Dinosaur Glossary D - G
A - C | D - G | H - M
| N - Q | R - Z
D
Dinosaur
Now extinct, dinosaurs were large, land-dwelling reptiles that roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic Era. The word dinosaur means "fearfully great lizard."
Dogger Epoch
The middle part of the Jurassic period, the Dogger epoch was about 180 to 159 million years ago.
Dromaeosaurids
A group of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period that were carnivorous,
bipedal, small, fast and intelligent. The velociraptor is part of the
dromaeosaurid family.
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E
Eggs
Some animals hatch from eggs, even dinosaurs. A nutritive material (yolk) and a protective membrane surround animal eggs. A jelly coating protects amphibian eggs and shells protect bird eggs.
Embryo
An animal or plant in the earliest stages of development.
Epoch
A division of a geologic period; it is the smallest division of
geologic time, lasting several million years.
Era
Two or more geological periods comprise an Era, which is hundreds of
millions of years in duration.
Evolution
The gradual and continuous process by which the first and most
primitive of living organisms have developed into the plants and
animals of today.
Extinct
When an animal species dies out this is known as extinction. Dinosaurs
have become extinct.
F
Ferns
A non-flowering plant very plentiful during the Mesozoic Era.
Fossils
The remains or traces of a plant or animal that lived in the past,
usually preserved in sedimentary rock. Fossils have been found on
every continent on Earth.
Frill
The bony "crown" on the head of a ceratopsian dinosaur, like a Triceratops.
G
Gallic Epoch
The Gallic epoch was the middle part of the Cretaceous Period about
127 million to 89 million years ago.
Genus
In classification, a genus is a group of related or similar organisms.
A genus contains one or more species. A group of similar genera (the
plural of genus) forms a family. In the scientific name of an
organism, the first name is its genus (for example, people are Homo
sapiens - our genus is Homo).
Geological Time
The history of the earth is described in geological time, which is
measured in millions of years and billions of years. The divisions
used are: eon, era, period, and epoch.
Geology
The study of the Earth's structure, including rocks.
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies geology.
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