Zoom Dinosaurs DINOSAUR QUESTIONS

Q: Sometime in the last few years we heard about a major breeding ground in South America somewhere, maybe Argentina, where researchers found fossilized eggs, a find that would likely lead to new discoveries about dinosaurs. Do you know about this? For Leanna, the youngest paleontologist
from Susan M., Needham, MA, USA; January 30, 1999

A: Yes, huge caches of eggs have been found in Argentian. For more information on this new find, click here.

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Q: I was wondering what a sabre-toothed tiger looked like. I have not found any website with a picture of one.
from Drew G., Woodstock, Ontario, Canada; January 30, 1999

A: For a page on Saber-toothed cats, click here.

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Q: Is T. rex warm or cold blooded?
from ?; January 29, 1999

A: No one knows for sure. For more info, see this page.

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Q: What do the names of these dinosaurs mean? Atlantasaurus, Camarasaurus, Seismosaurus.
from Christopher M., Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; January 29, 1999

A: Atlantasaurus means "Atlantis lizard," Camarasaurus means "chamber lizard," Seismosaurus means "earthquake lizard."

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Q: Was Ankylosaur a carnivore or Herbivore.
from Alexandra A., York, PA, USA; January 29, 1999

A: An herbivore. For more info on Ankylosaurus, click here

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Q: What is your name?
from Quinn Y., burnsville, mn, USA; January 29, 1999

A: Jeananda Col

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Q: What is Uranium 235?
from Keith E., Denver, CO, USA; January 28, 1999

A: For some information on dating fossils using radio-isotopes like U, click here.

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Q: Why do scientists think dinosaurs became extinct? What animal is alive today that scientists think had dinosaurs as its ancestors?
from Brittany C., Mobile, AL, USA; January 28, 1999

A: 1. Because we no longer find living dinosaurs. 2. The birds.

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Q: IS THIS WHERE I ASK...
1. HOW MANY SPECIES OF DINOSUARS HAVE WE DISCOVERED AS OF TODAY?
2. WHAT DO you THINK CAUSED THE EXTINCTION OF THE DINOSUARS?
3. WHAT WAS THE LARGET SPECIES OF DINOSUARS? THE SMALLEST?
from Amy; January 28, 1999

A: 1. There are roughly 500 genera and many, many more species. The number of species is very uncertain, partly because it is very difficult to tell whether 2 slightly different fossils belong to the same species or not. Slightly different fossils may represent different developmental stages in a dinosaur's life (hatchling, or juvenile or adult), variations between the sexes (male or female), or simple differences among the adult population. Many dinosaur genera are only known from a single incomplete fossil (sometimes just a tooth), and determining exactly what dinosaur is represents is difficult/ or impossible.
2. See the section on the Alvarez Asteroid theory.
3. See the page on dinosaur extremes.

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Q: What Sub-order is the Gigantosaurus in?
from Valeris G., Lubbock, texas, USA; January 27, 1999

A: Gigantosaurus is classified as: order saurischia, suborder theropoda. For more information on Giganotosaurus, click here.

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Q: What does the inside of a dinosaur look like? Can you please give me a picture?
from Krystal S., Hatboro, PA, USA; January 27, 1999

A: No one knows what the insides of dinosaurs looked like. Muscles, internal organs, nerves, and other soft tissues rarely fossilize; they usually decompose instead of becoming fossils. Recently the fossil of a small meat-eating dinosaur, Scipionyx, was found in Italy; it had the first fossilized impressions of some internal organs and muscles. The analysis of this remarkable fossil is just beginning and should yield a lot of information about this dinosaur.

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Q: How long was the Triceratops?
from Mac H., Celina, OH, USA; January 27, 1999

A: Triceratops was about 25 feet (8 m) long. For more information on Triceratops, click here.

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Q: Where and how can i get pictures for the Brontosaurus?please tell me the steps.
from Julie A., Spencer, MA, USA; January 27, 1999

A: Brontosaurus is an old name for Apatosaurus. For information on Apatosaurus, click here.

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Q: How does one become a paleontologist? What colleges have courses that you can take? Who are some famous paleontologists in our country today?
from Mrs. Sokol's Second Grade Class, Locust Valley, New York, USA; January 26, 1999

A: Read a lot about science (including paleontology, biology, geology, physics, and others) and math. A lot of colleges have good courses, but some, like Montana State in Bozeman, Montana are also near dinosaur digs! For some famous paleontologists, click here.

