Dinosaurs

What are dinosaurs and general description

Extinct in the Cretaceous, 65 million years ago, dinosaurs have captured attention from the smallest to dinosaur paleontologists. It is not surprising, since they are creatures with enormous wingspans that we all like to imagine how one day they roamed freely around our planet. Its origins go back to approximately 240/230 million years ago, which is why they were vertebrates. dominant on Earth for 165-175 million years.

Although the word dinosaur means "terrible lizard" (coined by Richard Owen), did not behave like reptiles as we know them today. In fact, their way of walking was initially bipedal, and even recent research has shown that they could be warm-blooded animals. With a high metabolism, far from what would be expected from a large animal, they would be more agile and would have adapted more quickly to changes than expected. Even, they might have developed social skills, which made them live in herds. Reason that would explain the way in which many of its fossils have been found.

A summary of the beginnings and appearance of dinosaurs

Eoraptor was one of the first dinosaurs to exist

Dinosaurs appeared at the end of the Triassic period. Are the descendants of the archosaurs, the same ones from which crocodiles and birds descend. They arose 20 million years after the great mass extinction of the Permian – Triassic, which wiped out 95% of the life that existed on the planet. It is not known for sure what caused this extinction, but life took a long time to recover due to the great impact it had.

The era in which they existed was the Mesozoic.Also known as the age of the dinosaurs. It extends from 225 to 65 million years ago. It occupies part of the Triassic, and all of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. One of the first dinosaurs was the Eoraptor, a bipedal predator. It is considered to be the common ancestor of all the dinosaurs that ever existed. During the Jurassic, we could find some dinosaurs known as the Diplodocus, which existed between 156 and 145 million years ago. The famous Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the last species to exist Instead, it lived at the end of the Cretaceous, between 68 and 66 million years ago.

Back then, the climate was much warmer than it is today. About 10 degrees higher. The concentrations of carbon dioxide 4 times higher, probably due to the volcanic eruptions that existed. The terrestrial part, all united in a single continent, Pangea, did not give rise to much coast, so the softening effect of the sea did not exist. The continental climate made the summers very hot, and the winters very cold.

What were the dinosaurs like?

What type of morphology did dinosaurs have?

All the information collected today comes from fossil records. Among them they can be bony or not, such as footprints, droppings, feathers, impressions of the skin, and soft tissues and internal organs. In turn, to understand and deduce their behavior and biology, various fields of science come into play. Biology, chemistry, physics and paleontology mainly. Among all of them, from the records found, taking as a reference the knowledge that we have today of other reptiles, birds, and even physics to define their biomechanics, we can understand more closely what they were like.

How big were dinosaurs?

It has been observed that the size of dinosaurs changed between different periods that existed and the region. For example, 80% of the dinosaurs found in the Morrison Formation, in the western United States and where the first fossils were found in 1877, are characterized by Stegosaurus and sauropods. The latter had an approximate average weight of 20 tons, being the largest dinosaurs that ever existed. The fossils found there belong to the Jurassic.

However, recent discoveries such as those of 2015 suggest that the size of the dinosaurs was already much larger than previously thought. All this as a result of a discovery in Argentina in 2015. A new dinosaur skeleton was discovered, the Ingentia Prima. It is estimated that it existed between 228 and 201 million years ago, in the Triassic. It is also estimated that its dimensions would be about 8 to 10 meters in length, with an average weight of 9 tons. This new line explains that evolutionarily, The strategy that made the dinosaurs become giants was much earlier than thought, in fact, it was almost from the beginning that they began to exist. The paradox of this finding is that it had been believed that in the beginning they were small, when really Ingentia Prima is the reason that this belief is not the case.

Comparison between Ingentia Prima and a human being

Most of the fossils have not been excavated, and most of all the dinosaur species that ever existed have not been found or possibly not even remains of them. Their sizes became very variable, such as the gigantic Argentinosaurus, Puertasaurus or the recently found Patagotitan, whose dimensions reached 40 meters and weighed 70 tons. Others, on the other hand, are very small, such as Compsognathus, which was believed in the 90s to be the smallest dinosaur, measuring 1 meter in length and weighing 3-4 kilograms. Recently however, new finds have taken away that "leadership", and even smaller species have been discovered. An example, the Hesperonychus, with a size of 50 centimeters, a weight of 2 kilograms, and a bipedal morphology similar to Compsognathus.

dinosaur behavior

As birds, crocodiles, and dinosaurs descend from archosaurs, there is a fair consensus that many behavioral peculiarities are common. For example, birds and their social behavior living in flocks. The interpretations of this are supported by the way in which many fossil remains have been found, the posture of the skeletons, the habitat, as well as biomechanical simulation by computer.

