MEET the DINOSAURS! WHAT’S in a NAME? a LOT If You Are a Dinosaur!

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MEET the DINOSAURS! WHAT’S in a NAME? a LOT If You Are a Dinosaur! MEET THE DINOSAURS! WHAT’S IN A NAME? A LOT if you are a dinosaur! I will call you Dyoplosaurus! Most dinosaurs get their names from the ancient Greek and Latin languages. And I will call you Mojoceratops! And sometimes they are named after a defining feature on their body. Their names are made up of word parts that describe the dinosaur. The name must be sent to a special group of people called the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to be approved! Did You The word DINOSAUR comes from the Greek word meaning terrible lizard and was first said by Know? Sir Richard Owen in 1841. © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® | 3 SEE IF YOU CAN FIND OUT THE MEANING OF SOME OF OUR DINOSAUR’S NAMES. Dinosaur names are not just tough to pronounce, they often have meaning. Dinosaur Name MEANING of Dinosaur Name Carnotaurus (KAR-no-TORE-us) Means “flesh-eating bull” Spinosaurus (SPY-nuh-SORE-us) Dyoplosaurus (die-o-pluh-SOR-us) Amargasaurus (ah-MAR-guh-SORE-us) Omeisaurus (Oh-MY-ee-SORE-us) Pachycephalosaurus (pak-ee-SEF-uh-low-SORE-us) Tuojiangosaurus (toh-HWANG-uh-SORE-us) Yangchuanosaurus (Yang-chew-ON-uh-SORE-us) Quetzalcoatlus (KWET-zal-coe-AT-lus) Ouranosaurus (ooh-RAN-uh-SORE-us) Parasaurolophus (PAIR-uh-so-ROL-uh-PHUS) Kosmoceratops (KOZ-mo-SARA-tops) Mojoceratops (moe-joe-SEH-rah-tops) Triceratops (try-SER-uh-TOPS) Tyrannosaurus rex (tuh-RAN-uh-SORE-us) Find the answers by visiting the Resource Library at Carnotaurus A: www.OmahaZoo.com/Education. Search word: Dinosaurs 4 | © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® DINO DEFENSE All animals in the wild have to protect themselves. Many of our Tuojiangosaurus dinosaurs have SPECIAL FEATURES (also known as adaptations) that help them do this. Match the dinosaur to the kind of protection that best suits them. Some of these prehistoric creatures may even use multiple adaptations! Armargasaurus Carnotaurus Spinosaurus Juvenile Dyoplosaurus Spines/frills/clubs Omeisaurus Horns Tuojiangosaurus Plates Yangchuanosaurus Juvenile Size Quetzalcoatlus Speed Ouranosaurus Sharp teeth Parasaurolophus Sharp claws Pachycephalosaurus Spikes Kosmoceratops Mojoceratops Visit Dinosaurs Alive! at Omaha’s Henry Triceratops A: Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to observe the dinosaurs above. Or Visit the Resource Tyrannosaurus Rex Library at www.OmahaZoo.com/Education. Let’s Analyze Our Results! ? Out of all the ways that the dinosaurs used to protect and defend themselves, which was most noticeable to you? ? Which adaptation was used the least? ? Which adaptation was used the most? ? Which dinosaur used the most adaptations? ©© 2013 2013 Omaha’s Omaha’s Henry Henry Doorly Doorly Zoo Zoo & & Aquarium Aquarium®® | | 5 5 THE CARNIVORE VS THE HERBIVORE There are many physical characteristics that animals have which allow us to guess what behaviors they may exhibit. For example, when we look at the teeth of an animal, we can predict if they are a carnivore or a herbivore. A carnivore is an animal which eats meat. A lion is an example of a carnivore. They have very sharp teeth which help them rip meat apart. A herbivore is an animal which eats plants. A zebra is an example of a herbivore. They have teeth that are flat, which help them grind up plants and leaves. By making observations, such as those above, paleontologists are able to make educated guesses about how dinosaurs acted millions of years ago. 6 | © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® As you explore Dinosaurs Alive! at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, keep track of the physical characteristics that you see on the dinosaurs and other animals (record observations for at least 3 dinosaurs and 3 zoo animals). After you’ve recorded your observations, become a paleontologist and make an educated guess as to what behaviors these ancient dinosaurs may have had. CHARACTERISTICS OBSERVED LEGS BODY NAME OF DINOSAUR TAIL EYES TEETH ARMOR NOISE (long, short, (front or side (sharp, flat, or in WALKED ON COVERING (do they make / ZOO ANIMAL (do they have any) (scales, hair, or or medium) of head) between) (two or four) any noises) feathers) Example: LION LONG FRONT SHARP FOUR NO HAIR YES List the dinosaurs Are most herbivores and animals that of these had sharp teeth: animals: carnivores List the dinosaurs and Are most herbivores animals that had eyes of these on side of their head: animals: carnivores Reflection List the dinosaurs Do most alone and animals that had of these armor or protection: animals live: groups What other behavioral connections can you make between dinosaurs and modern animals based on your observations? © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® | 