BSC1005 Unit 4 Dinos Paleobiology of Dinosaurs Dr Greg Erickson Key to this study guide Dr Erickson stated it would be on the test in the review or it is a clicker question Dr Erickson emphasized it was going to be on the test during class this color is a kind of group of Ornithischia this color is a dinosaur example of the specific Ornithischia group this color is a kind of group of Saurischia this color is a dinosaur example of the specific Saurischia group Paleontologist someone who studies any aspect of ancient organisms Paleobiology the study of the lives of ancient organisms physiology behavior ecology functional anatomy First written dino China Scrotum Humanum end of thighbone What makes a dino three or more sacral vertebraes three main fingers perforate acetabulae There are TWO types of dinos Ornithischian hips like birds Saurischians hips like lizard The age of dinosaurs When did dinosaurs live 238 million years ago until 65 5 million years ago this is known by looking at Uranium During the Mesozoic Era aka Age of Dinosaurs Three divisions to the Age of Dinosaurs Triassic Period 251 million years ago Dinos show up 238 million years ago Jurassic Period 175 million years ago Cretaceous Period 66 million years ago How do we know the ages Radioactive isotopes in volcanic rocks we compare the original amount to the new amount Uranium 235 type of isotope is the best kind it is pure when volcanic rocks cool is found in lava layers ash fallouts after 704 million years 50 of the material is uranium and 50 is lead Climate World was warm in age of dino It was arid in equatorial regions Like Florida in middle latitudes At the Poles it was wet and rainy like Seattle No ice at the Poles Ocean levels were higher and covered much of the continents Dinos has less land to live on than today Seaways controlled where dinos could go Plate Tectonics Continents move by volcanic sea floor spreading In the Triassic Period continents were adjoined aka Pangaea By the end of the Cretaceous Period they were close to their present positions Dino distributions have helped to figure out where the continents were and explain their movement By finding the same species of dino in different parts of the world we know where and when the continents were located Mountain Systems The world was fairly flat at this time Most of today s mountain ranges still hadn t been made yet Triassic and Jurassic Plants No grass Trees had great height chemical defenses and poor ability to regenerate Pteridrophytes in wet areas Cads in dryer areas Pine trees conifers Ginkgos in dry areas By the middle of the Cretaceous Period flowering plants finally showed up Angiosperm ground cover Who lived with the dinos Crocodilians and their close relatives 1st ones were terrestrial land dwellers Some were bipedal Some were fully aquatic sea monsters Some were just like todays Some were plain huge 40 ft These were dino killers Deinosuchus 30 ft found in NJ Texas Georgia NC Montana grew at rates like living alligators Super Croc aka Sarcosuchus 40 ft from Africa American alligators have a bite force of 3 000 Saltwater crocodile 3 700 lbs highest bite force ever 31 000 is the super crocs bite force Turtles Sea Monsters Ichthyosaurs dolphin like creature Loch necked Plesiosaurs lochness monster Probably not real Mosasaur aquatic animal closely related to the kimono dragon Xiphactinus audax 17 ft tarpon In the air Pterosaurs long tails filter feeders some had fur Quetalcoatalids had 35 40 ft wingspan In the late Jurassic birds showed up Vegavis a duck Mammals Mostly rat possum sized Fossils remains of ancient life Trace fossils Dino tracks Eggs reveal aspects of posture running speeds group behavior reveal aspects of ovaries behavior in laying size of egg Skin Impressions thermogulation physical characteristics Stomach Stones used to grind up plants gastroliths gizzard stone Bite marks Coprolites poop who ate who how they used dentition what they ate if they had strong digestive acid Dinos are found in sedimentary rock Badlands are the best place where fossils are found because a lot of sediments are exposed Closest place we find dinos is in Georgia Dinos were land animals Clicker The diagnostic features of a dinosaur are Three or more sacral vertebrae perforate acetabulae 3 main fingers Introduction to the Ornithischia The bird hipped dinos half are solely composed of herbivores Appear in the middle of the Triassic period 225 million years ago Very small in size 30 to 100 lbs Smallest dino fruitadens Haagarorum had leaf shaped teeth that did not occulade ate succulent plants Bipedal Major Group of Ornithischia Thyreophora was Shield bearers Armor or osteoderm like that of a back of an alligator Later form thyreophora were big heavily armored and Quadra pedal Major group of thyreophoran Ankylosaurs dinosaur tanks the club was made of fused vertebrae used for defense and display have very hollow snouts due to heavy folding of the nasal passages strengthened skull housed respitory tissues and glands like turtles they probably floated and were carried to the sea from island rivers hence them being found in marine sediment w lots of shark bites were characterized by The plated lizards or Stegosaurs plates and spikes along or beside the backbone the great stegosaurus plate debate how plates were arranged and how many there were different renditions include single upright row and 8 on tail paired at the front and singled out the rest plates all over on their sides too and many spikes all paired and in up right rows recent finds demonstrate plates were actually staggered and there were around 17 20 plates The plates were for Sexual attraction or same species threat They were NOT for defense plates were highly sensitive Stegosaurs had a small brain Endocast brain cavity that is filled with sediment This is used to determine the size of dino brains a two ton stegosaurus had 2 5 2 9 oz brain human brains are 3 3 5 lbs Stegosaurs had large olfactory bulbs The long spinal column of the Stegosaurus along the neural canal was expanded in the hip region this happens to all animals past the hips Why are there such crazy theories Because paleontology has a history founded solely in geology Cerapoda Includes thumb spikers and the big ducks Early cerapodons Thumb spiked iguanodons Duck billed dinosaurs Bonehead dinosaurs Horned dinosaurs Distinguishing feature of cerapoda is a gap between the front and back teeth called Ornithopods They were gregarious would
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