Page 91 - DINOSOUR ATLAS

dinosaur facts

Glossary Conifer floodplAin

An evergreen tree or shrub, such as fir and pine,
the river bursts its banks and deposits sediment
that produces seed cones. Flat landscape around a river, formed when
Amber on the land.
A sticky resin produced by certain trees. Continent
Insects and other organisms have been A large landmass, for example, Asia, Africa, food ChAin
found fossilized in amber. North America, South America, Antarctica, A linked series of livings things (animals and
Europe, and Australia. plants), each of which is the food for the
Ammonite next in line.
A mollusk that lived in a coiled shell that had ContinentAl drift
air-filled chambers—the mollusk lived in the The movement of continents across the fossil
outer chamber. Ammonites became extinct at surface of the Earth over time. The remains of an animal or plant that have
the end of the Cretaceous Period. been preserved in rock. Dinosaur fossils include
Coprolite bones, teeth, footprints, coprolites, gastroliths,
AmphibiAn Fossilized animal dung, or droppings. eggs, and skin impressions.
An animal with a backbone and four legs that
lays its eggs in water. In the larval (young) CretACeous period fossil fuel
stage it lives in water. In the adult stage it Period of geological time from 140 to 65 million Fuel, such as coal, gas, or oil, composed of the
lives on land and in water. Modern amphibians years ago. fossilized remains of plants and animals.
include frogs and toads.
CyCAd GAstrAliA
AnApsid A nonflowering plant with a thick trunk, no Ribs in the belly area that are not attached
A reptile, such as a turtle, whose skull does branches, and palmlike leaves. to the backbone.
not have an opening behind the eye.
diApsid GAstroliths
AnkylosAur A reptile, such as a lizard, whose skull has Smooth, rounded stones found in the stomachs
An armored plant-eating dinosaur covered with two openings on either side. of some plant-eating dinosaurs that helped them
bony plates, knobs, and spikes. It also break down and digest vegetation.
had a bony club at the end of its tail. dnA (deoxyribonuCleiC ACid)
Genetic material that determines the inherited GinkGo
beAk characteristics in every living thing. A primitive tree that shed its leaves in the fall.
A horny mouthpart on birds and some It had fan-shaped leaves. The only living species
dinosaurs. Beaks are used in the same way as dromAeosAur of ginkgo is the maidenhair tree.
teeth, to hold and chop up food, but are lighter. A birdlike theropod dinosaur with a
lightweight, agile body. Most were no bigger GondwAnA
bone bed than 6 ft (1.8 m). The southern supercontinent made up of
A layer of rock that contains a very large Africa, Australia, Antarctica, South America,
number of bones. embryo and India.
An animal or a plant in the early stages of its
CArnivore development from an egg or seed. hAdrosAur
An animal that eats mainly meat. A large, plant-eating dinosaur with a long, flat
extinCtion beak. Many had crests on their heads.
CerAtopsiAn Death of every single one of an animal or
A large, plant-eating dinosaur with pointed plant species. hAtChlinG
horns and a bony frill growing from the An animal just hatched from an egg.
back of its skull. fAmily
A group of animals or plants that are related herbivore
Cheek teeth to each other. An animal that only eats plants.
Teeth used for chopping or chewing by
plant-eaters. They were located behind the fern horsetAil
front teeth or beak. A nonflowering plant with finely divided A primitive plant (related to ferns) with an
leaves called fronds. upright stem and tiny leaves.
Cold-blooded
When an animal, such as a lizard or a snake, fibulA hypsilophodont
cannot control its own body temperature but The smaller of the two bones of the lower leg, A fast-moving, plant-eating dinosaur with
must rely on the heat of the Sun to warm it. the other being the tibia. a stiff tail.

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