Dinosaurs

Few animals, ancient or modern, capture our imagination like dinosaurs. These exotic beasts were the dominant land animal of their time, living from about 210 to 145 million years ago.

William Buckland was the first scientist to describe a dinosaur in the scientific literature, introducing Megalosaurus in 1824. Based on this and two other taxa, Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur (meaning "terrible lizard") in 1841. Since them paleontologists have described more than 1000 valid species. Today, many scientists believe that birds are closely related, if not direct descendants of, dinosaurs.

Enjoy reading about the scientific, historical,and cultural impact of these fascinating creatures!

Leading Contributors

Latest articles in Dinosaurs

What is the State Fossil of Montana?

Maiasaura peeblesorum, discovered in Montana in 1978, was the first dinosaur found in conjunction with its nests, eggs and babies.

Sep 18, 2011 – Kevin Schindler

Stegosaurus: a Jurassic Giant

An insight into the physical characteristics and lifestyle of the Stegosaurus, a dinosaur that became extinct more than 140 million years ago.

Sep 6, 2011 – Hayley Ames

What is the State Fossil of Utah?

The carnivorous dinosaur Allosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period. Its fossils dominate the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in central Utah.

Aug 27, 2011 – Kevin Schindler

Hylaeosaurus, a Cretaceous Armored Dinosaur

Gideon Mantell described the fossil based on bones recovered from a quarry in Tilgate Forest, England. It was the third dinosaur scientifically described.

Aug 1, 2011 – Kevin Schindler

Gideon Mantell's Discovery of the Dinosaur Iguanodon

Trained as a physician, Mantell was a passionate fossil collector and in 1825 named Iguanodon, the second dinosaur scientifically described.

Jul 30, 2011 – Kevin Schindler

Subscribe to feed

1 2 3 Next

topic editor

Dinosaurs

Leading Contributors

Latest articles in Dinosaurs