Scientists currently
estimate that the
ancestors of human
beings began wobbling around on two legs about 5 million years ago.
This seems like a very long time ago indeed until you consider that
the last of the dinosaurs died 60 million years earlier.This means that dinosaurs have been gone from the Earth 12
times longer than humanoid creatures have been in existence!
If this thought does
not sufficiently boggle your mind, trying contemplating the fact that
the Age of the Dinosaurs itself spanned nearly 150 million years
.
Which means, the human race is a mere fledgling species compared to
the noble race of of creatures we call dinosaurs. That's right,
if current theories are correct, we're just babies on this Earth!
While the Age of Dinosaurs
graced the Earth for an incredibly long time, the name
"dinosaurs" has only been around for about 160 years. In
fact
it was not until 1841 that Sir Richard Owen gave the name
"dinosaur" (meaning "terrible lizard") to the strange reptile-like
creatures whose
fossilized remains were being unearthed
by his fellow British
scientists. The startling finds had begun with a creature
soon named "Iguanodon" ("iguana tooth") in 1820, and were soon
followed by "Megalosaurus" and "Hylaeosaurus".
Considering that the first
dinosaur finds were made by accident, it seems reasonable to assume
that this was not the first time human beings had unearthed the
remains of dinosaurs. And if people in other lands and times
did make such discoveries, what do you suppose they thought they'd
found? Could such bones have been the origins of dragon legends?
But before we begin feeling
smug about our own knowledge of dinosaurs, it's important to
understand that modern scientists are still struggling to completely
understand these amazing creatures. And in fact, many of our
earlier "facts" about dinosaurs have recently turned out to be false!
For example, despite the name "terrible lizards",
we now know that
many dinosaurs had more in common with
birds
than with lizards
-- both in the shape and the structure of their
skeletons and in the fact that they may have been warm blooded!
Of course, just how many
dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded -- if any -- is still a topic
open to debate. Scientists are always making new discoveries about
dinosaurs, both through unearthing new fossils and through
re-thinking old theories. To find out more about what's going on in
the world of dinosaur science, check out the books and links below.
The most complete dinosaur dictionary on the
web. This is a wonderful reference for all ages. Features an
alphabetic listing of dinosaurs (including the latest discoveries)
with a key to pronunciation, all the statistics, where the species
has been found, and a handy visual comparison that shows the
creature's size relative to a human being. It even tells you
what period the dinosaur lived in and to what order, suborder,
infraorder, and family it belonged.
A guide to 129 of the most
well-described dinosaurs. Offers more than 500 pictures.
Search dinosaurs by country, time period, body shape, or
alphabetical listing. Explains the difference between dinosaurs and
other similar seeming creatures like archosaurs and pterosaurs.
Sponsored by London's Natural History Museum.
Excellent source of
information on the latest discoveries and theories about dinosaurs.
Good source for book reviews for dinosaur related books for adult
readers or advanced students.
From
Discovery.com -- the folks
who bring you the Discovery Channel. Updated links plus interesting
articles and pictures on dinosaurs. Type in your zip code and find
out which dinosaurs lived in your backyard! We found
nodosaurus lived in our neighborhood!
Information about what is a dinosaur...and what
is not.
Links as well. Offers some nice links as well as information on
related topics such as explanations and definitions of various
epochs and eras (such as the Cenozoic).
From the American Museum of Natural History,
this is a gorgeous online exhibition which features the best preserved
and scientifically most important dinosaur fossils (and other ancient
animal fossils) from Mongolia's Gobi Desert.
An inroad into the excellent Dinosaur Site by
Nomad. Very readable, nice pictures, great info. Don't forget to check
out her
links page, for
more dino sites.
Crazy
about Dinosaurs? Ever wish you could have lived among the great
beasts? Then check the official website of Dinotopia!
Created by the imagination of author James Gurney, the Dinotopia series
has delighted readers for years -- and is now available on DVD as a
deliciously long movie/miniseries.
Besides being
entertaining, Dinotopia has a thing or two to teach about getting along
with others and respecting ourselves and all that is around us -- read the
Code of Dinotopia.
Remember, "One raindrop raises the sea"!
Excavate
your own 70 million year old Pteranodon fossil. Inside this box sits
a slab of sedimentary rock. Within the rock is a replica of a 70
million year old Pteranodon fossil, one of the largest of the flying
reptiles (Pteranodons were not dinosaurs).. Using the included
excavation tools, you carefully dig through the rock and just like a
real scientist - discover the fossilized remains. Match the pieces
and glue them together, then restore your prehistoric find with the
included paint and brushes and proudly display. Measures 12" x 9" /
29 x 22 cm. Includes excavation block, excavation tool, 2 brushes, 2
paint tablets, instructions. Glue is required but not included.
Set of 12 realistic toy dinosaur figures. For ages 3 years and up. Set may include Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Pachycephalosaurus, Parasaurolophus,Spinosaurus, Plesiosaur, Stegosaurus, Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, and Tyrannosaurus.
At $9.88, a great value!
This popular playset comes with a gorgeous
full color play mat and and over 10 toy model dinosaurs, each
with it's name printed on the bottom. Also includes trees,
rocks and two volcanoes. Not surprisingly this set is a huge
hit with kids ages 3 to 11. What's more, it exercises the
imagination while teaching science concepts.
Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, and
Tyrannosaurus Rex! -- by Dennis Schatz -- Totally Dinosaurs is a
fascinating 32-page full-color book that describes what life was
like in the days of the dinosaurs. It includes 46 mix-and-match
pieces (bones) that let you assemble five different dinosaurs. (From Amazon.com)
Looking for that perfect new pet
and just haven't found it? Or maybe you already have one, but need a
friendly companion for it. Look no further! The Deluxe Triassic Triops kit provides you with your very own prehistoric
crustaceans...just what you have been looking for. The triops is a
3-eyed creature that grows up to 3 inches in length. -- If you think
that sounds perfect, imagine how great a
whole herd of them will be!
With the Deluxe Triassic Triops kit, you
will receive everything you need to raise 20-30 of these unique
creatures. The eggs will hatch within 18-48 hours of receiving your
kit and have a typical life span of 20 to 90 days. -- The kit comes
with a tank that measures 11" x 6 1/4" x 4 1/2". It includes 20-30
triops eggs, dark beads, gravel, a nutrient pack, fossil replica,
food, magnifying ruler, and a booklet full of experiments. A gallon
of distilled water, a gallon of spring water and artificial light
are required but not included. Don't forget, keep your experiment
going longer with the Triops Refill Package.
Add the dinosaurs to practice basic addition.
Preschool - 2nd grade.
PDF format- Adobe Acrobat required.
[ Download/View File ]
Mar 15, 2004, 19:53 PST
Dinosaur Activity Ideas
for young
children. Submit your own and get inspiration from others.
Dinosaur Themed Printable Sheets Sheets are for
such activities as story planning, doing a survey of most popular
dinosaur, making a bar graph. Creative writing ideas also.
Dino Hunt An internet scavenger hunt to teach research
skills.
Animal
Planet Jumbo Dino Playset
