Zoom Dinosaurs DINOSAUR QUESTIONS

Q: Why are the Gavial, the lungfish, Tuotora and the Komodo dragon called living fossils?
from Jennifer C., Parsippany, NJ, USA; February 28, 1999

A: Living fossils are organisms that lived during ancient times and still live today, like the animals that you mentioned. Other "living fossils" include the Coelacanth, horseshoe crab, the gingko tree, cycads, horsetails, club mosses, and many, many more well-adapted organisms.

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Q: I had a video tape about dinosaurs that started with the question, "Are dinosaurs reptiles?" The answer in the video was no, that they had some similarities, but scientists now believe that some were warm blooded, unlike reptiles. When someone in my class said they were reptiles, I said no they weren't. They said I was wrong. Could you please explain what the right answer is? Thank you very much.
from Liam, New York, USA; February 28, 1999

A: This topic is a bit controversial and the answer depends on whether you define reptiles in the old Linnean system, or the newer cladistic approach. I've chosen to use this newer method which is based on the evolution of traits. In cladistics, the reptiles are defined to include the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of the turtles, lepidosaurs (lizards, snakes, tuataras), and archosaurs (crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds). In this system, reptiles are viewed as a group of animals that have scales (or modified scales), breathe air, and usually lay eggs. The maintenance of body temperature (cold- vs. warm-blooded) is not a factor in this classification, but skull and egg structure are.



Good references for this cladistic definition of reptiles are: The Complete Dinosaur, edited by Farlow and Brett-Surman, 1997, Indiana University Press, and The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs, by Fastovsky and Weishampel 1996, Cambridge University Press.

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Q: What period is T. rex from?
from Breigh W., Grandville, MI, USA; February 27, 1999

A: The late Cretaceous period. For more information on T. rex, click here.

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Q: I would like to see about Iguanodon.
from Arielle M., Aylmer, Ontario, Canada, USA; February 27, 1999

A: For information on Iguanodon, click here.

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Q: What dinosaur is king of the meat-eating dinosaurs. How long could T. rex live?
from Georgian, Manchester, NH, USA; February 27, 1999

A: T. rex. No one knows the life span of T. rex.

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Q: My first question is who is anseng my questios?
from Igor K., Brookly, New York, USA; February 27, 1999

A: My name is Jeananda Col (see the top of this page).

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Q: I would like to see the dinosaurs anatomy/systems. How does it all work together. Their overall structure, cells, veins, blood flow, etc. I cannot find anything that shows this. Would you have something? Thanks
from Yolette, V., West Palm Beach, FL, USA; February 26, 1999

A: No one known very much about the internal structure of dinosaurs because the soft tissue (like internal organs or muscles) is usually not preserved in the fossilization process. While there are a lot of fossilized teeth and bones (hard tissue), there are rarely fossilized internal organs or blood vessels. A recent find in Italy, the theropod Scipionyx, was the first example of fossilized imprints of the large intestine and some muscles. The analysis of this fossil is still underway, but it is yielding some information about this dinosaur's metabolism.

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Q: How did Velociraptor have its young? Thanks
from Alex C., Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: Velociraptor probably laid eggs, but there is no evidence of this; neither fossilized eggs nor hatchlings have been found.

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Q: How much did Pachycephalosaurus weigh and how did it have its young? Thanks.
from Kackie C., Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: Pachycephalosaurus is only known from an almost-complete skull and some skull fragments. A weight estimate is impossible given this incomplete fossil (as is information about how it had its young).

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Q: How did Lambeosaurus have its young? I need this information for a report but it was not included in your information sheet. Thank you.
from Elizabeth K., Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: Lambeosaurus probably laid eggs, but there is no evidence of this; neither fossilized eggs nor hatchlings have been found.

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Q: I'm doing a report on Allosaurus and need to know how much it weighed. I've read your information sheet but this information was not included. Thanks.
from Jeffrey H., Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: The different species of Allosaurus varied in weight. Allosaurus fragilis, A. atrox, and A. ferox weighed about 1.1 to 1.9 tons (1 tonne to 1.7 tonnes); A. amplexus was much heavier and weighed about 2.7 to 5.5 tons (3 tonnes to 5 tonnes).