This herd behavior This became clear already when in 1878 31 Iguanodon skeletons were found together in Belgium. Beyond the reasons that led to group deaths, whether they were falls, prey to another dinosaur, etc. The curious thing is that deposits with skeletons of the same species are frequently found. In addition, another of the signs is that of fossilized footprints, which reaffirm this gregarious and social behavior.

explanation of how dinosaurs behaved

[highlighted] The crests and ruffs of some dinosaurs suggest that they could have been used as a lure for mating and sexual purposes.[/highlighted] The reason for thinking that they were not used for defense is due to their fragility.

On the other hand, attacks between dinosaurs were common. Remains of tail bites have been found, and there are even fossils such as that of a Velociraptor attacking a Protoceratops. Some fossil remains even seem to indicate that cannibalism between some species might have existed. However, certain traits differed greatly among them, depending on their location, their diet, dimensions, locomotion, etc. Something that is reflected, according to the species to which we refer.

Therizinosaurus

Therizinosaurus was a herbivorous theropod.

The world of dinosaurs continues to keep many unknowns and unsolved mysteries. While it is true that technological and scientific progress is helping a lot to find out more about these impressive extinct animals, paleontologists still have many unanswered questions. Due to the lack of fossil material of many species, some of them are based mainly on speculations and comparisons carried out with other related species. This is the case of Therizinosaurus, a theropod that to this day continues to be a puzzle for experts.

Although most of what we currently know about this dinosaur is only speculation, these are meticulously studied and thought by experts from all over the world. That is why we are going to explain in this article what the Therizinosaurus, what his physical appearance might have been like, and what the researchers think his diet was.

Titanosaurus

The Titanosaurus was a long-necked

Millions of years ago, the plant earth was very different, as were its inhabitants. The famous dinosaurs, which today we imagine with a monstrous aspect, were the kings of the land and the seas. Thanks to paleontology, many species have been known through fossils and the reconstruction of their skeletons. However, there are some of these prehistoric reptiles whose existence is still in doubt, such as the Titanosaurus, for example.

Are you curious? In this article we will talk about what the Titanosaurus was, how big it is and where it was found, among other things. In addition, we will explain what the catchall taxon is and its relationship with this animal. If you like dinosaurs and want to know more about it, I recommend you keep reading.

long neck

There are several different species that belong to the longnecks

There are many species of dinosaurs discovered today. Paleontologists, scientists, and researchers do a great deal of work describing these majestic extinct animals. Years ago, some of these lizards have also become very famous among people who are not dedicated to paleontology. However, the names given to dinosaurs are extremely complicated and difficult to remember. Therefore, it is not surprising that over the years certain words arose to refer to a specific group, such as long-necked.

This concept encompasses all those herbivores with an extremely long neck. Currently, the animal that could be included in this group would be the giraffe. But among the dinosaurs there were a few more that stood out for having a very long neck in relation to their body. The Brachiosaurus, the Apatosaurus or the Argentinosaurus are just a few examples. In this article we will talk about longnecks and their most famous representatives.

most famous dinosaurs

Among the most famous dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus rex stands out.

There are a large number of dinosaurs that inhabited the earth millions of years ago. Every time the scientific world is finding out more about these creatures and new species are even being discovered. Thanks to Hollywood, some of these extinct reptiles have become very popular among people. That is why we dedicate this article to the most famous dinosaurs.

Apart from naming the most popular ones, we will also talk a little about their characteristics and curiosities. what did they eat? How did they live? To what extent is its cinematographic representation accurate? To get the answers to these questions, keep reading.

The Megalosaurus was a carnivorous theropod — Source: Wikimedia – Author: IJReid – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Megalosaurus_reconstructed_skull.png

Among the many extinct carnivores that inhabited the earth millions of years ago is the Megalosaurus. They baptized it with this name due to its large size. Therefore, the translation would be "big lizard". This dinosaur lived during the Jurassic period, about 167 million years ago. Taking into account the places where the fossil remains of this animal have been found, it is possible that it inhabited regions of Europe, America, Africa and Asia. In addition, according to research, it is related to the Poekilopleuron of France and the Torvosaurus of North America.

If you are interested in this huge carnivore, keep reading this article. We will talk about their history, their diet and current and old descriptions.

