Portal:Dinosaurs

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology The Dinosaur Portal Dinosaurs are animals that dominated terrestrial environments for more than 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. They were extremely varied, abundant and have been found preserved on all seven modern continents. At the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago, a catastrophic extinction event ended the dinosaurs' dominance on land. However, since birds are theropods the clade dinosauria still survives in great diversity and abundance. The term "dinosaur" is sometimes used mistakenly to describe other prehistoric animals, such as the synapsid Dimetrodon, or reptiles like pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Since the first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the nineteenth century, mounted dinosaur skeletons have become major attractions at museums around the world and have amassed a large fan base among children and adults alike. They have been featured in best-selling books and films such as Jurassic Park, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media. (See more…) Deinonychus skeleton. Deinonychus (meaning 'terrible claw') was a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid dinosaur. This 3-4 metre (10-13 ft) long dinosaur lived during the early Cretaceous Period (Aptian - Albian stages, 121 to 98.9 million years ago). Fossils of the only named species (D. antirrhopus) have been recovered from Montana, Wyoming and Oklahoma, though teeth that may belong to Deinonychus have been found much farther east in Maryland. Its name refers to the unusually large, sickle-shaped talon on the second toe of each hind foot, which was probably held retracted while the dinosaur walked on the third and fourth toes. It was commonly thought that Deinonychus would kick with the sickle claw to slash at its prey but recent tests on reconstructions of similar Velociraptor talons suggest that the claw was used to stab, not slash. As in other dromaeosaurids, the tail was stiffened by a series of elongated bones and bone processes. This might have given Deinonychus greater balance and turning ability. In both the Cloverly and Antlers Formation, Deinonychus remains have been found closely associated with those of the ornithopod Tenontosaurus. Teeth discovered associated with Tenontosaurus specimens imply it was hunted or at least scavenged upon by Deinonychus. Paleontologist John Ostrom's study of Deinonychus in the late 1960s revolutionized the way scientists thought about dinosaurs, igniting the debate on whether or not dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Before this, the popular conception of dinosaurs had been one of plodding, reptilian giants. Ostrom noted lightweight bones and stiffened tendons which revealed an active, agile predator. (see more...) Digitally enhanced image of the sauropod, Ultrasaurus. Photo credit: User:LeCire ...that the Phyllodon, a small herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic found in present-day Portugal, may have been closely related to North American dinosaurs? ...that species of Prosaurolophus, a duckbilled dinosaur, have been described by Barnum Brown and Jack Horner, two of the most prominent paleontologists of the 20th century? Template:/box-header Dinosaur-related topics - Dinosaur - Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event - Dinosaur-bird connection - Dinosaur classification - Evolution of dinosaurs - Feathered dinosaurs - List of dinosaurs - Paleontology - Physiology of dinosaurs Locations - List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations - List of fossil sites - Como Bluff - Coon Creek Formation - Dinosaur Cove - Dinosaur National Monument - Dinosaur Park Formation - Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum - Glen Rose Formation - Hell Creek Formation - Lance Formation - Morrison Formation - Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite - Two Medicine Formation Paleontologists - Mary Anning - Robert T. Bakker - Barnum Brown - William Buckland - Edward Drinker Cope - Jack Horner - Gideon Mantell - Othniel Charles Marsh - John Ostrom - Dong Zhiming History - List of years in paleontology - Bone Wars - Dinosaur Renaissance Popular culture - List of dinosaur parks - Cultural depictions of dinosaurs - Jurassic Park - Jurassic Park (film) - Raptor Red Alternative Theories - Creationist perspectives on dinosaurs - Living dinosaurs Featured dinosaur articles - Acrocanthosaurus - Albertosaurus - Allosaurus - Archaeopteryx - Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards - Bone Wars - Chicxulub crater - Compsognathus - Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event - Daspletosaurus - Deinonychus - Dinosaur - Diplodocus - Edmontosaurus - Edward Drinker Cope - Gorgosaurus - Herrerasaurus - Iguanodon - Lambeosaurus - List of dinosaurs - Majungasaurus - Massospondylus - Parasaurolophus - Plateosaurus - Psittacosaurus - Stegosaurus - Styracosaurus - Tarbosaurus - Thescelosaurus - Triceratops - Tyrannosaurus - Velociraptor Good dinosaur articles - Abelisauridae - Alioramus - Amphicoelias - Ankylosaurus - "Archaeoraptor" - Balaur - Carnotaurus - Ceratopsia - Coelurus - Cultural depictions of dinosaurs - Dromaeosauridae - Gryposaurus - Heterodontosauridae - Hypacrosaurus - Hypsibema missouriensis - Kritosaurus - Othnielosaurus - Pachycephalosaurus - Prosaurolophus - Rajasaurus - Saurolophus - Sauropelta - Scelidosaurus - Sinosauropteryx - Species of Allosaurus - Spinosaurus - Tyrannosauridae - Tyrannosauroidea - Vulcanodon Template:/box-footer Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : Malargüe Group Expand : Abelisaur - Allosauridae - Archaeodontosaurus - Archaeornithomimus - Asiatosaurus - Avemetatarsalia - Bagaraatan - Becklespinax - Cerapoda - Ceratosauria - Club (zoology) - Deinonychosauria - Fukuiraptor - Gastonia (dinosaur) - Heterodontosauriformes - Iguanodont - Jiangshanosaurus - Kaijiangosaurus - Koparion - Lexovisaurus - Lukousaurus - Megalosaurid - Mussaurus - Ornithomimoides - Pantydraco - Plateosauridae - Pyroraptor - Quaesitosaurus - Santanaraptor - Shanag - Siamotyrannus - Stegosaurides - Stenopelix - Urbacodon - Velocipes - Vulcanodontidae - Wellnhoferia - Xinjiangovenator - Zalmoxes Stubs : Dinosaur stubs Other : Size comparisons and cladograms for articles where such is available. 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