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Q: Was Kentrosaurus lizard or bird-hipped? This information was not in your fact sheet. Thanks.
from Colleen G, Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: Kentrosaurus was a bird-hipped (Ornithischian) dinosaur.

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Q: How much did Camptosaurus weigh? Your information sheet did not include this information. Thanks.
from Susan B., Fairview Park, Ohio, USA; February 26, 1999

A: I've never been able to find an accurate estimate of Camptosaurus' weight.

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Q: Does anyone have any info on the Teradactyl? Size?
from Mark B., Whittier, CA, USA; February 25, 1999

A: The Pterodactyls (or Pterodactyloids) were a group of flying reptiles that ranged in size from having a wingspan of a few inches (primitive Pterodactyls) to over 40 feet (12 m) (later Pterodactyls). For more information on Pterodactyls, click here.

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Q: Did dinos have color eyesight?
from Anthony F., Dale City, VA, USA; February 25, 1999

A: Dinosaurs were a very diverse group and different types of dinosaurs possessed very different characteristics. Since modern-day birds have very good color vision, it is likely that the bird-like dinosaurs (advanced theropods like the coelurosaurs) did have color vision.

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Q: How many dinosaurs were on earth? Why were they different colors? Why were some fast? Why were some slow?
from brandon, Michigan, USA; February 24, 1999

A: No one knows exactly how many dinosaurs there lere on Earth. We know about 500 different genera of dinosaurs and even more species, but no one knows how many of each group lived. Also, we haven't found all the different types of dinosaurs that lived.

No one knows what colors any of the dinosaurs were. All the drawings you see have made-up colors. In fact, most of the details in these drawings are made-up.

In general, fast animal are fast in order to avoid becoming another animal's dinner or to catch dinner (like Ornithomimus). Not so fast animals starve or are eaten.

Intentionally slow animals have different survival techniques. If they are plant eaters, they need another kind of defense from meat-eater, since running away is not an option. Defenses include huge size (like Brachiosaurus), armor (like Ankylosaurus), spikes (like Stegosaurus), etc. Slow moving meat-eaters may trap their prey instead of hunting it down.

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Q: I am doing a report on ouranosaurus. I've consulted your dinosaur fact sheet but I can't find out how this dinosaur had its young or the reason for its extinction. I need to know both of these things for my report. Please help! Thanks!
from Justine B., Rocky River, Ohio, USA; February 24, 1999

A: Only two Ouranosaurus skeletons have been found, and no eggs, so there is no evidence to let us know how it reproduced. It went extinct about 110 million years ago. This was not the time of a mass extinction. Like most animal groups, it went extinct in a background extinction; this is not dramatic like the mass extinctions, but much more common.

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Q: I need to know how much Ouranosaurus weighed. I can't find it anywhere.
from Tom K., Cleveland, Ohio, USA; February 23, 1999

A: Ouranosaurus may have weighed about 4 tons. For more information on Ouranosaurus, click here.

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Q: About the Dimetrodon is he a dinosaur that has alot of info
from BU, Atlantic, PA, USA; February 23, 1999

A: Dimetrodon was a pelycosaur, not a dinosaur. For more information on Dimetrodon, click here.

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Q: What is a Baryongy?
from fred h., redcliffs, australia; February 22, 1999

A: Baryonyx was a meat-eating dinosaur with crocodile-like jaws that lived during the early Cretaceous period. For more information on Baryonyx, click here.

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Q: I have a term paper due on the "IGUANODONTIDAE" family, so, is there any books or sites that you recommend for me to use. Please get back to me? Thank You. Nathan
from Nathan B., Saratoga Springs, NY, USA; February 22, 1999

A: I've expanded the Iguanodontia entry in the ":Dino and Paleo Dictionary": Iguanodontids (family Iguanodontidae, also called Iguanodonts) were large, plant-eating, ornithischian ornithopods who lived from the late Jurassic to the late Cretaceous periods. These dinosaurs had thumb spikes, a toothless beak, a long snout, long toes, and a bulky tail.

