Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade Dinosauria.

They first app eared during the Triassic period, 231.4 million years ago, and were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for 135 million years, from the beginning of the Jurass ic (about 201 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (66 million yea rs ago), when the Cretaceous Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of m ost dinosaur groups at the close of the Mesozoic Era. The fossil record indicate s that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period and, con sequently, they are considered a subgroup of dinosaurs by many paleontologists.[ 1] Some birds survived the extinction event that occurred 66 million years ago, and their descendants continue the dinosaur lineage to the present day.[2] Dinosaurs are a varied group of animals from taxonomic, morphological and ecolog ical standpoints. Birds, at over 10,000 living species,[3] are the most diverse group of vertebrates besides perciform fish.[4] Using fossil evidence, paleontol ogists have identified over 500 distinct genera[5] and more than 1,000 different species of non-avian dinosaurs.[6] Dinosaurs are represented on every continent by both extant species and fossil remains.[7] Some are herbivorous, others carn ivorous. While dinosaurs were ancestrally bipedal, many extinct groups included quadrupedal species, and some were able to shift between these stances. Elaborat e display structures such as horns or crests are common to all dinosaur groups, and some extinct groups developed skeletal modifications such as bony armor and spines. Evidence suggests that egg laying and nest building are additional trait s shared by all dinosaurs. While modern birds are generally small due to the con straints of flight, many prehistoric dinosaurs were large-bodied the largest sauro pod dinosaurs may have achieved lengths of 58 meters (190 feet) and heights of 9 .25 meters (30 feet 4 inches).[8] Still, the idea that non-avian dinosaurs were uniformly gigantic is a misconception based on preservation bias, as large, stur dy bones are more likely to last until they are fossilized. Many dinosaurs were quite small: Xixianykus, for example, was only about 50 cm (20 in) long. Although the word dinosaur means "terrible lizard", the name is somewhat mislead ing, as dinosaurs are not lizards. Instead, they represent a separate group of r eptiles which, like many extinct forms, did not exhibit characteristics traditio nally seen as reptilian, such as a sprawling limb posture or ectothermy. Additio nally, many prehistoric animals, including mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, and Dimetrodon, are popularly conceived of as dinosaurs, but are no t classified as dinosaurs. Through the first half of the 20th century, before bi rds were recognized to be dinosaurs, most of the scientific community believed d inosaurs to have been sluggish and cold-blooded. Most research conducted since t he 1970s, however, has indicated that all dinosaurs were active animals with ele vated metabolisms and numerous adaptations for social interaction. Since the first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century, moun ted fossil dinosaur skeletons have been major attractions at museums around the world, and dinosaurs have become an enduring part of world culture. The large si zes of some groups, as well as their seemingly monstrous and fantastic nature, h ave ensured dinosaurs' regular appearance in best-selling books and films, such as Jurassic Park. Persistent public enthusiasm for the animals has resulted in s ignificant funding for dinosaur science, and new discoveries are regularly cover ed by the media. ------Etymology The taxon Dinosauria was formally named in 1842 by paleontologist Sir Richard Ow en, who used it to refer to the "distinct tribe or sub-order of Saurian Reptiles " that were then being recognized in England and around the world.[9] The term i s derived from the Greek words de???? (deinos, meaning "terrible," "potent," or "fearfully great") and sa???? (sauros, meaning "lizard" or "reptile").[9][10] Th ough the taxonomic name has often been interpreted as a reference to dinosaurs' teeth, claws, and other fearsome characteristics, Owen intended it merely to evo ke their size and majesty.[11]

