...Dinosaurs, contrary to what many people think, are not just big lizards. While it is true that the name dinosaur (coined by Sir Richard Owen in 1842) means "terrible lizard" in Greek, dinosaurs are quite a distinct group from lizards. The first dinosaur bones were discovered in 1822 in Sussex, England, by Gideon Mantell. It was a herbivore (plant eating) dinosaur later given the name Iguanodon. Shortly after the Sussex discovery the first carnivorous dinosaur, a Megalosaurus, was found. It is believed that from about 230 million years ago, to 65 million years ago (The Mesozoic Era) dinosaurs were the dominant form of life on Earth. At the end of the Mesozoic, dinosaurs, and many other species of life, went extinct. The cause of this extinction is a mystery. Dinosaurs are considered to be reptiles. Unlike most reptiles dinosaurs all walked with their legs directly below their hips. This is different than a lizard or a crocodile where the top section of the limb is splayed out horizontally from the body and the lower section goes from the "knee" joint straight down to the ground. Because of this lizards and crocodiles move low to the ground and almost appear to be dragging themselves around on their bellies. In contrast, dinosaurs walked in an upright manner (Though a few species, like Triceratops, did retain the lizard-like sprawl on it's front legs as it lumbered about). We can tell dinosaurs walked with their feet under their hips by carefully examining the way their...
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...Dinosaurs and the Bible There is widespread controversy about dinosaurs: When did they roam the earth? Did they coexist with humans? Why did they go extinct? These are common questions that evolutionists and creationists alike try to explain. In the article “Dinosaurs and the Bible” Ken Ham tries to explain biblically these common questions about dinosaurs. He explains that in the school systems today, we are taught that dinosaurs lived millions of year ago and went extinct before humans were even on the earth. Ham then refutes this by explaining that dinosaurs did in fact exist with humans, and using the bible as his reference proves his point. According to the language of this article, it seems that this article is aimed at a reader who isn’t knowledgeable on the subject. He uses simple language, and gives additional explanations for certain concepts of evolution, and ideas that he uses. This aids in the comprehension of the beliefs that Ham proposes. Ham certainly proves his credibility throughout by giving multiple scripture passages, and using the evolutionist theories to strengthen his statements. He clearly explains his beliefs in a convincing way. He also raises many common questions, and then gives a logical answer that fits perfectly with his ideas. However, there could have been more counter arguments to further back up the statements made by Ham. In the conclusion of the article, Ham gives the gospel message, which could possibly be viewed...
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...Dinosaurs are described as a group of reptiles that dominated the earth for about 160 million years in what is referred to as the Mesozoic era. They had a variety of evolutionary characteristics that enabled them to survive diverse ecosystems (Bakker 29). The extinction of most dinosaur groups happened around 65 million years ago save for one, theropods, which evolved into birds (Fricke & Raymond 799). The period in which they existed was characterized by major tectonic and climatic changes with the splitting and drifting of the earth’s land mass, Pangaea, to form the continents. This, therefore, means that these creatures got to adapt to a variety of climatic conditions for survival ranging from tropical deserts to polar ice caps (Huber 2199)....
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...Dinosaurs In Alaska? When you hear a place about Alaska, we think of snow, polar bears, glaciers, and cold weather. When you think of dinosaurs, we think of tropical places and hot climates. You would probably doubt dinosaurs could have ever lived here in Alaska. But about 65 million years ago they not only lived here, they thrived! There are a lot of information about dinosaurs, but what this paper will cover is how dinosaurs directly relate to Alaska. After reading this paper, you will find out how dinosaur research started and how long ago dinosaurs lived in Alaska. Plus find out the type of dinosaurs that lived Alaska, and the type of climate and which parts of Alaska that they lived in. You will also find out what type of evidence they found, if dinosaurs are related to the oil industry, who is still studying dinosaurs, and how this topic is introduced to the public. How it all began Dinosaurs strolled the earth over 245 million years ago. So it would only be fair to go all the way back to the beginning and quickly summarize how it all happened. Earth’s history is categorized into two eras, and then categorized by periods. The two eras are Paleozoic era, and Mesozoic era. Paleozoic era - (560 to 276 million years ago): This is the period where the first fish, corals, shellfish, insects, spiders, and swamp forests appeared. Mesozoic era - (350 to 65 million years ago)We are most interested in this era. This era contained 3 periods: Triassic period, Jurassic...