Also check out the individual iguanodonts, including: Iguanodon, Camptosaurus, Dryosaurus, Gasparinisaura, Muttaburrasaurus, Ouranosaurus, Probactrosaurus, Tenontosaurus (perhaps a hypsilophodontid), and Valdosaurus.

A good book with some information on this and many other dinosaur topics is the recently published The Complete Dinosaur edited by Farlow and Brett-Surman. A really good web page is Mike Keesey's. Note that there are many different classification schemes for this (and ALL) dinosaur clades; there is no universally accepted cladogram.

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Q: Did adult dinosaurs ever eat their young?
from Kyle S., Stuttgart, Germany; February 22, 1999

A: This practice occurs among some carnivores today (for example, among male lions and both male and female sharks). There may have been some dinosaur species that occasionally ate their young. Some fossilized dinosaurs have been found with the bones of tiny dinosaurs inside them; it is uncertain whether these bones were from meals or incubating babies.

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Q: How many brains did they have?
from amanda d., Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 22, 1999

A: One. It used to be thought that some dinosaurs (like Stegosaurus and some sauropods) had a second brain at the base of their tail, but this "brain" was a lump of nerve tissue. For more information on this topic, click here.

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Q: Who pays for excavating fossils? Are digs federally or privately financed?
from Amber D., Upland, CA, USA; February 21, 1999

A: Both. Many digs are funded by government grants (for example, many University professors are financed by gov't grants), but other expeditions are funded privately (for example, the National Geographic Society funds many expeditions).

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Q: What is the height and weight of a Palaeoscincus? I need this for an assignment at school. Please help.
from Brad H., Newport, Rhode Island, USA; February 19, 1999

A: Palaeoscincus is known from only a single tooth. The height and weight of this ankylosaur are unknown. For more information on Palaeoscincus, click here.

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Q: Who ate the most food?
from A.B., Rapid City. SD, USA; February 19, 1999

A: The biggest and most active dinosaurs probably ate the most. Also, if any dinosaurs were warm-blooded, they would have needed to eat more than cold-blooded ones.

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Q: like you said in your facts, (which I enjoyed) you said that the Deinonychus was the true raptor, but the thing I'm fuzzy on is WHY it is the trus raptor, and not the Megaraptor or the Utahraptor or the Velociraptor? Is it because any of its features or something?
from Jeff H., Virginia, USA; February 18, 1999

A: Deinonychus, Utahraptor and Velociraptor are all Dromaeosaurids (called "raptors" by some people). These dinosaurs were advanced theropods with a sickle-like claw on each wide foot. Megaraptor is not a true raptor, but a more primitive dinosaur with a different, thinner foot structure. It was thought to a raptor when it was named by F. Novas. For information on each of these dinosaurs and topics, click on the underlined words.

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Q: Can I please have some information on Dilophosaurs.
from David H., Timaru, New Zealand; February 18, 1999

A: For an information sheet on Dilophosaurus, click here.

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--> Q: What is the scientific name of the brachiosaurus?
from Alexandra T.; February 18, 1999

A: For dinosaurs, the common name is the same as the scientific name, Brachiosaurus is that dinosaur's genus name.

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Q: How long before man inhabited the earth did the dinosaurs became extinct
from Ivan C, Brooklyn, NY, USA; February 15, 1999

A: About 65 million years. For more derails, see the chart of geological time.

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Q: WHY DO DINOSAURS LIKE TO EAT MEAT???
from John K, Macomb MI, USA; February 15, 1999

A: Most dinosaurs were plant eaters. Those who did eat meat, however, did so for the same reason that lions do; that's the way their bodies are made. Their stomach can digest meat, but not tough plant material. Their mouth and teeth can tear flesh apart but would not be so useful for trimming leaves. They didn't LIKE to eat meat, they HAD to eat meat.

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Q: I know about the meteor theory of extinction - what other theories are out there about the demise of dinosaurs?
from vicki, columbus, nm, USA; February 15, 1999

A: For a page on alternate extinction theories, click here.

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Q: Who was the first dinosaur to walk on land?
from dd, ft. smith, ok, USA; February 15, 1999

A: Eoraptor is the earliest dinosaur that we know about, but there may be even earlier ones.

