Dinosaurs

The herbivorous dinosaur well known for the three horns that adorn its skull, the Triceratops roamed our Earth 68 to 65 million years ago. While it may seem near impossible to determine anything about these majestic beasts there are actually quite a few facts which can be obtained about this dinosaur even millions of years later! While paleontologists work to discover as much as they can about this huge prehistoric beast the puzzle of how this horned dinosaur actually lived when it roamed the Earth is slowly coming together piece by piece. From analysis of everything from skulls and horns to predator’s teeth and soil we are coming to know just what the Triceratops really was…

During Mesozoic era there are three specific periods of time in which dinosaurs ruled the Earth, the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods. These eras were labeled by geologists as a way to distinguish between geologic strata and the periods in which they occurred. The most well known and publicized period of the three dinosaur times is the Jurassic. Why is this so?…

The Mesozoic era saw some incredibly amazing life forms that continue to puzzle paleontologists today. The Mesozoic era was divided in to three individual periods: the Triassic period, the Jurassic period and the Cretaceous period. Smack in the middle of the Mesozoic area, the Jurassic period itself was also divided in to three sections, the early, middle and late Jurassic periods. The Jurassic period brought some amazing changes that bred some amazing prehistoric beasts in a time which fell between 146 and 200 million years ago…

Known as the king of the dinosaurs and a vicious meat eating carnivore, the Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the Earth 67 to 66.5 million years ago. The fascination in this king of the beasts most certainly comes from the fact that this terrifying creature was once alive, alive and kicking around all 7.5 tons of its weight around the land that we now call our home. From fossil discoveries paleontologists can tell a lot about how the Tyrannosaurus Rex used to live, including the animals that it used to feel upon. By analyzing fossils that are millions of years old paleontologists can find, with a remarkable amount of detail, many unusual facts about this terrible lizard…

Over the past years the Brontosaurus has become no more. It is not the fact that the dinosaur disappeared, more that it never actually existed. The Brontosaurus as it was known to paleontologists was actually first discovered and classified as the Apatosaurus and due to rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the name which was documented first defaults. As a result approximately thirty years ago the Brontosaurus name began to fade out and the once grand and well recognized dinosaur received a name change. Despite the name change, however, this humongous beast of a dinosaur still holds a place in dinosaur lover’s hearts as a “favorite”…

The Velociraptor, also known as simply the “Raptor” roamed the Earth around 75 to 71 million years ago. Contrary to popular belief following the film “Jurassic Park” the Velociraptor did not exist during the Jurassic period – in fact the Velociraptor did not make its first appearance until the late Cretaceous period millions of years later. The Velociraptor was a small dromaeosaurid that stood at about the same size as a turkey and yet it managed to leave a lasting impression both on paleontologists and dinosaur lovers alike!..

The Stegosaurus is perhaps one of the most widely recognized dinosaurs due to its armored plates that ran along its back in two columns. The Stegosaurus lived 150 to 145 million years ago during the late Jurassic period. While the large armored plates of the Stegosaurus make it more recognizable to amateur dinosaur lovers they also make it much easier for paleontologists to identify other Stegosaurids as well. The Stegosaurus, unlike some other varieties of dinosaurs, did not live through the small mass extinction which occurred at the end of the Jurassic period and as a result, never lived to see low level grasses or the humongous Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Stegosaurus did, however, live to thrive and spread their kind so far across the globe that their fossils have been found on four continents so far! We bring you all the facts, and many theories, that we could dig up on this magnificent dinosaur…

It was in the late Cretaceous period some 99 – 65 million years ago that the Ankylosaurus roamed the Earth. The Ankylosaurus is the perfect example of the wide diversity that had come to be during the late Cretaceous period as dinosaurs expanded and diversified. This particularly large quadruped is known by many for its large an armored body but there are very many things about the Ankylosaurus aside from just its tough exterior shell that make this dinosaur worth studying for Paleontologists. From its immense size to its survival through to the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction there are many things to be discovered about this massive vegetarian..

The Archaeopteryx is known by many as the first bird ever known and is also thought by some to be proof of a link between dinosaurs and bird life. While a precise link remains to be found between the characteristics of the Archaeopteryx developing from the large terrestrial dinosaurs of its time, there is no doubt that there is evidence that this prehistoric bird had links to its land dwelling neighbors…

The Spinosaurus is known by many as the “should be” king of dinosaurs with dinosaur enthusiasts all across the planet claiming that this ferocious carnivore rivaled the Tyrannosaurus Rex. This humongous predator may have given the Tyrannosaurus Rex a run for its money, however, due to a lack of specimens of Spinosaurus it is particularly difficult for paleontologists to ever know as much about this spiny dinosaur of the Cretaceous period, as is known about the particularly well known Tyrannosaurus Rex…

Cryolophosaurus roamed the planet during the early Jurassic period and while it is certainly not a commonly known dinosaur it was unique in a variety of ways. Along with its unique physical appearance the Cryolophosaurus also lived in a unique area of the world that many other species of dinosaur tended to avoid. Jokingly referred to as the “Elvisaurus” the Cryolophosaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur that is of great significance to the paleontological world not just for its unique status as a meat eater that roamed where most others would not go but also because it is the oldest known Tetanuran that has ever been discovered in the history of paleontological discovery…

When it comes to the Jurassic period most often people are concerned with the giant dinosaurs that roamed the Earth. If it weren’t for the Jurassic period plants however, the now extinct dinosaurs would never have survived as long as they did. In this article we will cover a number of well known Jurassic period plants including: conifers, ginkgophytes and cycads and cycadeoids…