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Q: Did the Stegosours live in the Jurassic Period?
from Kevin C., Grass Valley, CA, USA; January 26, 1999

A: Yes, from about 156-145 million years ago. For more info on Stegosaurus, click here.

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Q: How long were the biggest dinosaurs
from Suzanne, Zach, Riley S., and Steven; January 26, 1999

A: See the Top Ten Dino Questions.

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Q: Were more dinosaurs plant eaters or meat eaters
from blake e., Dunedin, FL, USA; January 26, 1999

A: Plant eaters. For more info on dinosaur diets, click here.

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Q: How could dinosaur dung last over millions of years?
from Ariana P., Boeblingon, Germany; January 26, 1999

A: The same way that other things fossilize. After being deposited, they're covered very quickly with volcanic cash, sand, mud, or other material. Then, as the original object decomposes, it is replaced with rock-like minerals. For more information on the process of fossilization, click here.

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Q: What is a Thescelosaurus and where can I get some info and pictures?
from Joe R., Orchard Park, NY, USA; January 26, 1999

A: I've added it to the Dino Dictionary.

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Q: what was the first dinosaur on earth?
from jason h, ellicott, MD, USA, Ariana P., Boeblingon, Germany; January 26, 1999

A: Eoraptor is the earliest-known dinosaur (from the Triassic period).

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Q: I am looking for flying reptiles that are native to Texas and fossils of flying reptiles that have been discovered in the state. Please help
from Josh S., Houston, Texas, USA; January 25, 1999

A: The giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was found in Texas. For more fossils found in Texas, click here and scroll down. For more information on Quetzalcoatlus, click here.

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Q: My daughter is trying to find information on a flying dinosaur. She thinks it begins with a "D" and it has a tail. Could you help identify the name of this dinosaur?
from Scott H., Ellington, NH, USA; January 25, 1999

A: It might be Dimorphodon, a pterosaur, not a dinosaur (no dinosaurs could fly). For information on this Pterosaur, click here.

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Q: How tall was a dimetrodon, including its fin?
from Harrison A, San Mateo County, CA, USA; January 24, 1999

A: A bit under 5 feet tall including the fin. For more information on Dimetrodon, click here.

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Q: Hye it's Ayman again as I told you that I needed information on the dinosaur Gigantosaurus I need really good information on the dinosaur Variraptor . I have some information on the dinosaur but I need more . And the reason I need information on the dinosaur's is because I have a reaserch to do in school so I'm sorry that I had to ask you another question but I really appreciate your help . note:please send thease answers before June,1 1999
from Ayman, East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; January 24, 1999

A: For information on Variraptor, click here. For information on Giganotosaurus, click here.

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Q: What Period was the Brachiosaurus in?
from Andrew M., Fall River, Ma, USA; January 24, 1999

A: Brachiosaurus lived during the middle to late Jurassic period, about 156-145 million years ago. For more information on Brachiosaurus, click here.

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Q: NEW QUESTION: How many teeth did Albertosaurus have?? How many did Tyrannosaurus have ?? I have 28 teeth.
from Jimmy L, GA, USA; January 23, 1999

A: The lower jaw of Albertosaurus had from 14 and 16 teeth; the upper jaw had 17-19 teeth. It had one row of teeth in each jaw but had at least one replacement tooth growing up from under each tooth.For more information on Albertosaurus, click here. T. rex had over 60 thick, conical, teeth that were up to 9 inches (23 cm) long.

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Q: What does Triceratops mean?
from Dana B., East Chicgo, Indiana, USA; January 23, 1999

A: Triceratops means "three-horned head." For more information on Triceratops, click here.

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Q: What dinasaur is aiso called thunder lizard?
from bill h, traverse city, michigan, USA; January 23, 1999

A: Brontosaurus menas "thunder lizard." Brontosaurus is the obsolete name for Apatosaurus.

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Q: What does K-T mean?
from Melissa M., Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA; January 23, 1999

A: The K in K-T stands for Cretaceous (period); the T stands for Tertiary (period).

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Q: Were mamals alive when dinosaurs were alive.
from Collin J., Washington, NC, USA; January 23, 1999

A: Yes, mammals evolved around the same time that dinosaurs did, during the mid-Triassic period, roughly 228 million years ago.

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Q: How did the dinosaurs get there names?
from Spencer R., E. Paso, Texas, USA; January 22, 1999

A: Click here to see a page on this topic.

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Q: recently I heard about a kind of new dinosaur that was discovered. It is bigger than a T-rex and has a heads like a crodile or alligator? do you know anything about this? Can you help me find a picture of it? thanks
from Sam P., Leawood, Kansas, USA; January 22, 1999

A: That's Suchomimus. For information on Suchomimus and a drawing, click here.