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Q: How tall was Ultrasauros?
from Logan L. and Sean A., Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 15, 1999

A: For information on Ultrasauros, click here.

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Q: Which dinosaur was the largest Herbivore?
from zz, Oklahoma, USA; February 15, 1999

A: The biggest dinosaurs were all herbivores; these included the enormous sauropods listed here.

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Q: How is genetics related between dinosaurs, birds, and mammals?
from Tim S., Menomonee Falls, WI, USA; February 15, 1999

A: Dinosaurs and birds are very closely related; mammals are very different genetically.

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Q: Is there an ancient marine reptile called "Onion Creek Mosasaurus?"
from Rachel B., Tyrone, GA, USA; February 15, 1999

A: Yes, it was a 30 foot (9 m) long Mosasaurus maximus found in Onion Creek, Texas, USA. Its tail was about 12 ft (3.7 m) long. This huge reptile was discovered in 1934 by University of Texas geology students Clyde Ikins. It was a late-Cretaceous period, meat-eating reptile (not a dinosaur). The skull is 4.7 ft (1.45 m) long, and the jaws could open about 3 feet (1 m). The lower jaw is loosely hinged to the skull with a moveable joint on each sid. This loose joint let it swallow huge prey. For more information on Mosasaurus, click here.

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Q: How many bones are in a dinosaur? Do dinosaurs have more bones than a human?
from Hansol Y., Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; February 14, 1999

A: Different dinosaurs had different numbers of bones. For example, many of the long-necked, long-tailed dinosaurs had extra vertebrae in their necks and tails.

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Q: what is the scientific name for a compsognathus?
from nicki l., newport, RI, USA; February 12, 1999

A: For dinosaurs, the common name is the same as the scientific name. The genus of Compsognathus is Compsognathus. The type species is Compsognathus longipes. For more info on Compsognathus, click here.

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Q: Can you please give me the classification of the Iguanodon. your site doesn't tell about the Genus and Species, so it would help if you could give it all the way through the Species. Thanks.
from Mike D., Topsham, Maine, USA; February 12, 1999

A: For dinosaurs, the common name is always the genus name. For most genera (the plural of genus), there are many species. For example, Iguanodon is a genus name. The type species (the species for which a genus is named) is I. anglicus. Other Iguanodon species include: I. atherfieldensis, I. bernissartensis, I. dawsoni, I. fittoni, I. hoggi, I. lakotaensis, and I. ottingeri. These species differ in size and snout shape. There are another 17 dubious species (they are probably other dinosaurs, but were originally placed in the genus Iguanodon). For the rest of the classification of Iguanodon, see the information page on it.

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Q: Have any bones been found in MIN. What is the werdest dino
from Cool, El Paso, Texas, USA; February 12, 1999

A: I don't have any references for dinosaur fossils found in Minnesota. For other fossils found in the North America, click here. The weirdest dinosaur is a matter of opinion - I think the weirdest dinosaur was Oviraptor.

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Q: How long ago did dino's live?
from Tara S, Owatonna, MN, USA; February 12, 1999

A: They lived from about 228 million years ago (the mid-Triassic period) until 65 million years ago (the end of the Cretaceous period).

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Q: What is the biggest fossil found?
from cale v, owtonna; February 12, 1999

A: Probably a huge Ultrasauros scapula (shoulder blade) found by paleontologist Jim Jensen. It was bigger than a person.

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Q: When was the first dinosaur born?
from Sean A,, Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 11, 1999

A: During the Triassic Period, about 228 million years ago. See the info sheet on Eoraptor, the oldest-known dinosaur.

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Q: How old did the Troodon live? What color is the Troodon?
from cool, el paso, texas, USA; February 11, 1999

A: One Troodon that was found is estimated to be 3-5 years old. Their full live span is unknown, so is their color.

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Q: What do they eat.
from Jessica M., Owatonna, MN, USA; February 11, 1999

A: Most were plant-eaters. See the page on dinosaur diets.

