Dino Life

Origins of the Dinosaurs

The Lizards saw the decline of the paramamals. The dinosaurs saw the decline of the lizards and the extinction of the paramamals. The arrival of the dinosaurs had dramatic consequences for all other land vertebrates, including the lizards and paramamals. Dinosaurs dominated the earth for 140 million years. They began as insect-eating, lizard-like forms during the “Age of the Paramamals”. They lived along the edges of rivers and lakes and ate fish and insect larvae. As they grew larger, they attacked any paramamal that came to the waters edge for a drink. The dinosaurs adapted to this way of life. Their tails grew bigger and stronger for swimming. At the same time their hind legs grew larger and stronger than the front ones. the legs were held under their bodies, instead of sprawled, lizard-like position. When the dinosaurs left the water, it was hard for them to walk on all fours since the back legs were stronger then front ones. So they walked on their hind legs, using their tail for balance, these two-legged, meat-eating reptiles could move faster than the four-footed paramamals.

All early dinosaurs were flesh-eaters. For the prey of flesh-eaters, there were two ways of surviving( 1-Grow small & numerous or 2- grow gigantic). The Herbivores(Plant-Eaters) took the second way.

THE GIANT PLANT-EATERS

The first plant-eating dinosaurs developed into giant sauropods. The largest were up to 100 ft. long and weighed over 88 tons. They could swim and they lived in herds, mostly in the swamps. Their internal temperature most have beer very constant. Like the advanced paramamals they also developed separate systems for chewing and breathing as well as muscular cheeks.

The strange headpieces of the duckbills contained sensitive organs that warned them of approaching danger. The horns on the head of the triceratops protected them against enemies and also served in trials of strength between males.

Although the dinosaurs adapted very well to changes in plant life, all dinosaurs vanished suddenly 64 million years ago. Dinosaurs on land, in the sea, and in the air all vanished at the same time. This is very different to explain. We still don't know why.

One group of carnivorous dinosaurs lost their teeth and became an eater of dinosaur eggs. It could easily speed away from danger on it's spindly legs.

Weather plant or meat-eaters, dinosaurs fell into 2 categories, large and small. Giant plant-eaters didn't fear small carnivores, and small plat-eater could always escape the slow and lumbering giant meat-eaters. But dinosaur eggs were always easy prey, and so were newly hatched young. Young dinosaurs most have lived in the undergrowth until they were big enough to go in the open. They probably controlled their temperature by alternately seeking sun and shade. Their way of life must have been very different from that of the adults.

THE LAST OF THE DINOSAURS

The last 40 million years of the” Age of the Dinosaurs” saw the modern flowering plants appear. They were tougher then the early ones. The most successful dinosaurs. the horned and duckbilled types, developed cutting, and crushing teeth for chewing them. It would have taken several days for such huge bulk to warm up or cool down just a few degrees, no matter what the weather was like. With a constant body tempter, all the internal systems can work steady rate. This advantage can be had by burning up food very fast and having some form of insulation, or increasing in size.

ATTACK AND DEFENSE

Plant eating (Stegosarous) was about 30 ft. long. He was protected by bony plates along his back. On his tail was two sets of sharp spikes. This was good defense against the flesh-eating T-rex who atacked before eating.

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