-----Scientific name: Dinosauria Higher classification: Dinosauriformes Rank: Superorder Lower classifications: Saurischia, Ornithischia ------BRACHIOSAURUS Brachiosaurus /?brki?'s?r?s/ is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Jurassic Mo rrison Formation of North America. It was first described by Elmer S. Riggs in 1 903 from fossils found in the Grand River Canyon (now Colorado River) of western Colorado, in the United States. Riggs named the dinosaur Brachiosaurus altithor ax, declaring it "the largest known dinosaur". Brachiosaurus had a proportionall y long neck, small skull, and large overall size, all of which are typical for s auropods. However, the proportions of Brachiosaurus are unlike most sauropods the forelimbs were longer than the hindlimbs, which resulted in a steeply inclin ed trunk. Also, while the tail is a typical long dinosaur tail, it was relativel y short for a sauropod. Brachiosaurus is the namesake genus of the family Brachiosauridae, which include s a handful of other similar sauropods. Much of what is known by laypeople about Brachiosaurus is in fact based on Giraffatitan brancai, a species of brachiosau rid dinosaur from the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania that was originally descri bed by German paleontologist Werner Janensch as a species of Brachiosaurus. Rece nt research shows that the differences between the type species of Brachiosaurus and the Tendaguru material are significant enough that the African material sho uld be placed in a separate genus. Several other potential species of Brachiosau rus have been described from Africa and Europe, but none of them are thought to belong to Brachiosaurus at this time. -----Dilophosaurus Dilophosaurus (/da??l?f?'s?r?s/ dy-lof-o-sawr-?s or /da??lo?f?'s?r?s/); is a gen us of theropod dinosaur from the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic Period, about 193 million years ago. The first specimens were described in 1954, but it was not until over a decade later that the genus received its current name. Dilophosaurus was a speedy, slender, bipedal (walked on two legs), meat-eater th at lived during the early Jurassic period. It was a theropod (a meat-eating dino saur) about 20 feet (6 m) long, about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the hip, and weighi ng about 650 to 1,000 pounds (300 kg to 450 kg). Dilophosaurus had a dewclaw. It had two thin, bony, almost semi-circular crests on its head; these may have been for mating displays. It had short arms with thr ee-fingered hands and strong legs with four-toed feet (one toe was a dewclaw ). Both fingers and toes had claws. It had hollow bones and an S-shaped, curved nec k. -----Triceratops Triceratops (/tra?'s?r?t?ps/ try-serr-?-tops) is a genus of herbivorous ceratops id dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceou s Period, around 68 to 66 million years ago (Mya) in what is now North America. It was one of the last non-avian dinosaur genera to appear before the Cretaceous P aleogene extinction event.[1] The term Triceratops, which literally means "three -horned face", is derived from the Greek t??- (tri-) meaning "three", ???a? (kras

) meaning "horn", and ?? (ops) meaning "face".[2][3] Bearing a large bony frill and three horns on its large four-legged body, and co njuring similarities with the modern rhinoceros, Triceratops is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs and the best known ceratopsid. It shared the lands cape with and was preyed upon by the fearsome Tyrannosaurus,[4] though it is les s certain that the two did battle in the manner often depicted in traditional mu seum displays and popular images. The exact placement of the Triceratops genus within the ceratopsid group has bee n debated by paleontologists. Two species, T. horridus and T. prorsus, are consi dered valid although many other species have been named. Research published in 2 010 suggests that the contemporaneous Torosaurus, a ceratopsid long regarded as a separate genus, represents Triceratops in its mature form,[5][6] a view not ac cepted by everyone.[7] A study published in 2012 by Daniel Field and Nicholas Lo ngrich, researchers from Yale, would later disagree with this assertion upholdin g that the two should be classified as separate species.[8][9] -----TREX Tyrannosaurus (/t??rn?'s?r?s/ or /ta??rn?'s?r?s/; meaning "tyrant lizard", from Gr eek tyrannos (t??a????) meaning "tyrant", and sauros (sa????) meaning "lizard"[1 ]) is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex (rex meaning "king" in Latin), commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, which th en was an island continent named Laramidia, with a much wider range than other t yrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of rock formations dating to the M aastrichtian age of the upper Cretaceous Period, 67 to 66 million years ago.[2] It was among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous Paleogene extinction event. Like other tyrannosaurids, Tyrannosaurus was a bipedal carnivore with a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. Relative to its large and powerful hindlim bs, Tyrannosaurus forelimbs were small but were unusually powerful for their siz e and bore two clawed digits. Although other theropods rivaled or exceeded Tyran nosaurus rex in size, it was the largest known tyrannosaurid and one of the larg est known land predators; the most complete specimen measures up to 12.3 m (40 f t) in length,[3] up to 4 metres (13 ft) tall at the hips,[4] and up to 6.8 metri c tons (7.5 short tons) in weight.[5] By far the largest carnivore in its enviro nment, Tyrannosaurus rex may have been an apex predator, preying upon hadrosaurs , ceratopsians, and possibly sauropods,[6] although some experts have suggested it was primarily a scavenger. The debate about whether Tyrannosaurus was an apex predator or scavenger was among the longest running in paleontology; however, m ost scientists now agree that Tyrannosaurus rex was an opportunistic carnivore, both predating and scavenging.[7] ---Pterodactylus (/?t?r?'dkt?l?s/ terr-?-dak-til-?s, from the Greek pte??d??t????, p terodaktulos, meaning "winged finger") /?t?r?'dkt?l/) is a genus of pterosaurs, w hose members are popularly known as pterodactyls. It was the first to be named a nd identified as a flying reptile. Its fossil remains have been found primarily in the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany, dated to the late Jurassic Perio d (early Tithonian), about 150.8 148.5 million years ago,[1] though more fragmenta ry remains have been identified from elsewhere in Europe and in Africa. It was a carnivore and probably preyed upon fish and other small animals. Like all ptero saurs, the wings of Pterodactylus were formed by a skin and muscle membrane stre tching from its elongated fourth finger to its hind limbs. It was supported inte rnally by collagen fibres and externally by keratinous ridges. The name derives from the Greek words pteron (pte???, meaning 'wing') and daktyl os (d??t????, meaning 'finger') and refers to the way in which the wing is suppo rted by one large finger.