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Q: What does the word sauros mean, Deinos mean, and who invented the term dinosaurs?
from Jenna F, Weirton, WV; February 11, 1999

A: Its Greek for lizard. FOr more information, see the "Top Ten Dinosaur Questions" above.

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Q: What was the first dinosaur found in America?
from Logan L., Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 11, 1999

A: See the page on "First Dinosaur Discoveries"

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Q: what are some good kid sites for raesearching dinosaurs?
from ??; February 11, 1999

A: Zoom Dinosaurs was speciffically designed for students doin dinosaur research. IF you're looking for a particular dinosaur or paleontology term, look in the "Dino and Paleo Dictionary." Otherwise check out the Table of Contents or the site index.

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Q: do you know what dinosaurs were found in colorado
from Jacob D., Grand Junction, CO, USA; February 11, 1999

A: Allosaurus, Amphicoelias, Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus, Camptosaurus, Cathetosaurus, Ceratosuarus, Cionodon, Denversaurus, Diplodocus, Dryosaurus, Dystylosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Epanterias, Haplocanthosaurus, Marshosaurus, Nanosaurus, Ornithomimus, Othnielia, Polyonax, Stegosaurus, Supersaurus, Torvosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, Ultrasauros were found in Colorado. For dinosaurs found in other places, click here.

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Q: Do you have information on the Glyptodont,the Uintatherium,the,and the Woolly Rhinoceros? We read a book called Dinosaur Dream and it talked about these animals as the characters moved back in time.
from Josh H., Coralville, IA, USA; February 11, 1999

A: Yes, see the entries in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

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Q: what does the dinosaur ankylosaurus name mean? how did its anatomy affect its life?
from Rachel C., Shelbyville, IN, USA; February 10, 1999

A: No one knows exactly why some life forms survive a mass extinction while others don't. The ones that do survive were better at adapting to the new circumstances (a change in temperature, a change in atmospheric content, a change in sea level, a change in the available foods, etc.). For more information on extinction, click here.

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Q: what does the dinosaur ankylosaurus name mean? how did its anatomy affect its life?
from andrea c., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA; February 10, 1999

A: Ankylosaurus means "fused lizard." Its anatomy determines what it needs to eat, how it protects itself, how it gets food, how it moves, and just about everything else an animal does. For more information on its anatomy, click here.

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Q: My teacher asked us a question, if a meteor hadn't hit the earth would the dinosaurs still be alive?
from Nate J, Hudson, Ohio, USA; February 10, 1999

A: Maybe yes, maybe no. No one knows.

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Q: Do you know any information about the dinosaur Mussarus.
from Irina P, Kirkland, WA, USA; February 10, 1999

A: Yes, see the entry in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

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Q: Did dinosaurs live in hot, humid areas?
from ??; February 10, 1999

A: Yes, the Mesozoic Era was mostly warm and humid. There was no polar ice and the sea levels were also much higher than they are today.

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Q: How did T. rex defend it's self?
from ana c., worcester, ma; February 9, 1999

A: With teeth and claws. For more about, T. rex click here.

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Q: Were dinosaurs warm or cold-blooded?
from ??; February 9, 1999

A: No one knows for sure, but there is a lot of speculation about this. For details about this topic, click here.

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Q: What does Iguanodon mean?
from Candy T., Washington D.C., USA; February 9, 1999

A: Iguana tooth. Its teeth are similar to those of the iguana. For more info on Iguanodon, click here.

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Q: Did ants live in the same time period as the dinosaurs or did they come after the dinosaurs. please answer my Q
from michelle m, NY, NY, USA; February 9, 1999

A: Ants evolved long before the dinosaurs. Land insects (like ants) appeared during the Silurian Period, about 438 to 408 million years ago, hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs. For more on the order of the appearance of life forms, see the Geological Time Chart.

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Q: Does Dilophosaurus have horns?
from ??; February 9, 1999

A: No, but it did have two large, arched crests on its head. For more info on Dilophosaurus, click here.