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Q: What was the first dinosaur fossil ever found in the world and how big was it?
from Whycocomagh, Inv. County, CITY, N.S., Canada; January 22, 1999

A: For information on the first dinosaur finds, click here.

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Q: I am in 2nd grade. I am doing a project on Mussaurus Patagonicus. Can you tell me more about this dinosaur?
from Jessica R., Greensboro, NC, USA; January 21, 1999

A: For a page on this small dinosaur (and its small eggs),click here.

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Q: What does an Anomoepus look like and when did it live?
from Mandy H., Newton, NJ, USA; January 21, 1999

A: No one knows what Anomoepus looked like; it is only known from Triassic period fossilized tail-prints. information on Anomoepus, look in the "Dino and Paleontology Dictionary."

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Q: do you know what color dinosors were . And what was there skin techer is.
from jeffrey m, holmen, WI, USA; January 21, 1999

A: See the "Top Ten Dinosaur Questions."

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Q: how can I find out about Trannosaurus rex?
from Amy O., Lafayette, Indiana, USA; January 21, 1999

A: For information on Tyrannosaurus rex, click here.

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Q: Were there any dinosaur bones found in Indiana? What were their names? What did they eat?
from Joelle C., Lafayette, Indiana, USA; January 21, 1999

A: None that I can find any references to. For more information on fossils found in the various states in the USA, click here.

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Q: How old is the oldest fossil that was ever found? Which dinosaur fossils have been found the most?
from Miss Moore's Second Grade Class, CA, USA; January 20, 1999

A: The oldest fossils ever found are those of very primitive, single-celled organisms from the Archeozoic Eon, over 2 1/2 billion years ago. For more information on these very early life forms, see the chart of geologic time.

The oldest dinosaur ever found was Eoraptor which is about 228 million years old (this was during the Triassic period).

The most common dinosaur fossils are the duck-billed dinosaurs (hadrosaurs). Hadrosaurs were plant-eaters that ranged in size from 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 m) long. They had horny, toothless beaks and cheek teeth in the sides of their jaws. They had stiff tails that were probably used for balance and bumpy skin. They ran holding their tail and head in a horizontal position. Hadrosaurs probably lived near bodies of water, migrating to high ground to lay eggs. Hadrosaurs lived during the late Cretaceous period. Their fossils have been found in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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Q: Are dinos fast?
from J and J; January 20, 1999

A: Some were, some weren't. For more information, click here.

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Q: I am doing a report on chasmosaurus and am needing more information,
from Rachel S., Wichita, KS, USA; January 20, 1999

A: For information on Chasmosaurus, click here.

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Q: Ok, here we go. I have to do get some research on recent dinosaur, fossil, and other finding of thighs from a long time a go. I would greatly appreciate if you could send some links to sites that are CURRENTLY UPDATED with information on recent finds. Thank you!
from Wally S., Stoneham, Mass., USA; January 20, 1999

A: See the section on Dino News; it's updated with each new and important dinosaur find.

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Q: I am in 2nd grade and doing a report on plesiosaurus. Can you tell me anything about this kind of dinosaur? I know it had a long neck, 4 paddlelike limbs and lived in the water. I know it was carnivorous and ate fish and other sea animals.
from Caroline R., Snellville, GA, USA; January 20, 1999

A: Plesiosaurus was not a dinosaur, but a marine reptile, a plesiosaur. For more information on Plesiosaurus, see the "Dino and Paleontology Dictionary."

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Q: How big were the dinosaur's eggs.
from WV, USA; January 20, 1999

A: It varied depending on the size of the dinosaur. For more specifics on dinosaur eggs, click here.

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Q: How many kinds of dinosaurs where there
from Ciera M., Broken Bow, NE, USA; January 20, 1999

A: Almost 500 described genera.

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Q: Do you have any information on the following dinosaurs: Gordonia, Henodus, Lexovisaurus, Moschops, Nautiloids, Quetzalcoatlus, Tanystropheus, Unintatherium, Wannanosaurus, Xiaosaurus, Yangchuanosaurus, and Zigosaurus? My 10 yoa daughter has a project due w/in the next week & 1/2. Your assistance is so greatly appreciated.
from Ginger G., Moncks Corner, South Carolina, USA; January 20, 1999

A: Most of these are in the "Dinosaur and Paleontology Dictionary." I'll add the rest (and some more pictures) ASAP.