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...Controversy surrounds the extinction of the dinosaurs. According to one theory, dinosaurs were slowly driven to extinction by environmental changes linked to the creeping withdrawal of shallow seas from the continents at the end of the dinosaur era. Proponents of this theory propose that dinosaurs dwindled in number and variety over several million years. An opposing theory proposes that the impact of asteroid or comet caused catastrophic destruction of the environment, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Evidence to support this theory includes the discovery of a buried impact crater (thought to be the result of a large comet striking the earth) that is 200 km (124 mi.) in diameter in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The spray of debris was blown from the edge of the crater. The debris has been found over large regions of North America. Comet enriched material from the impact's fiery explosion was spread all over the world. With radiometric dating, scientists have used the decay rates of certain atoms to date the crater, spray of debris, and fireball layer. Using similar techniques to date the dramatic changes in the record of microscopic fossils, they have found that the impact and the dinosaur extinction occurred nearly simultaneously. Although great amounts of ash suggest that most of North and South America was devastated by fire from the impact, the longer-term environmental effects of the impact were ultimately more deadly to life than the fire. Dust blocked...
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...Name: Tutor: Course: Date: The Allosaurus dinosaur The Allosaurus dinosaur is a member of the dinosaur group called the Theropods.The Theropods were meat eating dinosaurs that walked on their two back legs. The name Allosaurus means ‘different lizard’. The Allosaurus is believed to have lived about 163 to 144 million years ago (Britannica 86).This period is referred to as the late Jurassic period. It had a life span of 25 years. Most of the fossils of the Allosaurus where found in North America, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Montana, south Dacota and Wyoming (Britannica 86). The Allosaurus reached up to 39 feet (12 meters) in length, stood about 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall, and weighed up to 2 tones. It had a massive head that measured about 3 feet (1 meter) long with it being supported by a short thick neck together with two horns sticking out of its head. It possessed sharp teeth that were curved and had saw like edges. The Allosaurus had sharp claws on the three toes of each hind foot and long grasping claws on the three toes of each front foot. To cap it all it had along, strong and heavy tail that was mainly used to maintain balance. The Allosaurus is believed to be a meat-eating dinosaur that preyed on the plant eating dinosaurs. Its sharp teeth made it fit for meat eating. Its main pray is believed to be the Stegosaurus dinosaur. The Allosaurus hunted in cooperative packs according to some scientists. By hunting in packs they would bring down very large pray. Although...
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...Dinosaur extinction is still a major mystery of earth history. In this review article, extinctions in the geological record will be briefly mentioned. Many of the imaginative theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs will also be presented. Within the uniformitarian paradigm, the meteorite impact theory, once considered ‘outrageous’, now is the dominant theory. However, the volcanic theory is still believed by a majority of paleontologists. Both theories have their strengths and weaknesses. The unscientific behavior of those involved in the meteorite paradigm change will be briefly explored. Evidence that the dinosaurs died in a cataclysm of global proportions will be presented, such as the huge water-laid dinosaur graveyards found over the earth. Occasional nonspecific bone-beds and the rarity of fossils of very young dinosaurs suggest a catastrophic death and burial. The billions of dinosaur tracks recently discovered provide testimony to unusual, stressful conditions. Nests, eggs, and babies are a challenge to a Flood model, but there are enough unknowns associated with the data that solid conclusions are difficult to draw. The part that impacts and volcanism play in a Flood paradigm will be briefly discussed. The question of whether the K/T boundary and the extinction of the dinosaurs should be considered a synchronous event within the Flood will be considered. Introduction Dinosaurs bring wonder to children and adults alike. That such great beasts once roamed the earth...
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...Since the first dinosaur bone was unearthed and mounted in a museum for the world to view, people have been fascinated by the gigantic ancient beasts that once ruled the world. Soon movies brought the dry dinosaur bones to life, featuring dinosaurs as the biggest villains of the film industry. America’s love affair with lost worlds, super-sized villains, and industry leading special effects, helped to make dinosaurs on the big screens biggest stars. Dinosaur movies have captivated our imagination, haunted our dreams and entertained Americans since the early days of film. Prehistoric Cinema: Old Bones Live on the Silver Screen The early mass discoveries of dinosaur bones in Colorado and Wyoming lead the to the Great Dinosaur Rush, where...
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...Boom, thod, rawr! Wow, a dinosaur! Well, that what I would have said if I heard those noises. Dinosaurs were the first living organism to walk the earth. Their dynasty lasted for 200 million years and was separated into three different periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The Cretaceous period was the final period of the dinosaurs and to have a better understanding of this period we must look at the climate and the geographical landscape, then we must have knowledge on the many things that lived during this time (dinosaurs and unique sea animals), and finally how the Cretaceous came to an end. The Cretaceous was made up of tropical and subtropical climate throughout the globe. These two types of climates controlled the Earth causing it to have hottest temperatures during the...