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Q: What is the weight of the Psittacosaurus.
from Caroline and Abby, Coralville, IA, USA; February 9, 1999

A: About 55 pounds (25 kg). For more info on Psittacosaurus, see the entry in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

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Q: Are there any dinosaurs that were both meat eaters and plant eaters.
from Joshua B., Stephenville, Texas, USA; February 11, 1999

A: Yes, there were a few known omnivores; for more details see the page on dinosaur diets.

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Q: I am doing a report on Compsognathus and I would like to know who were his enemies and how did he protect himself?
from Melanie M, Fort Mitchell, KY, USA; February 8, 1999

A: Compsognathus had sharp teeth and claws for protection (and also for offense). It was also a fast runner, which is a major line of defense, especially from large, lumbering meat-eaters. For information on Compsognathus, click here.

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Q: Who discovered the Triceratops dinosaur?
from Jenay S, Susanville, California, USA; February 8, 1999

A: The first Triceratops skull was found in 1888 by John Bell Hatcher. Triceratops was named by Othniel Marsh from a fossils found near Denver, Colorado, USA, in 1889. For more information on Triceratops, click here.

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Q: What does the name Tyrannosaurus rex mean?
from Gary H., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, USA; February 8, 1999

A: Tyrant lizard king. For more info on T. rex, click here.

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Q: I'm doing a report on Stegosaurus and I was wondering if you could tell me some things about it or give me some links to good sites about it. I'd really appreciate it!
from Ryan R., Houston, Texas, USA; February 8, 1999

A: For a site on Stegosaurus, click here.

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Q: What is the order, family, and genus of the Barapasaurus?
from Krista T., San Diego, CA, USA; February 8, 1999

A: Barapasaurus belonged to the order Saurischia, suborder Sauropoda, family Vulcanodontidae (perhaps - no skulls have been found, so this is unsure), and genus Barapasaurus. The type species is B. tagorei. For more info on Barapasaurus, click here.

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Q: What dinosaur had the biggest egg?
from david b., hartville, ohio, USA; February 8, 1999

A: The largest dinosaurs (sauropods like Argentinosaurus, Supersaurus, Brachiosaurus) probably had the largest eggs. It's difficult to match dinosaurs with fossilized eggs because most embryos do not fossilize.

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Q: Where can we find a dinosaur named Herrerasaurus.
from ??; February 8, 1999

A: Herrerasaurus was discovered in Argentina. For information on Herrerasaurus, see the entry in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

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Q: How much do we known about the Eoraptor? ...
from Jennifer B, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; February 8, 1999

A: Eoraptor is the earliest-known dinosaur. There may have been even earlier dinosaurs, but their fossils haven't been unearthed yet. Herrerasaurus is another very early dinosaur. For an information sheet on Eoraptor, click here. To find out more about the Triassic period (when Eoraptor lived), go to the page on the Triassic.

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Q: How much do we know about Brachiosaurus?
from Jessica G., Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; February 8, 1999

A: For an inofrmation sheet on Brachiosaurus, click here.

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Q: I am researching the Chinese Stegosaur or the Wuerhosaurus. I an having trouble finding info. can you help?
from Ana R, Cortland, New York, USA; February 8, 1999

A: For an entry on this stegosaurid in the ZoomDinosaurs.com Dinosaur Dictionary, click here.

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Q: Did a comet or asteroid hit the Earth?
from Edwin B., Dallas, TX, USA; February 8, 1999

A: They hit the Earth all the time. A large asteroid hitting Earth may have triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other groups of animals and plants 65 million years ago.

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Q: Is Anatosaurus the same dinosaur as Trachodon?
from Melani and Andrew, Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 8, 1999

A: No, Anatosaurus is an obsolete name for Edmontosaurus. For more info on Edmontosaurus, click here.

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Q: where did most of the dinosaurs live? How many were there during peak population? what species had the largest population? what color were they?
from melanie g, montville, nj, USA; February 8, 1999

A: Dinosaurs lived all over the world. It's hard to know where they were found in the greatest concentrations during their lifetimes because all we know about them is from their fossilized remains. Fossils are mainly found in places where the sedimentary rock is now exposed; this doesn't correlate well with Mesozoic conditions. Where we find the most dinosaur fossils today are the places where it is easiest to find fossils, not necessarily where the most dinosaurs lived.