7 Dig up your own Describe Your Own Dinosaur prehistoric creature at Dinosaurs Alive! or the Fossil Dig Site when you visit Omaha’s You are a Paleontologist and you just Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium! DISCOVERED A NEW DINOSAUR! What are you going to name it? How tall is your dinosaur? What color is it? What special features does it have? (special-shaped head, long or short arms, big teeth or claws) Where did you discover it? How did you find it? What do you think it ate? WRITE A STORY about your amazing discovery! DRAW A PICTURE of what you think your dinosaur looked like and what type of habitat it lived in. 8 | © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® How BIG Were They? Scientists use graphs to compare the data they have collected. Be a scientist and COMPARE EACH DINOSAUR’S LENGTH, HEIGHT AND WEIGHT! 25 up to 22,000 lbs 20 15 14,000 lbs WEIGHT 8,818 lbs WEIGHT 10 (IN THOUSANDS) (IN 5 5,511 lbs 1,984 lbs 0 1,633 lbs LENGTH 50 43 feet 40+ feet 40 25-30 feet 30 24.6 feet HEIGHT 20 13 feet 13 feet 13 feet 15 feet (at hips) 13 feet 10 feet 6 feet 10 (at hips) 4.5 feet LENGTH & HEIGHT & LENGTH 5 0 CARNOTAURUS DYOPLOSAURUS TRICERATOPS KOSMOCERATOPS T-REX AMARGASAURUS DIRECTIONS: Use the graph to answer the following questions. Which dinosaur is the shortest? Which dinosaur is the tallest? Which dinosaur is the longest? Which dinosaur is the heaviest? Which dinosaur do you think is the largest dinosaur? © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® | 9 FOSSILS NEARLY EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT DINOSAURS WE HAVE LEARNED BY STUDYING THEIR FOSSILS. ...or the shape of a The size of a fossil tooth can tell us if can tell us how big the dinosaur was an a dinosaur was... herbivore or carnivore. Have you ever wondered how fossils are formed, HOW ARE FOSSILS FORMED? or what makes a fossil different from a bone? Fossils can form in many ways, but most paleontologists agree that only a very small percentage of animals that ever lived have been found as fossils, or will ever become A fossil is a bone that fossils. Conditions have to be just right in order for fossils to form! isn’t a bone anymore. After being buried for millions of years, bones absorb surrounding animal is quickly buried bones dissolve & fill with water minerals and become rock-like. This is why fossils look brown and bones look white. Did You Know? One way a paleontologist can figure out the age of a fossil is by using radioactive dating. #1 #3 Everything on earth has a An animal must be quickly buried This leaves a cavity which is in small amount of radioactive once it dies. Mud or other material begins the shape of the original bone. material and scientists can to quickly cover the animal. measure this. By comparing Water, which is full how much radioactive material #2 More and more material (mud, sand, of minerals, begins is in the ground and fossils, or other) piles on top of the animal and to fill the cavity. The paleontologists can determine begins to harden. The bones are now minerals are left behind how old fossils are. surrounded by stone and begin to be and a cast is created. The dissolved by groundwater. cast has the same shape as the original bone! Learn how to make your own fossils at home! Go to the Resource Library at www.OmahaZoo.com/Education A Fossil Sandwich You will need: Examples of what you could use: • 3 slices of bread (clay can be used if available) • Several small house objects (such as paperclips, twigs, leaves, etc.) 1. Place one piece of bread DIRECTIONS on the counter (this to start represents the dirt/ activity mud) 2. Put 1-3 house objects on top of the bread 3. Place another piece of bread on top of the objects (this VIOLA! represents soil that Millions of years later... moved/shifted into the area) 4. Add 1-3 more house objects on top 5. Place final piece of bread on top of the objects (represents another layer of soil) What was a bone is now a heavy, rock- 6. Apply pressure to the bread, like copy of the original--called a fossil! then take the bread apart What happened to the bread? Were some objects greater in detail than others? Yes No Why do you think this is? How is this different than a real fossil? © 2013 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium® | 11 WHAT DID DINOSAURS LOOK LIKE? Does anyone really know what dinosaurs looked like? Often, the only thing scientists have to go by are fossils. Unfortunately, fossils don’t tell us what color dinosaurs were, or what type of body covering they had. Nearly everything we think we know about what dinosaurs looked like is due to an artist’s interpretation. Scientists who study extinct animals (like dinosaurs) often work with artists to recreate what the dinosaur may have looked like in real-life.
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