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Q: I am doing a reasearch paper on the evolution of the turtles. I understand that the Eunotosaurus is somewhere in there but I need to know a lot more specific information such as size, physical shapes, ancestors and stuff like that. Thanks Eh!
from Derrick C., Markham, Ontario, Canada; January 17, 1999

A: I've added Eunotosaurus to the ZoomDinosaurs.com "Dino and Paleontology Dictionary."

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Q: What's with megalosaurus and about it
from Betsy C., Hollidaysburg, PA, USA; January 19, 1999

A: For information on Megalosaurus, click here.

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Q: which dinosaur was known as "first horned face"?
from Taylor K., Aurora, NE, USA; January 19, 1999

A: Protoceratops. For more information on Protoceratops, click here.

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Q: Where can I find a picture and/or information about Leptopterygius and how do you pronounce the name. I found it in a poem by Jack Prelutsky and I want to do my report on it. I am in second grade. Thank you.
from Mike C., Mentor, Ohio, USA; January 19, 1999

A: There's an entry on Leptopterygius (aka Temnodontosaurus) in the "Dino and Paleontology Dictionary". It looked a lot like modern-day dolphins but with a slightly pointer snout and a fish-like tail. I'm not sure how to pronounce it.

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Q: Do people know what dinosaurs looked like?
from Evelyn M., Boeblingen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: To a certain extent. Some dinosaurs are represented by very complete fossils, so we know how big they were and can figure out how they stood and what their general shape was. Details, however, are mostly unknown. We don't know what color they were, how big their eyes were or where they had flaps of skin or most other details. For many dinosaur genera, only a few bones have been found, and virtually nothing is known about these dinosaurs.

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Q: Has a dinosaur been found in Germany?
from Jordan G., Boeblingen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: I answered you on Jan. 15. Scroll down to see the answer!

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Q: Where did all the dinosaurs live?
from Jessica B., Beobligen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: Dinosaurs have been found all over the world, on every continent. For lists of where dinosaur fossils have been found, click here.

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Q: Is there any dinosaurs what is not a reptile?
from Daniel L., Beobligen, Germany, USA; January 19, 1999

A: No.

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Q: Is it true that maiasaurases are good mothers?
from Maia S., Stuttgart, Holzgerlingen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: Yes, herds of Maiasaura were found near well-built nests together with eggs and hatchlings. For more information on Maiasaura, click here.

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Q: Has T rex and Velociraptor ever meet?
from Ariana P., Beobligen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: No, they lived in different places (the US vs Asia) and million of years apart. For more information, see the sections on T. rex and Velociraptor.

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Q: What did the dinosaurs eat ?
from Karina B., Beobligen, Germany; January 19, 1999

A: For a section on dinosaurs' diets, click here.

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Q: How big was the megaraptor and how long was it? Was it as big as the T Rex?
from Michael P., Honolulu, HI, USA; January 18, 1999

A: Megaraptor was smaller than T. rex. For details about Megaraptor, click here. For more information on T. rex, click here.

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Q: I'm in the third grade how bigg was the t-rex what color was him?
from Dijon J. B., Compton, CA, USA; January 18, 1999

A: No one knows what color T. rex or any of the dinosaurs were. For more information on T. rex, click here.

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Q: WHAT WAS THE LARGEST DINOSAUR TO WALK THE EARTH AND HOW OLD WAS IT?
from Isaac J., Compton, CA, USA; January 18, 1999

A: See the Top ten dino questions.

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Q: Which dino was the stupidest?
from Lee B., TN, USA; January 18, 1999

A: The primitive dinosaurs belonging to the group sauropodomorpha (which included Massospondylus, Riojasaurus, and others) were among the least intelligent of the dinosaurs. For more information on dinosaur brains, click here.

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Q: what is the size and shape of a T-rex foot print
from Amanda S., Lexington, NE, USA; January 18, 1999

A: Although many dinosaur footprints (trackways) have been found, it's very hard to connect footprints to a particular dinosaur. T. rex, like other theropods (meat-eaters), had a print that looked like the one pictured here. This print belongs to an unknown theropod from Connecticut, dubbed Eubrontes.

For an information sheet on T. rex, click here.

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Q: Do ya'll got any pictures of da' dino Igunadon?
from Harry F., Fredricksburg, AL, USA; January 18, 1999

A: See the information sheet on Iguanodon.