Dinosaur population numbers (peak or otherwise) are unknown,

The duckbills (not a species, but a family, the hadrosaurs) were probably the biggest groups of dinosaurs.

No one knows what color the dinosaurs were.

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Q: Need an idea for a dinosaur project
from Ryne K., Absecon, NJ, USA; February 7, 1999

A: I need to know what grade level the project is for.

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Q: Who are Gallimimus enemies?...
from Dede B, Hampton, NJ, USA; February 6, 1999

A: For information on Gallimimus, click here.

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Q: Which raptor had the biggest killer claw?
from Kwabena S, Arlington, VA, USA; February 6, 1999

A: Utahraptor; its rear legs' second toes had a 9-15 inch (25-35 cm) sickle-like claw. Megaraptor also had a huge claw , a 14 inch (35 cm) sickle-like claw, but it wasn't a true raptor (despite its name).

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Q: Can you send me a big picture of Suchomimus? Remember a big picture.
from Kathleen T., Wadsworth, Illinois, USA; February 6, 1999

A: For a drawing of Suchomimus (and information about it), click here.

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Q: What is a name for a 5-horned dinosaur?
from ?; February 6, 1999

A: Pentaceratops.

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Q: Is it hard putting bones together?
from Erin V., Houston, TX, USA; February 6, 1999

A: Yes, especially since fossils are almost always incomplete, most bones are broken, and other bones, belonging to other animals, may be mixed in. It takes years to prepare and re-assemble a fossilized animal. For more info, see this page on fossils.

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Q: I would like information on the Styracosaurus for a class project. I know that it was a ceratopsian of the late Cretaceous age but any other information would be appreciated.
from Kelsey W., Dayton, Ohio, USA; February 5, 1999

A: For information on Styracosaurus, click here.

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Q: I am looking for lots of info on Dimetrodons like: What was its size? What did t eat? What did it look like? How long did it live?
from Sam R., Toronto, Ontario, Canada; February 5, 1999

A: For information on Dimetrodon, click here.

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Q: Where can I find info on a dinosaur named Comtosaur?
from a.p., Houston,. Texas, USA; February 5, 1999

A: I've never seen a reference to Comtosaur. Perhaps you're referring to Compsognathus or Compsosuchus? For info on Compsognathus, click here. For info on Compsosuchus, click here.

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Q: What is the weight of Camarasaurus?
from Caroline D., Coralville, IA, USA; February 5, 1999

A: Perhaps up to 20 tons. For more information on Camarasaurus, click here.

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Q: What is the weight of Velociraptor?
from Jordan and Cecil, Coralville, Iowa, USA; February 5, 1999

A: Roughly 15 to 33 pounds (7 to 15 kg). For more information on Velociraptor, click here.

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Q: Is there a place on the web that pronounces the various names of dinos?
from ??, USA; February 5, 1999

A: I don't know of one, but I am adding written pronunciation to the dinosaurs in the Zoom Dinosaurs Dictionary (only "A" and "T" are done so far).

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Q: What specific locations in Colorado are extinct dinosaurs and their fossils found?
from Quinton C., Las Vegas, NV, USA; February 4, 1999

A: The Morrisson Formation is a major source of dinosaur fossils in Colorado. For a page on North American fossils, including those from Colorado, click here. Q: Could you tell me about paleontologists and their work?
from Koko S., Glendale, CA, USA; February 4, 1999

A: For a page on many famous paleontologists, click here.

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Q: What is the difference between a dinosaur and a large reptile? (Elasmosaurus for example)
from Scott S., Ronkonkoma, NY, USA; February 4, 1999

A: One major difference is the positioning of the limbs. The dinosaurs were unique among reptiles in that their legs went straight down under their hips . Most reptiles had legs that sprawled out to the sides . Elasmosaurus' flippers were sprawling.

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Q: What can you tell me about Mutturrasaurus?
from Aaron M., Allentown, NJ, USA; February 4, 1999

A: There's information on Muttaburrasaurus in the Dinosaur and Paleontology Dictionary.

