Page 29 - The Dinosaur Book and Other Wonders of the Prehistoric World (DK-Smithsonian)

Skeleton ❯ The dinosaur’s
weight was supported by a
strong skeleton, but many
bones had air-filled cavities
that reduced their weight.
Hip bone
Lung Inside a dinosaur

Air sac
Lower jaw

Stomach ❯ The stomach of
a predator like Tyrannosaurus
Arms was adapted for holding a lot
of meat swallowed quickly
after a successful hunt.
Heart

Intestine ❯ Because meat is easy to Fast mover
digest, a meat-eating dinosaur’s intestine Hunters like this Tyrannosaurus were
was quite short. Plant-eaters had longer built to kill. Big muscles, warm blood,
intestines to process fibrous food. and super-efficient lungs would have given
them the speed and strength they needed to
pursue, attack, and kill their prey. But smaller
plant-eaters also had to be agile and quick on
their feet to stand any chance of escaping.
Claw

The eyes of some predators The pillarlike legs Scales were made of Fluffy feathers like this one
may have been adapted for helped support tough keratin, like were for insulation rather
night vision, like a cat’s. the weight. human fingernails. than flight.

Vision Their skull anatomy shows that Stance Like birds—but unlike Scales The skins of most big Feathers Many small theropods
many extinct dinosaurs had sharp senses. modern reptiles—dinosaurs dinosaurs were protected by and even some big ones were
Predators like Tyrannosaurus would have stood with their legs directly scales. Many small, feathered covered in feathers. These kept
had excellent vision, which may have beneath their bodies. This dinosaurs also had scales on them warm and allowed
been as acute as a modern eagle’s. helped to support their weight. parts of their bodies. some of them to fly.
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