Dinosaur Glossary R - Z

R

Rock Hammer
About the size of a typical claw hammer, but heavier with a squared, blunt end and a sharp pick on the opposite end.

S

Saurischian
Dinosaurs that had hips structured like lizards. The word saurischian means "lizard-hipped". There are 2 types of saurischians: theropods and sauropods.

Sauropods
A group of herbivorous, quadrapedal, saurischian dinosaurs that have extremely long necks and whip-tails. The word sauropod means "lizard-footed". Two examples of sauropods include diplodocus and brachiosaurus.

Sediment
Any material deposited by wind or water, like rocks and sand.

Sedimentary rock
Rock that has formed from sediment. Most fossils are found in exposed sedimentary rock.

Shale
A type of rock that is formed from clay that has been pressed into thin sheets.

Shovel
A flattened scoop with a handle for digging. Used when digging dinosaur fossils.

Skeleton
The bony framework of an animal's body. Dinosaur skeletons were made of bones and cartilage.

Skull
The bony structure of the head that encloses the brain and supports the jaws.

T

Theropods
A group of carnivorous, bipedal, saurischian dinosaurs that were fast-moving and intelligent. The word theropod means "beast-footed". This group were predecessors of the bird. Two examples of theropods are the velociraptor and the tyrannosaurus rex.

Triassic Period
Dinosaurs and mammals evolved during the Triassic period, 248 - 208 million years ago.

U

Uranium
A radioactive element; over time, it gradually changes into the element lead. It can be used to date very old rock layers.

V

Volcano
An eruption of the Earth's crust. When a volcano erupts, it spews out lava and gases from deep inside the Earth. The Cretaceous Period was a time of high volcanic activity.

W

Warm blooded
Animals generate their own body heat to maintain their body temperature. Birds and mammals are warm blooded.

X

Y

Z

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Dinosaur Digs