Dinosaurs Sarah Kunkel and Katie Neenan Mesozoic Era

Dinosaurs Sarah Kunkel and Katie Neenan

Mesozoic Era • • • Age of the reptiles 248 million to 65 million years ago Climate was warmer and more mild than it is now The continents were closer together Divided into three periods: Triassic: dinosaurs evolved Jurassic: dinosaurs flourished Cretaceous: peak of dinosaurs, but then extinct

Triceratops • • • Rhino-like dinosaur Three horns, large head and short pointed tail Walks on four legs Herbivore or plant eater Fossils found primarily in western Canada and western United States

Triceratops

Tyrannosaurs rex Also known as the T-rex Huge head and jaw Walks on two legs One of the biggest carnivore or meat eating dinosaurs • Fossils found in western United States and Mongolia • •

Tyrannosaurs rex

Stegosaurus • Large flat triangular plates along its back and a spiked tail used for protection • Walks on four legs, but the back two legs are twice as long as the front • Herbivore or plant eater • Small brain, the size of a walnut • Fossils found in western United States. The first fossil found in Colorado

Stegosaurus

Extinction • The process in which groups of organisms or species die out • All dinosaurs were extinct by the end of the Cretaceous period in the Mesozoic Era

Dinosaur Fossils • The remains of ancient animals and plants • Finding fossils is the only way humans can learn about dinosaurs • Found throughout sedimentary layers of the earth • Up to 1, 200 dinosaur skeletons have been discovered • Paleontology is the study of fossils

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