Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids

The Everything Guide for Kids Who Love Dinosaurs

Bob Korpella

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000492255
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Packed with hundreds of illustrated definitions about dinosaurs and the world in which they lived, Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids is certain to spark any kid's enthusiasm for the age of dinosaurs. Explore the Mesozoic era. Learn about dinosaurs that lived on land, animals that swam the waters, and species that patrolled the skies. Find out about dinosaur extinction, how scientists date fossils, and what it takes to become a paleontologist. Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids will be there when it's time to write reports, delve into projects, prepare assignments, or just curl up and discover more about these amazing creatures. Sidebar topics, fun activities, and quick quizzes make learning about dinosaurs even more fun! Divided into sections for quick access to the easy-to-understand definitions and amazing full-color illustrations, Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids is a must-have for any kid's home library.

Grades 3-6

Introduction to the
Jurassic Period

199 to 145 mya

DOI: 10.4324/9781003234708-3

Another mass extinction marked the end of the Triassic Period and the beginning of the Jurassic Period. This one was not as severe as the extinction that occurred near the beginning of the Triassic. Still, nearly three-fourths of all life on land and in the oceans died.

Earthquakes and volcanoes probably occurred often, and over several million years, as the great land mass of Pangaea broke apart into two new continents: Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south. The upheaval caused by volcanic ash, dust, and gases may have contributed to a change in climate that killed great numbers of animals.

A new, shallow sea filled the space between the two new land masses. Eventually, rain could reach areas that were once arid desert. Temperatures cooled and deserts grew lush with vegetation. Plants had not yet adapted flowers or fruits, but horsetails, ferns, conifer trees, and cycads were plentiful along the Jurassic landscape.

Throughout the Triassic and Jurassic Periods, the moon orbited a little closer to Earth than it does today. That made it look bigger in the sky, and the nights were a little brighter because the moon reflected more sunlight.

Many scientists believe that the disappearance of other animal species that once competed with dinosaurs, along with less extreme habitats and plenty of food, allowed dinosaurs to flourish. As the Jurassic Period moved forward, the great plant eaters, such as Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and Diplodocus emerged. These were the sauropods, huge beasts that stood on all fours while reaching treetops using their long necks. Fierce predators, such as Allosaurus and Megalosaurus, preyed on other dinosaurs during Jurassic times.

Named for the Jura Mountains along the border between France and Switzerland, the Jurassic Period was when dinosaurs rose to rule the world. They would do so for the next 130 million years.

Aardonyx (ar-DON-ix)

Age: 199-196 mya

Size: 23 ft long

Weight: 1,100 lbs

Location: South Africa

Food: Herbivore

First discovered in 2009, Aardonyx fits into a gap that once existed in the evolution of dinosaurs. Its bones and muscles, the way it stood, and how it ate places it between the small prosauropods of the Triassic Period and the massive sauropods pods of the later Jurassic period. Like sauropods, it had a long tail and a small head. However, it walked on two legs like prosauropods. It had stronger forearms than most prosauropods, and the bones in those arms were beginning to get less flexible, which is important when supporting huge weight. It could also open its mouth wider than a prosauropod, allowing Aardonyx to pull off leaves in large bites instead of picking them a little at a time. This dinosaur's name means "earth claw," which describes the hard iron ore that surrounded the fossil's toes. That ore made it difficult for scientists to free the toe bones.

Agilisaurus (ah-JILL-oh-sore-us)

Age: 164-161 mya

Size: 4 ft long

Weight: 33 lbs

Location: Sichuan Province, China

Food: Herbivore

As the name suggests, Agilisaurus was agile and had graceful movements. It was also very quick, and it could run away from danger at high speeds using its long hind legs. Agilisaurus may have stood on four legs when eating low growing vegetation, such as ferns. A complete skeleton emerged from a dig in China's Dashanpu Quarry, where many other dinosaur bones have been found.

Allosaurus (AL-oh-SORE-us)

Age: 155-150 mya

Size: 28 ft long

Weight: 1.6 tons

Location: USA: Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Food: Carnivore

Allosaurus relied on its excellent hearing and keen sense of smell to locate its prey. When attacking, many paleontologists believe Allosaurus hid, then surprised victims by jumping at them in an ambush. An S-shaped neck and strong hind legs gave Allosaurus incredible strength to carry out such attacks. Powerful arms with 10-inch-long claws for ripping and tearing along with massive jaws on a head 3 feet long made quick work of a meal. Allosaurus could push its jaw outward, so it could swallow large chunks of meat. Its 70 teeth, some as long as 4 inches, were serrated like a steak knife. A single Allosaurus was a fearsome predator, but some scientists suggest it may also have hunted in packs. A large number of sauropod bones have scrapes and other damage that fit marks made by Allosaurus teeth.

Othniel C. marsh named Allosaurus. which means "other lizard," in 1877. The first complete skeleton emerged from a site in Colorado. not long after Utah's Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry yielded 60 more individuals. Specimens fall into all age groups, young and old. The number of finds indicates that Allosaurus was abundant across what would become the American West and midwest.

Ammosaurus (AM-oh-sore-us)

Age: 189-176 mya

Size: 16 ft long

Weight: 485 lbs

Location: USA: New England

Food: Omnivore

Workers building a bridge in Manchester, CT, during the late 1800s used a large chunk of sandstone carved from a nearby quarry. As more material was excavated from that quar...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction to the Mesozoic Era
• Introduction to the Triassic Period
• Introduction to the Jurassic Period
• Introduction to the Cretaceous Period
• Other Animals of the Mesozoic Era
• Dinosaur Bites: Activities and More
• Bibliography
• About the Author
• Index of Species