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Q: How did the dinosaurs keep warm when it got cold?
from Tracie B., Nebraska, USA; January 18, 1999

A: No one knows exactly, but it probably depended on the type of dinosaur. Very large dinosaurs, like Brachiosaurus and Seismosaurus, were so large that keeping body heat in is not a problem; they tend to overheat. Heat dispersal is a major problem for very large animals. For smaller dinosaurs, keeping warm depended on whether they were warm blooded or cold-blooded. No one knows for sure whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded, warm-blooded, or whether some were one way and some were the other. Warm blooded animals eat to keep warm; they metabolize (burn) food to produce heat. Cold-blooded animals need a heat source (like the sun) to warm up.

For more information on dinosaurs and heat regulation, click here.

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Q: What color are dinosaurs, if you know ?
from Amanda S., Lexington, Nebraska, USA; January 18, 1999

A: No one knows. F0r more information, see the Top Ten Dinosaur Questions.

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Q: WHAT KIND OF BABIES DO COMPSOGNATHUS HAVE?(ARETHEY BORNIN EGGS OR ALIVE)
from Lydia J., West Melbourne, FL, USA; January 18, 1999

A: Compsognathus probably hatched from eggs, but no fossilized Compsignathus eggs have been discovered yet.

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Q: What are theropods and sauropods of dinosaurs. Send quickly very quickly its between life or death need for help for class research hurry Mrs. Blanc coming
from LaAm Se, McDowell, VA, USA; January 18, 1999

A: They are the two main divisions of the Saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. Sometimes the Saurischians are divided into theropods, bipedal meat-eaters, and sauropodomorphas (which contains the sauropods), quadrupedal plant-eaters. For more information on Saurischians, click here.

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Q: WHAT WAS THE OLDEST DINOSAUR TO EVER LIVE.
from Herman, Deluth, Minnesota, USA; January 17, 1999

A: Eoraptor is the oldest-known dinosaur; it lived about 228 million years ago.

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Q: Do you have any info on these Dinosaurs: Albertosaur, Tyrannosaur, Maiasurs, Stegosaurs, Triceratops, Procompsognat-hids, Othneilia, Velociraptors, Apatosaurs, Hadrosaurs, Dilophosaurs, Hypsi-lophodontids, Euoplocephalids, Styracosaurs, Microceratops,?
from Matthew R., Newhalen, Alaska, USA; January 16, 1999

A: Yes; look them up in the "Dinosaur and Paleontology Dictionary." The ones whose names are links have information sheets on them.

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Q: I am the kid who askes about cloning dinosaurs, what do you meanby "degrading"?
from Ira P.; January 16, 1999

A: I meant that the DNA had probably decomposed, or lost most of its structure.

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Q: I thought that the Seismosaurus was the biggest dinosaur.....
from ??; January 16, 1999

A: People thought it was until they found a bigger one.

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Q: What was the smartist dinosaur?.
from Kyle S., Boeblingen, Germany; January 15, 1999

A: The dromaeosaurids were probably the smartest. These included dinosaurs like: Velociraptor, Deinonychus, Utahraptor, etc.

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Q: Are dienosurs still here?.
from Jessica B., Boeblingen, Germany; January 15, 1999

A: If you count the birds, yes.

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Q: Has a dinosaur been found in Germany?
from Jordan G., Boeblingen, Germany; January 15, 1999

A: Yes, German dinosaur fossils include: Altispinax, Anchisaurus, Compsognathus, Dolichosuchus, Efraasia, Emausaurus, Eubrontes, Grallator, Halticosaurus, Iguanodon, Liliensternus, Ohmdenosaurus, Pachysauriscus, Plateosaurus, Procompsognathus, Pterospondylus, Sellosaurus, Stenopelix, Tanystrosuchus, Velocipes.

For more fossils found in Europe, click here.

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Q: How big is their dung?
from Ryan S., Boeblingen, Germany; January 15, 1999

A: It varied as the dinosaur's size varied. Recently, T. rex dung was found in Wyoming, USA. It was 17 inches (44 cm) long, 6 inches (15 cm) high and 5 inches (13 cm) wide. For more information on this specimen, click here.

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Q: how did the ankylosarus get it,s name?
from julia g, delran, nj, USA; January 15, 1999

A: Ankylo means fused, saurus means lizard. Ankylosaurus was named by Barnum Brown, perhaps referring to the dinosaur's backbone; the lower third of its tail vertebrae were immobilized (fused) into a stiffened spine. This probably made the tail a better weapon. The tail club was formed from several armor plates fused together.

For more information on Ankylosaurus, click here.

