2. How Many Dinosaur Species?
More than 500 Genera
Approximately 1,000 species
3. Herbivorous V Carnivorous
Dromaeosarus
albertensis
Study of dinosaur morphology-mode of life may be established
Uniformitarianism – study of modes of life of modern herbivores
and carnivores and predator-prey relationships help to infer the
niches that dinosaurs occupied in the Mesozoic ecosystems
4. Bipedal – fast/agile runners
Long balanced tail for turning at speed
Large brain body mass ratio
Large forward facing eyes
Endothermic-covered in feathers
Strong jaws with sharp teeth
Sharp claws on forelimbs/feet for slashing prey
May have hunted in pairs or packs
Evidence for Carniverous
7. Carnivorous Dinosaurs
Tail carried upright aids
manoeuvrability and
change of direction when
running at high speed
Strong skull with powerful
jaws and sharp teeth
Sharp claws on fore
limbs for slashing prey
8.
9. Carnivorous Dinosaurs
Covered in feathers to keep warm
and maintain a high metabolic rate?
Probably warm blooded
Sharp claw on second
toe of foot used for
slashing at prey
May have hunted
in pairs or packs
10.
11. Spinosaurus – The Largest Carnivore?
12.6 to 18 metres in length
Weighed 7.0 to 20.9 tonnes
Cretaceous 97-112 Ma
Lived on land and in water
like a modern crocodile
Mainly a fish eater and had
vertebrae extensions covered
with skin to form a sail-like
structure on its back
12.
13. Large body mass
Quadrupeds/4 legged
Spikes, nobbly bits, horns for defence
Horny beaks with small/no front teeth
Neck lengths varied according to type of grazer
Gastroliths found inside the stomachs
Lived in large herds/Juveniles shielded on the inside
Small brain to body mass ratio
Evidence for Herbiverous
14. Evidence for Herbiverous - Stegasaurus
Short neck and small head
probably grazed bushes
close to the ground
Grazed in herds much
like elephants do today
on the plains of Africa
Walnut sized brain!
Four legged, bulky and heavy about
the size of a double decker bus
Heavily armoured, plates on back
may have been thermo-regulatory
15. Evidence for Herbiverous - Stegasaurus
Toothless beak and
small cheek teeth
Sharp tail spikes to
swing for protection
Late Jurassic
150 to 155 Ma
16.
17. Gastroliths (Stomach Stones)
Psittacosaurus fossil with gastroliths in its stomach
region, American Museum of Natural History
Psittacosaurus
Many herbivores swallowed
stones (gastroliths) to help break
down tough, fibrous plant
material in their stomachs
Over time the stones became
very smooth and polished
20. Argentinosaurus – The Largest?
Incomplete Argentinosaurus femur
shaft measuring 1.18 metres long
From this it is estimated that
the animal must have been between
30 and 35 metres in length
The animal is thought to have
weighed 80 to 100 tonnes
Late Cenomanian (Cretaceous)
94 – 96 million years old
21. Argentinosaurus – The Largest?
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Node Dinosauria
Order Saurischia
Sub-Order Sauropodomorpha
Branch Titanosauria
Family Antarctosauridae
Genus Argentinosaurus
Species huinculensis
Skeletal reconstruction in the
Senckenberg Museum, Germany
22. Relative Sizes – Dinosaurs, Elephants, Man
Herbivorous dinosaurs – the largest creatures ever?
Not quite, the Blue Whale today is
the largest creature ever to live
weighing 180 tonnes and 30m long
23.
24.
25. Humans 7.4 – 7.8
Bottlenose Dolphin 4.14
Chimpanzee 2.2 – 2.5
Dog 1.2
Cat 1.0
Sheep 0.8
Rabbit 0.4
A more complex version of
the brain to body mass ratio