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Q: How big is a Brachiosaurus' footprint.
from DJ, Alberta Beach, Alberta, Canada; February 3, 1999

A: Matching up footprints to dinosaurs is virtually impossible, but Brachiosaurus must have had footprints that were each about the size of a bathtub. This size print has been found in Bolivia and other sites. For more information on Brachiosaurus, click here.

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Q: Do you have a picture of ankylosaurs.
from lindsay s., Pinellas Park, Florida, USA; February 3, 1999

A: See the page on Ankylosaurus.

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Q: I need a good color picture of Plesiosaur for my 3rd grade report on dinosaurs. I could only find the black and white drawing in ZoomDinosaurs.com. Do you have one?
from Kory P., Sanibel, FL, USA; February 3, 1999

A: Yes, for the information sheet on Plesiosaurs (which were not dinosaurs, but related marine reptiles), click here.

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Q: Where did the dinosaurs live.
from Billy U., Arlington, Texas, USA; February 3, 1999

A: Dinosaurs lived all over the world. Dinosaurs have been found on all continents, including Antarctica. For the locations of fossils worldwide, click here.

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Q: What does Pachycephalosaurus mean?
from Lisa K., Parsippany, NJ, USA; February 3, 1999

A: Pachycephalosaurus means "thick-headed lizard."

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Q: What is Xenotarsosaurus' weight? Do you have other info about this dinosaur?
from Josh H., Coralville, IA, USA; February 3, 1999

A: I've added Xenotarsosaurus to the "Dinosaur Dictionary".

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Q: What is the height of a Pteranodon?
from ?; February 2, 1999

A: Pteranodon was about 6 feet (1.8 m) long from head to tail and had a wingspan of about 25 feet (7.8). For more information on this flying reptile (which was not a dinosaur), click here.

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Q: How tall was the Trachodon and why is it so hard to find any specific information about it? I have to do a report on it for school.
from Jessica P., Tewksbury, MA, USA; February 2, 1999

A: Trachodon is only known from a few teeth, so very little is known about this dinosaur. For some information on Trachodon, click here and scroll down to the entry on Trachodon.

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Q: Did meat eaters always catch their prey?
from ??; February 2, 1999

A: No.

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Q: What is a Nothosaurus?
from stephen e, carcas, miranda, Venezuela; February 1, 1999

A: Nothosaurus was a long-necked, long-tailed, fish-eating, Triassic reptile. It ranged from about 1 foot (30 cm) to 13 feet (4 m) long - it was not a dinosaur. For more information on Nothosaurus, click here.

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Q: Need information on Saber Tooth Tiger
from Kaylana G, Canada; February 1, 1999

A: For an information sheet on Smilodon, the saber-toothed cat, click here.

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Q: What's the oldest dinosaur found.
from Jamihla, Carmela, and Amanda, Mansfield, Ohio, USA; February 1, 1999

A: Eoraptor, which is from the Triassic period.

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Q: 1. How many years did the dinosaur live?
2. How many types of dinosaurs were there?
3. How were the dinosaurs named?
4. How old could the dinosaurs live to?
from Stephanie M., Mansfield, Ohio, USA; February 1, 1999

A: 1. The dinosaurs lived for most of the Mesozoic Era, from about 229 million to 65 million years ago.
2. About 500 different genera (and many more species) have been found so far.
3. See the "Top Ten Questions" above.
4. See the section on dinosaurs' ages.

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Q: what is extinction?
from Johnson, mansfield, ohio, USA; February 1, 1999

A: See the section on extinction; it defines the major types of extinction.

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Q: I need any and all information about the Lystrosaurus. Thanks a lot!!!
from Lisa D., ??, USA; February 1, 1999

A: For information on Lystrosaurus, see the dinosaur and paleontology dictionary.

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Q: What can you tell me about Pangea during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods?
from Amy W., Allentown, NJ, USA; February 1, 1999

A: There's information on Pangea in the section on the Mesozoic Era. When you're there, check on the individual time periods also.

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Q: I need information on the Plesiosaurus.
from christopher s, bloomington, mn, USA; February 1, 1999

A: For information on Plesiosaurus, see the dinosaur and paleontology dictionary.

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