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Q: How tall is the biggest dinosaur?
from Jill V., Albany, Oregon, USA; January 14, 1999

A: The tallest dinosaurs were brachiosaurid sauropods; they had front legs that were longer than their back legs and had a giraffe-like stance. Among the tallest is probably Ultrasauros, which may have been 52 feet (15 m) high (its measurements aren't known exactly beacause only an incomplete skeleton has been found).

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Q: I need a little more specific information on the Lesthosaurus. What was this > dinosaurs habitat? What was his height and weight? I appreciate your help.
from ??; January 14, 1999

A: Lesothosaurus lived in dry, hot plains in what is now s. Africa. It was about 3 feet long, and roughly 1 ft tall. I don't have any reliable weight estimates for Lesothosaurus.
There's an information sheet on Lesothosaurus in ZoomDinosaurs.com at: /subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/Lesothosaurus.shtml

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Q: When did the dinosaurs start?
from amr.b, london, ealing, england; January 14, 1999

A: The dinosaurs evolved about 228 million years ago.

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Q: Where are the popular Dinosaur Tracks located?
from Carrie Y, Girard, Kansas, USA; January 14, 1999

A: There are lots of dinosaur trackways around the world, including Connecticut (in Dinosaur Park), Wyoming, Bolivia, China, etc.

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Q: I have to do a repoprt on Iguanadon dinosaurs. I need some information about them and a picture, please
from delores h, kernersville, nc, USA; January 14, 1999

A: For an information sheet on Iguanodon, click here.

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Q: How tall was stegasaurus?
from Sally T., Muscatine, Iowa, USA; January 12, 1999

A: Stegosaurus was about 9 feet tall (2.75 m). For more information on Stegosaurus, click here.

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Q: hi i have a question..how does math relate to paleontology? Like how do paleontologists use math?
from ??; January 12, 1999

A: Math is used a lot in modern paleontology. It is used in estimating a dinosaur's speed and weight, in calculating the dates of the sediment that the fossils are sadwiched between (radiocarbon dating). Another example of using math is in doing engineering analyses to determine how a dinosaur held itself. For example, it used to be thought that dinosaurs walked holding their heads up while dragging their tails, but by analyzing that stance from an engineering standpoint, it was seen to be unstable, and the horizontal stance was found to be more probable.

Another time math is involved is in calculating whether or not diplodocid tails could be used as whips (calculate the force at the tip to see if biological tissue can withstand the force). Another example is to calculate the force at the point of impact when two pachycephalosaurids butt heads. Recently it was found that the force would be so high that it would crush their skulls, so the old theory that they butted heads in intraspecies rivalry was demolished.

The rate of nerve transmission could be calculated to find out many things, including a dinosaur's reaction time (how long it takes a nerve signal to get from an extremity to the brain and to the limbs).
The list could go on and on, but I'll stop here.

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Q: I still need more help. In my report that I will be doing, I am to discus the possible reasons for the large mammals in the Ice Age dying out. I need some information, web-sites, books, and articles that may help me out. Some theories would be helpful if you could possibly help.
Thank you very much for all aid and help that you may be able to contribute.
Sincerly
George H, WI, USA; January 12, 1999

A: There were probably different reasons for different animal groups going extinct. The rapidly changing climate at the end of the ice age was an obvious factor; the emergence of humans as hunters was another. The warming had many effects on life forms at all parts of the food web. The weather chanes altered the types of plants that dominated. This changed the herbivores that could survive. This in turn affected the carnivores.

The temperature of the seas would also be affected (but to a smaller degree and more slowly), changing marine life and in turn, life on land, in similar ways.

In addition, sea levels rose drastically as the polar ice, sheet ice and glaciers melted. This would have flooded many animals' habitats, and affected the entire food chain.

Lastly, people were now hunting in a relatively efficient way, perhaps contributing to the extinction of some of the large animals like the woolly mammoth.

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Q: What does deino mean? In other words, would you please define the word deinos? Thanks
from Ruth H., ?; January 12, 1999

A: Deinos is Greek for "terrifying" or "terible."

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Q: WHAT DO DINOSAURS EAT
from Ellie T., Hereford, Hereford, England; January 12, 1999

A: Most dinosaurs were plant-eaters (herbivores), like Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Supersaurus, Ankylosaurus, etc. A smaller number were meat-eaters (carnivores) like T. rex, Velociraptor, Compsognathus, etc. A very small nuymber of early dinosaurs may have been omnivores (eating just about anything).

For more information on dinosaur diets, click here.