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...Dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period Jurassic Period- 206-144 mya • Took place roughly 210 million years ago. • Lasted around 70 million years • This was the second(middle) period of the three divisions of the Mesozoic era. • Age of the Dinosaurs, first bird life. Bower proclaimed that the "Triassic period began about 20 million years ago, and the Jurassic period began 210 million years ago"(1986). During the Mesozoic, or "Middle Life" Era, life diversified rapidly and giant reptiles, dinosaurs and other monstrous beasts roamed the Earth. The period, which spans from about 252 million years ago to about 66 million years ago, was also known as the age of reptiles (Ghose 2013). There is little supporting evidence that plant life is truly from the early Jurassic time frame, however, Brannan's research suggests "At the beginning of the Jurassic period the Earth saw the disappearance of seed-fern floras but the gymnosperms and true ferns were thriving"(Brannan 2012). Early Jurassic- The Liassic Epoch (176 to 200 mya) • Brought much warmer/wetter rainforest climate • Marine reptiles evolved such as, Ichthyosaurus, Temnodontosaurus, Euycleidus. • Terrestrial animals made an appearance such as the Stegosaurs, Tetanurae, Berberosaurus, Heterdonosaurids. In the Early Jurassic, the Colorado Plateau region again became arid and the eolian sandstones record zonal as well as monsoonal circulation (Parrish 1993). Following the dramatic decline, ichthyosaur diversity increased...
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...Spinosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what now is North Africa, during the lower Albian to lower Cenomanian stages of the Cretaceous period, about 112 to 97 million years ago. This genus was known first from Egyptian remains discovered in 1912 and described by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915. The original remains were destroyed in World War II, but additional material has come to light in recent years. It is unclear whether one or two species are represented in the fossils reported in the scientific literature. The best known species is S. aegyptiacus from Egypt, although a potential second species, S. maroccanus, has been recovered from Morocco. Spinosaurus was among the largest of all known carnivorous dinosaurs,...
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...Formation in Utah. There were three types of ichnofossils. Type one of the trace fossil had a downward digging impression which was a sign of predatory behavior within the burrow. Simpson et al., (2010) reported that a dromeosaurid or troodontid may have been the predators. Type two and three fossils had a multiple digging impression which was similar to the inside of the burrow. The burrows were measured by the width and length, which was compared to the size of the foot impression. As a result, mammals were working together to prevent predators to invade their shelter. Trace fossils examined the behavior of the dinosaurs. According to Varricchio et al., (2007), digging 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 investments, cold climates, and predators. These trace fossils were based on observations....
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...million years ago, dinosaurs began to evolve after the period the Permian extinction. dinosaurs began to develop and grow throughout the Triassic period, and were seen as a great threat to other living creatures around them. However, about 66 million years ago, dinosaurs became extinct near the end of the Cretaceous period due to a huge comet or asteroid that struck the face of the earth. This area, at the time, was under water but is today known as modern day Mexico. Dinosaurs had first began to evolve from a species known as the archosaurs. Archosaurs were Triassic reptiles and were much smaller than the later species of dinosaurs. These Triassic reptiles carried certain features that were much different from the species that they had evolved into. They had a much different posture, almost as if they were “locked in”...
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...living things. I decided to write about the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs because the whole idea of a species so majestic, large and powerful getting completely wiped out is somewhat of a disturbance to me. I felt that if something had wiped out an entire race of living things, then, it is a possibility that it could happen again, maybe to our own species. Dinosaurs, being one of the most exciting creatures to roam the earth are a part of what we call ‘evolution’. It is a simple and obvious fact that Dinosaurs did not suddenly come into existence two hundred million years ago. Like all living things, they evolved, slowly and gradually, from creatures that roamed the earth before them. These former creatures were primitive reptiles known as the Archosaurs. Archosaurs were not so different from dinosaurs except for the large difference in size, etc. Some Paleontologists believe that all dinosaurs evolved from one kind of Achosaur, the Lagosuchus, a quick but small reptile that lived in the forests of the early Triassic period. The Permian Extinction opened up huge swaths of evolutionary territory for the Archosaurs, some of which evolved over tens of millions of years into the dinosaurs we know and love today. As is the case with all species, the slow, winding path taken by dinosaur evolution depended on a variety of factors, including climate, competition, and the availability of food. Dinosaurs, although being extremely interesting, are but one group of animals that...
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...I believe that some dinosaurs definitely did take care of their young. One of the prime examples to suggest that dinosaurs took care of their young was the Maiasaura Peeblesorum. There are many pieces of evidence that suggest that these dinosaurs took care of their young. One of these examples is the fact that mothers would cover and stay close to their eggs until they were ready to hatch. This suggests that the mothers would protect their young before they were even born. Another piece of evidence that supports this theory is that there is wearing on the teeth of some baby Maiasaura Peeblesorum, this could mean that the babies were fed by their mothers until they were ready to go and find food all on their own. The third reason to support the idea that dinosaurs took care of their young is the fact that some baby Maiasaura Peeblesorum would stay in the nest for as long as two months, which meant that they would have to be getting food from their mothers, otherwise they would not be able to survive for two months in a nest. Another reason that I believe dinosaurs took care of their young is the fact that Maiasaura Peeblesorum were not able to walk when they are first hatched which would suggest that the babies would be completely dependent on their mothers. Lastly I believe that Maiasaura Peeblesorum dinosaurs support the theory that dinosaurs took care of their young because they laid their eggs close together. By laying their eggs close together it made it easier to...
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