic era, but not in Cenozoic era rock layers. Birds and other reptiles such as alligators survived into the Cenozoic era, better known as the Age of Mammals (Barrett & Raul, 2001).

First, I would like to point out that the word dinosaur was not even invented until 1842 by Richard Owen in Plymouth, England. The word comes from the Greek words deinos, meaning fearfully great, and sauros, meaning lizard, which translates to fearfully great (or terrible) lizard. (Smithsonian Institute) For many centuries, before the word dinosaur was invented, these terrible lizards

Joseph Tyrell made the first significant dinosaur discovery as the leader of his first expedition to find coal. He found Alberta’s “. . . first good dinosaur specimen – the skull of an Albertosaurus on June 9th, 1884.” (Tanke and Currie, 1198). The skull was very damaged by the extraction because Tyrell and his team were not paleontologists and had no experience in digging or preserving fossils. They did not even have the correct tools.

While what you just read about dinosaurs is true, there have been some new conclusions reached based on the evidence.

All three of the dinosaurs contain some type of beak with tooth sockets. The three had different lineages that lost their teeth during their young years and developed a beak this means that the teeth could or could not have functioned or had purpose. Along with this the team hypothesized that the process of teeth loss is connected to the development of a beak for the dinosaurs. To test their hypothesis they put together a statistical analysis of diverse, modern vertebrates to understand the characteristics of the development of beaks for

“Dinosaurs. Earth shakers and plunderers. Killing machines. The original experts in martial arts.” – (The Dinosaurs: The Monsters Emerge, PBS, 1992.) Most people, especially kids, know dinosaurs as big movie monsters and hostile creatures for the good guys to fight. But I never possessed that interest. My attraction came from the fact that these “alien” creatures beyond any human imagination were real animals that actually lived on this planet. That animals such as Therizinosaurus, Deinocheirus, Shunosaurus, Gigantoraptor, and Concavenator were all conceived by nature and not Hollywood. There are so many of them on record with such stunning characteristics, the most striking diversity, and the most remarkable evolutionary journeys known

A small clade of theropod dinosaurs, dromaeosaurs are more popularly known as the “raptors.” Although “raptor” is not the particular name that is favored by scientists, it will be used throughout this paper to assist in the ease of reading. Raptors were small theropods with specialized features, such as a well-developed slashing claw on their toe, a stiffened tail that probably assisted in balancing, and large “hands.” They also had claws, agile bodies and muscular, toothy jaws. Based on discoveries and their physical structures, Raptors are assumed to have been active, fierce predators, and also play key roles in the revolution of modern paleontologists’ views of dinosaurs (Dino Buzz, 2005).

Dinosaurs tails were 22m long 4 high and weighted about 30 tons. Dinosaurs weigh about 4.4 tones to 9.9 tones just depending on there size. Dinosaurs have ears, but their ears are not like human ears. Dinosaurs had holes in their heads and that was there ears they had. The smallest dinosaur could run as fast as a race horse at 40 mph and 65 kilometers per hour. T-rex could only run 18 mph and 29 kilometers per hour. T-rex’s could open their mouths to a jaw-dropping gape up to 90 degrees. Dinosaurs killed each other for food. Or they would be killed when they were fighting during battle. Meat-eating dinosaurs are known as therapods. Because they had sharp hooked claws on there toes. The largest dinosaur eggs were as big as a basketball and dinosaurs babies would not be able to get out without help from their

The first dinosaur fossil was found by Reverend Plot, in 1676, at the time it was believed to belong to a “giant” but was probably from a dinosaur although a report of this find was finally published by R. Brookes almost 100 years later in 1763. Theories suggest that it was a Megalosaurus dinosaur. It was after this time that scientist more specifically, paleontologist became interested in these giants. Even with today's advances in technology, scientists are not sure about the lifespan of some dinosaurs, some scientists believe that they might have lived for 200 years, up to present time. Apart from that a lot of people think that dinosaurs only lived in some parts of the world, but that is wrong and fossils have been found that indicate, dinosaurs lived in Antarctica.

The theropods, also called by some people the “bird footed dinosaurs,” were a group of saurischian dinosaurs that used to walk the earth making everything in it’s path tremble. They were blood thirsty killing-machines with razor sharp teeth, ripping and tearing apart their prey and its flesh effortlessly. Many people believe that all dinosaurs are extinct and that there are none left on earth, but technically they are wrong. Those frightening beasts that used to roam earth years ago have now evolved into today's vibrant, colorful feathered birds, replacing their teeth with beaks. Shuo Wang, and evolutionary scientist and his team examined three theropods that had baby teeth but as they grew older they developed a beak. “This demonstrates an

In this day and age, many humans learn about dinosaurs through scholarly journals, academic settings, or by viewing skeletal remains or reproductions by visiting museums. We know dinosaurs existed by the artifacts scientists uncovered over the years. However, varying conclusions from data and research compiled from experts still differ in their determinations as to the demise of these noble creatures. In the article, of Extraterrestrial Cause for the Cretaceous–Tertiary Extinction, researchers combine efforts to prove an asteroid spanning six miles collided with earth and destroyed the dinosaur population (Alvarez et al. 1980). Many theories exist regarding the existence and extinction of the dinosaur species. However, this essay will

It has been said that fossils Provide snapshots of the past for us to study and learn from.