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Q: We are learning about dinosaurs. We have some questions:
1. Why did the Stegosaurus have a brain as small as a walnut?
2. Was Apatasaurus friends with Brachiosaurus?
3. How big was Triceratops?
4. What was the biggest dinosaur?
5. How big is a T-Rex's leg?
6. How small was a pteradactyl baby?
7. How did the long-necks grow a long neck?
Thank you for answering our questions if you can!
Love,
from Ms. Pollinger's Kindergarten Class, Short Hills, NJ, USA; January 12, 1999

A: 1. Stegosaurus had the brain size that it needed to survive. It spent most of its time just eating leaves, and you don't have to be very smart to do this.
2. Yes, Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus both lived in North America during the late Jurassic period.
3. Triceratops was about 10 feet tall and about 30 feet long. There is a drawing of a Triceratops next to a person here.
4. The biggest dinosaur may have been Argentinosaurus which was 115-130 feet long. It was a long-necked, long-tailed plant eater ( a little like Apatosaurus but bigger).
5. T. rex's legs were about 10 feet long. For a drawing of T. rex with a person to see how big its legs were, go to this page.
6. Therere many different species of Pterodactyls. They ranged in size from a wingspan of a few inches to about 40 feet. Their hatchlings (babies just out of the eggs) would range from very small to very big. There's more information on Pterodactyls at this page.
7. The same way a giraffe grows its long neck or you grow your long legs! Your body simply grows the way it has to!

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Q: CRYOLOPHOSAURUS - WHERE DID IT LIVE AND AT WHAT TIME?
from Sarah H., West Midlands, Dudley, England; January 12, 1999

A: It lived in what is now Antarctica during the early Jurassic period, roughly 190 million years ago. For more information on Cryolophosaurus, click here to go to its dictionary entry.

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Q: What kind of environment did the procompsognathus live in and how did he defend himself in his environment?
from Jordan B., Hartland, MI, USA; January 12, 1999

A: Procompsognathus lived in what is now Germany during the late Triassic period, a time when the environment was very warm and the sea levels were high (because there was no polar ice). It probably ate insects and lizards in a relatively dry, inland environment.

Procompsognathus was a speedy dinosaur and running was its primary means of not being eaten. There is more info on Procompsognathus in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

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Q: Is there a dinosaur called terodactyl?
from adrianna m., omaha, ne, USA; January 11, 1999

A: There was a flying reptile called Pterodactyl that was very closely related to the dinosaurs. For information on Pterodactyl, click here.

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Q: How fast does the Allosaurus run?
from Scott D., Bakersfield, CA, USA; January 10, 1999

A: There's a lot of debate about how fast Allosaurus could run. For a discussion of this, click here.

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Q: Were there any blue dinosaurs?
from Taylor N., Vancouver, B.C., Canada; January 10, 1999

A: No one knows what color the dinosaurs were. See the top ten questions for more information about dinosaur skin.

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Q: How long has it been since dinosaurs lived?
from Derek C., Minneapolis, MN, USA; January 10, 1999

A: The last remaining dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago.

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Q: What was the thunderbird dino.
from Brandon, Jacksonville, fl, USA; January 9, 19991999

A: Brontosaurus means "thunder lizard." That's the closest I can think of. Brontosaurus is the old name for Apatosaurus.

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Q: What are dinosaur bones like?
from Gina, Monterrey, Mexico, USA; January 8, 1999

A: Fossils have the same shape that the original item had, but their color, density, and texture vary widely. A fossil's color depends on what minerals formed it. Fossils are usually heavier than the original item since they are formed entirely of minerals (they're essentially stone that has replaced the original structure). Many fossils look like like ordinary rocks, but some are more exotic, including one fossilized dinosaur bone, a Kakuru tibia, which is an opal!

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Q: When dinosaurs became extinct?
from ??; January 8, 1999

A: About 65 million years ago in the K-T extinction.

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Q: I need some sites about mega fauna for a report or at least some name of mastadons, megaladons, and huge pre-historic animal names so that I have a better refference to look up some animals. Thanks much.
from George H., Ridgeland, WI, USA; January 8, 1999

A: For a page on ice-age mammals, click here. For a page on Megalodon carcharadon, click here.

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Q: How long were dinosaurs on earth?
from Steve N., Merrillville, Indiana, USA; January 8, 1999

A: Roughly 160 million years (from about 228 to 65 million years ago).

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Q: Were dinosaurs mammals or reptiles?
from Brandice, Lakeside, STATE, USA; January 8, 1999

A: Reptiles

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Q: What did Micropachycephalosaurus look like?
from Jackson Heights Second graders, Glens Falls, New York, USA; January 8, 1999

A: Micropachycephalosaurus is only known from a few fossils (not nearly a complete skeleton), but may have looked like its close relative, Stegoceras. For an entry on Micropachycephalosaurus in the "Dino and Paleo Dictionary," click here.

