About Dinosaur Fossils
Dinosaur fossils are the preserved remains or traces of the dinosaurs, which were the dominant land-based animals from the late Triassic period (approximately 230 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (about 65 million years ago).
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Fossilization
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Fossilization is a complex process that occurs in several different ways. Hard body parts such as bones, teeth or shells are much more likely to become fossils than soft body parts, which are more likely to decay or be scavenged upon. Generally, remains must be buried in sediments soon after death if a fossil is to be formed. It is extremely unlikely that any one individual organism will become a fossil, so the fossil record is only a sparse indicator of prehistoric flora and fauna.
Trace Fossils
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Fossils include not only the remains of lifeforms but the marks they make on their environment. For example, there are several places in the world where well-preserved dinosaur footprints can be observed.
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Dinosaurs
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The word "dinosaur" is often used informally to describe all prehistoric reptiles, but the scientific definition is rather more precise. Dinosaurs were terrestrial animals, thus the great prehistoric marine reptiles such as mososaurs and plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs. Dinosaurs also stood more erect than most other reptiles; the structure of the hip is one of the ways in which dinosaurs are classified.
Numbers
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There were many types of dinosaurs. Over 1,000 species have been named thus far, and because the fossil record is so sparse, there are certainly many more yet to be discovered or that will remain unknown.
Fun Fact
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According to strict scientific classification, the dinosaurs did not become extinct at all: there is wide agreement that all modern birds are descended from dinosaurs.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Open source image.
