What kind of animal are dinosaurs?
With over 1,000 non-avian species and 500 different dinosaur genera, dinosaurs are a very diverse group in terms of morphology, ecology, and taxonomy. They are found on all continents, their fossils are ubiquitous. There are carnivorous, herbivorous, bipedal and quadrupedal species. Dinosaurs arose during the Triassic period and dominated for thousands of years in both numbers and strength. It wasn't until the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that we could see the decline of a once-dominant group of animals.
Overview of dinosaurs
Armored dinosaurs include horn-faced dinosaurs (frilled and horned herbivores), ornithopods (two- or four-legged herbivores), pterosaurs (long-tailed animals and large four-legged herbivores) and the group of animals often described as dinosaurs. , theropods (birds and bipedal carnivores), and baleen dinosaurs.
Image source: Coloring.top
Dinosaurs were first recorded in the early 19th century. Birds are also a branch of the dinosaur group of animals, and from this evidence we know that dinosaurs did not really go extinct. Descendants of dinosaurs are still among us today, but they do not harm us as the dinosaur movies show. Birds are theropods under the Maniraptora group, a descendant of hollow-tailed dinosaurs.
Dimension
Said to be the largest and heaviest dinosaur of the Sauropod group, even the smallest of the Sauropoda group, yet larger than any other dinosaur. According to fossil studies, the largest, longest and heaviest dinosaur is said to be the Giraffatitan, with a 12-metre-high and 22.5-metre-long skeleton. The skeletons found are estimated to weigh between 30000 and 60000 kg. Researchers still believe larger dinosaur species exist, but cannot be identified because complete fossil specimens have not been found. However, the above data is enough to astonish people at the majesty of this ancient creature.
Giant dinosaur size
It is also believed that the largest, heaviest carnivorous dinosaur was Spinosaurus. It is also said to be a wild carnivorous dinosaur, tyrant of dinosaurs, fear of many dinosaurs and other animals. It is estimated that this dinosaur weighed about 8150 kg and reached a height of 16 to 18 meters. Spinosaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur species that could move underwater, became a threat and obsession for aquatic creatures, as well as the land-dwelling tyrannosaur T-Rex.
evolutionary history
The ancestor of the dinosaurs was the lizard king, so the general definition of dinosaurs is lizards balancing on their hind legs under the body. The event that forms the border between the Permian and Triassic periods is the Permian-Triassic extinction event, which is considered one of the most serious extinction events that has ever happened to the Earth. This event caused the extinction of 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species and 96% of marine species.
evolution of dinosaurs
And what is remarkable is that the recovery of life after this event was extremely slow, also because biodiversity was lost. After this event, dinosaurs began to appear, but they could not fully dominate as there were many other types of lizard kings and archers threatening their power. However, during the Triassic - Jurassic extinction, the first group of pterosaurs really ended, and dinosaurs have evolved stronger and more diverse since then. They gradually began to occupy ecological niches from other extinct groups of organisms.
The Jurassic period, which is considered the age of dinosaurs, continued to develop here, becoming large carnivores, herbivores and large sauropods.
According to the research-based classification made by Holtz (2008), dinosaurs include 2 main subgroups based on their evolutionary relationship and hip structure: Saurischia and Ornithischia.
Saurischia
Saurischia represents the group of dinosaurs with lizard hip structures, including theropod dinosaurs (theropods) and Sauropodomorpha (theropods). The bone structure of Saurischia is very different from that of Ornithischia. They are distinguished by their three-pronged pelvic structure, in which the pelvis of Ornithischia is arranged parallel to the groin, the pubic bone is at the back, and the groin of Saurischia is in front.
2 legged carnivorous dinosaur
Saurischia are known as hip pterosaurs because their hip structures are also found in modern-day lizards.
Ornithischia
Because the pelvic structure of ornithischia is similar to that of birds, it is grouped and given the same name. The premolar bones overlap with the premolar bone in the upper jaw, forming an organ resembling a bird's beak. Ornithischia was a group of herbivorous dinosaurs with pubic bones needle-down, chains toward the tail, and pubic bones parallel to the pubic bones to support their bellies. Ornithischia is a group of dinosaurs that during their evolution could use both standing positions, including bipedal stance and quadrupedal stance.
Ornithischia plant-eating dinosaur
Ornithischia includes 3 main branches, including Heterodontosauridae, which were primitive omnivorous ornithopods with small size and tooth-like teeth; Thyreophora, four-legged, armored dinosaur creatures and finally Ornithischia, a creature with new bird hips.
We have a lot to discover about this dinosaur, if you are interested in painting you can check out our dinosaur coloring pages. This is a topic that interests many young people looking! You can color it online or download and print it.
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