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Q: How do you print?
from kelly f, West Melbourne, Florida, USA; January 7, 1999

A: 1. Go to the page you want to print.
2. Click somewhere on the part of the page you want to print (this is so you will only print that part of the page and not the table of contents, etc.).
3. Choose "Print" or "Print frame" from the File menu on the top of the screen. 4. Follow the directions on the pop-up menu you get.

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Q: What organisms are from the Precambrian Era?
from Andy C., LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA; January 7, 1999

A: The Precambrian is now broken up into the Proterozoic, Archaeozoic and Hadean Eras. In the first two, live emerged and evolved into multicellular organisms, including, blue-green algae, bacteria, simple soft-bodied invertebrates, colonial algae, and sponges. For a chart of geological time and the life forms from those times, click here.

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Q: MY third graders would like to know a lot of information on the Diplocaulus. PLEASE help us our dinosaur study is almost ending.
from Miss M., Oklahoma, USA; January 7, 1999

A: For an information page on Diplocaulus, click here.

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Q: what were giant lizards that once lived in arkansas,usa.?
from Sara M, Beckley, WV, USA; January 7, 1999

A: Arkansaurus fossils have been found in Arkansas, USA. Arkansaurus was a bird-like, bipedal, meat-eater, a theropod dinosaur. For a list of fossils found in locations around North America, click here.

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Q: I need some specific information on a dinosaur called Ornithosuchus for a report. I need: Weight, diet (specific), habitat, and any other interesting facts.
from Amy K., Stanfield, Oregon, USA; January 6, 1999

A: Ornithosuchus wasn't a dinosaur, but a closely related thecodont. There are entries on Ornithosuchus and on thecodonts in the Zoom Dinosaurs.com "Dinosaur and Paleontology Dictionary."

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Q: I need enough info about the Wannanosaurus to write a 5-6 paragraph report.I have looked in a lot of places and have not had a lot of luck finding the info.Where can I find it?
from Kathie W., Amerst, NH, USA; January 6, 1999

A: For an information sheet on Wannanosaurus, click here. Don't forget to click on the links at that page for more information on the time when it lived, its contemporaries (dinosaurs who lived at the same time an in the same area), its relatives, etc.

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Q: Do dinosaurs have hair?
from Patty A., Stirling, Ony., Canada; January 5, 1999

A: No.

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Q: WHAT WAS THE SIZE OF THE ASTEROIDE AND WAVE THAT HIT THE EARTH
from Tracy J., Columbus, Ohio, USA; January 4, 1999

A: The asteroid is calculated to have been about 4-9 miles (6-15 km) in diameter. For more information on the Alvarez Asteroid theory, click here.

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Q: What was the biggest animal?
from ??; January 4, 1999

A: The biggest animal that ever lived on earth is the blue whale.

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Q: What was the biggest dinosaur?
from Dana K., St. Cloud, MN, USA; January 4, 1999

A: See the Top Ten Questions.

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Q: Where did Albertosaurus' live? And Are they index fossils?
from Emily, Chicago, IL, USA; January 4, 1999

A: Albertosaurus fossils have been found in Alberta, Canada and in the western USA. For more information on Albertosaurus, click here.

Albertosaurus is not an index fossil. Index fossils are fossils that are very common (and generally small), well-known fossils that are limited in time span. These index fossils help to date other fossils whose dating is unknown. Although Albertosaurus was limited in time span, it is not a very common fossil. For more information on index fossils, click here.

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Q: What are the Utahraptor's relatives? How Tall was the Utahraptor?
from Kevin K., Levittown, PA, USA; January 3, 1999

A: Other dromaeosaurids (advanced theropods), like Velociraptor, Deinonychus, etc. For information on Utahraptor, click here.

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Q: What was the biggest Dinosaur that ever lived on earth?
from Kara K., Sandwich, MA, USA; January 3, 1999

A: See the Top Ten Questions.

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Q: What does the Utahraptor mostly eat? Could a Utahraptor kill a T- Rex?
from Kevin K., Levittown, PA, USA; January 2, 1999

A: Dinosaurs and other reptiles. Utahraptor and T. rex didn't live at the same time, so they never met.

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Q: Is dinosaur cloning possible?
from Allison, Waldeick, NJ, USA; January 2, 1999

A: Only if intact DNA is found, and this is unlikely considering how long it's been since the dinos went extinct.

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