----Pteranodon (/t?'rn?d?n/; from Greek pte??? ("wing") and ???d?? ("toothless")) is a genus of pterosaurs which included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with wingspans over 6 metres (20 ft). It existed during the late Cretaceous geol ogical period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming , and South Dakota. More fossil specimens of Pteranodon have been found than any other pterosaur, with about 1,200 specimens known to science, many of them well preserved with nearly complete skulls and articulated skeletons. It was an impo rtant part of the animal community in the Western Interior Seaway.[1] Pteranodon was not a dinosaur. By definition, all dinosaurs belong to the groups Saurischia and Ornithischia, which exclude pterosaurs. Nevertheless, Pteranodon is frequently featured in dinosaur books and is strongly associated with dinosa urs by the general public.[2] ---Acamptonectes is known from several specimens: the holotype adult, a partial sub -adult, and an additional partial skeleton. The holotype consists of a fragmenta ry skull roof, a complete mandible, a partial axial skeleton and a partial scapu lar girdle. Acamptonectes is similar in morphology to the related but earlier op hthalmosaurids Ophthalmosaurus and Mollesaurus.[1] Acamptonectes is morphologically distinct from other ophthalmosaurines in a vari ety of ways. Its binomial name, meaning "tightly-packed rigid swimmer", refers t o the tightly-packed occipital bones and cervical vertebrae that would have allo wed little movement in the neck, indicating it must have "shot through the water like a dart."[2] Most of its skeleton appears to be unusually rigid, which woul d have in effect severely limited the amount of side-to-side motion that was pos sible in the anterior part of the skeleton. Its snout is also shallower and its teeth more slender-crowned and sharply pointed than related species, and its rib s are also more robust rounded in cross-section, which may be a further adaptati on to increase the stiffness of the animal's body, as they were likely more resi stant to bending.[3] Like other ichthyosaurs, Acamptonectes was a predator and p robably fed on fish and squid, and its overall body plan would have been similar in appearance to that of a dolphin. It was approximately 3 meters (10 ft) in le ngth.[1][2] ---Brachypterygius (meaning ?wide wing/paddle? in Greek) is an extinct genus of pla typterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from the Late Jurassic to Early C retaceous of England, France, European Russia and possibly Madagascar.[1] The ty pe species was originally described and named as Ichthyosaurus extremus by Boule nger in 1904.[2] Brachypterygius was named by Huene in 1922 for the width and sh ortness of the forepaddle, and the type species is therefore Brachypterygius ext remus.[3] The holotype of B. extremus was originally thought to be from the Lias Group of Bath, UK, but other specimens suggest it more likely came from the Kim meridgian Kimmeridge Clay (Late Jurassic) of Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, UK. ----Globidens alabamaensis was first described by Gilmore (1912). A second species ( G. dakotensis) was described by Russell (1975). The third North American species (G. schurmanni) was added by Martin (2007) Globidens was ~6 m (20 ft) in length and in appearance very much like other mosa saurs (streamlined body with flippers, a laterally flattened tail and powerful j aws). The teeth of Globidens were vastly different from other mosasaurs, as they were globular, as suggested in its generic name. Generally, most mosasaurs had sharp teeth evolved to grab soft, slippery prey like fish and squid, which, in l

ater species, were later modified to rend flesh, as well. While many other mosas aurs were capable of crushing the shells of ammonites, none were as specialized in dealing with armored prey like Globidens. Globidens, unlike most other mosasa urs, had semispherical teeth with rounded nubbin-like points, which were much be tter suited for crushing tough armored prey like small turtles, ammonites, nauti li, and bivalves. Like its larger relative, Mosasaurus, Globidens had a robustly built skull with tightly-articulating jaws. Such features no doubt played a lar ge role in its ability to penetrate the armor of its shelled prey. The smaller genus Carinodens is regarded as a sister taxon of Globidens.