Biology Unit 4 Study Guide
Biology Unit 4
Chapter 1:
“Terrible Lizards”
Paleontologist: someone who studies “ancient organisms”
Paleobiology – the study of ancient life
Paleontology is particularly important with regard to scientific theory, since for many children dinosaurs are the first exposure to scientific concepts
Early Dino Stuff
In 1676- large meat- eating femur (Megalosaurus) was discovered and people thought it was a giant human’s scrotum – “Scrotum humanum”
First scientific name given to dinosaur
Prior to 1800s dino tracks were considered bird tracks
Thomas Jefferson was a big supporter of early paleontology
First written record of dinos were found in China
Extinction
Mosasaur: in 1770 giant, 40 foot long sea monster- not a dinosaur
Baron George Cuvier examined the specimen and argued that the Mosasaur had died long ago
Cuvier was a very influential man and was considered a genius, people for the first time gave serious consideration to the possibility that animals have gone extinct
Megalosaurus
“Big Reptile”
Discovered by Reverend William Buckland
Realized it was a reptile based on the teeth
Thought it should have a build of like a monitor lizard or giant crocodile- thought they were quadrupedal
Early interpretations of dinos were based off this idea- they were way off
Iguanodon
“Iguana tooth”
Discovered by Gideon Mantell
First described Herbivorous dino
Caused a lot of excitement because a plant eating dino had not been found yet
Dinosauria
“fearfully great reptiles”
Named by Sir Richard Owen in 1842
Forced to conclude that dinosaurs were their own unique and formerly unrecognized group of reptilians
His characteristics:
Giant (We now know this isn’t universal)
Possessing upright stances
Non-aquatic
Having more than 2 sacral vertebrae (backbones fused together in the hip region)
Archosaurian Reptiles
Dinosaurs are archosaurian reptiles and so are:
Crocodilians and pterosaurs – extinct flying reptiles
Also include “dinosauromorphs” – extinct dinosaurs- like reptiles
3 Distinct
Chapter 1:
“Terrible Lizards”
Paleontologist: someone who studies “ancient organisms”
Paleobiology – the study of ancient life
Paleontology is particularly important with regard to scientific theory, since for many children dinosaurs are the first exposure to scientific concepts
Early Dino Stuff
In 1676- large meat- eating femur (Megalosaurus) was discovered and people thought it was a giant human’s scrotum – “Scrotum humanum”
First scientific name given to dinosaur
Prior to 1800s dino tracks were considered bird tracks
Thomas Jefferson was a big supporter of early paleontology
First written record of dinos were found in China
Extinction
Mosasaur: in 1770 giant, 40 foot long sea monster- not a dinosaur
Baron George Cuvier examined the specimen and argued that the Mosasaur had died long ago
Cuvier was a very influential man and was considered a genius, people for the first time gave serious consideration to the possibility that animals have gone extinct
Megalosaurus
“Big Reptile”
Discovered by Reverend William Buckland
Realized it was a reptile based on the teeth
Thought it should have a build of like a monitor lizard or giant crocodile- thought they were quadrupedal
Early interpretations of dinos were based off this idea- they were way off
Iguanodon
“Iguana tooth”
Discovered by Gideon Mantell
First described Herbivorous dino
Caused a lot of excitement because a plant eating dino had not been found yet
Dinosauria
“fearfully great reptiles”
Named by Sir Richard Owen in 1842
Forced to conclude that dinosaurs were their own unique and formerly unrecognized group of reptilians
His characteristics:
Giant (We now know this isn’t universal)
Possessing upright stances
Non-aquatic
Having more than 2 sacral vertebrae (backbones fused together in the hip region)
Archosaurian Reptiles
Dinosaurs are archosaurian reptiles and so are:
Crocodilians and pterosaurs – extinct flying reptiles
Also include “dinosauromorphs” – extinct dinosaurs- like reptiles
3 Distinct