Coelacanth

coelacanth

The coelacanth is one of the oldest animals that exists on Earth. In fact, it happened that it was extinct since the Cretaceous. However, over the years specimens have been found, as happened in 1938 in South Africa or in 1998 in Indonesia.

But what is the coelacanth? What features does it have? Why is he still alive? All this, and much more, is what we are going to tell you next.

Dinosaurs in Spain

In Spain there are many deposits

Spain, like other countries, had its own fauna millions of years ago, including dinosaurs. Many of them have been discovered in the Iberian Peninsula, and there are even sites, routes and museums where the most fans can enjoy visiting these information points about dinosaurs in Spain.

In this article you will find some of the most representative dinosaurs that have been found in Spain, as well as museums and routes with which you can learn and enjoy them.

Aquatic dinosaurs

Aquatic Dinosaurs Were Actually Marine Reptiles

During the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs ruled not only the land and the air, but also the water. There are several genera and species of aquatic dinosaurs. However, there is some controversy with the term used, since it is not possible to ensure that they were really dinosaurs, if not marine reptiles. Despite this dilemma, the term aquatic dinosaurs is generally given the go-ahead.

These gigantic reptiles were the kings of the seas and oceans. Although they are usually less well known than terrestrial dinosaurs, some of them have gained some popularity. Among the most famous are the Mosasaurs, which have an important appearance in the "Jurassic World" saga, the Plesiosaurs, which inspired the Loch Ness Monster, and the Ichthyosaurs, which are very similar in shape to dolphins. . If you want to know more about aquatic dinosaurs, do not hesitate to continue reading.

Carnivorous dinosaurs

There were carnivorous dinosaurs of all sizes

There are many dinosaurs that we know today. Thanks to the investigations and analyzes carried out by paleontology, we have much more information about extinct animals that inhabited the earth millions of years ago. In this article we will talk about carnivorous dinosaurs and we will give some examples of the most famous ones.

Despite its fearsome appearance, one must not forget that their role within ecosystems was of vital importance. They helped regulate the populations of their prey and thus avoid overpopulations. Today they are a benchmark in the world of novels and movies, of which the "Jurassic Park" saga stands out. In both the novels and the movies, carnivorous dinosaurs such as Velociraptor or Tyrannosaurus Rex play a fundamental role in the plot. Although the lives of the human protagonists are in danger from these monstrous animals, they imply on several occasions that they are only following their instinct.

The age of the dinosaurs

The age of the dinosaurs is called the Mesozoic.

Millions of years ago, large reptiles called dinosaurs roamed the earth. The era of his reign is known as the Mesozoic, It was secondary or it was Mesozoic. At the zoo level, it has also been called the age of the dinosaurs. Botanically speaking, it has the name of the cycad era. It belongs to the Phanerozoic eon that is divided into three geological time scales with this order of antiquity: Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Hence the name "Mesozoic", which comes from the Greek and means "intermediate life". The beginning of this era was 251 million years ago and it came to an end 66 million years ago.

During that time, dinosaurs were not the only inhabitants of the earth. Also some fish, crocodiles and other reptiles, such as turtles, thrived during these 185 million years. In addition, mammals, birds, angiosperms, and flowering plants began to emerge. Regarding invertebrates, the most prominent were ammonites, belemnites and cephalopods. Geographically, during the age of the dinosaurs the supercontinent Pangea was gradually breaking up and the continents resulting from this division were moving until they occupied their current position.

Iciosaurio

ichthyosaur feeding

We travel to the past to talk about a species of marine dinosaur. Its about Iciosaurio. It is one of the marine animals that lived approximately 245 million years ago in the marine habitat. It developed between the Triassic period and became extinct in the Upper Cretaceous. It occupied a large part of the seas and oceans of India, North America, Europe and Australia, among others.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, morphology and way of life of the Ichthyosaur.

The most important

Gallimimus is very similar to an ostrich.

One of the most famous dinosaurs of our time is the Gallimimus. This animal had a very light build and long hind legs, so it was perfectly adapted for racing to escape predators. Its general appearance with its long neck and beakless beak very reminiscent of an ostrich. It had a long tail that helped it maintain balance. The Gallimimus owes much of its fame to its appearance in both the "Jurassic Park" novels and movies.

To this day Only one species belonging to this genus is known: Gallimimus bullatus. This name comes from Latin and means translated "similar to a hen with bulla". It is an ornithomimid theropod dinosaur that lived in present-day Asia during the Maastrichtian, 70 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period. The discovery of this herbivore took place in the Nemegt Formation found in Monglia.