Types Of Dinosaurs
There are thousands of known types of dinosaurs. Ranging from small shell fossils and Trilobites to the massive T. Rex, there are enough species to capture the imagination of children and adults alike. Among all of the different variances, there are even different types of dinosaurs of the same species from different eras that show the evolutionary paths these fantastic beasts once took. This can help make learning about the past fun, regardless of age.
When learning about the different types of dinosaurs, there are many different classifications. First, they tend to be broken down by whether they eat only meat, only plants, or both. As scientists do not have the ability to directly study the animals, they look at the structure of their teeth and the natural weapons, such as claws, that the animals once had. This helps them determine what types of food they ate. The type of food they ate often determined where the dinosaurs may have lived. The Velociraptor is a prime example of a dinosaur that exclusively ate meat. The Brontosaurus, known for its massive bulk and long necks, were one of many herbivores, or animals that exclusively dined on plants. Species that ate both plants and meat tended to be smaller scavengers, eating whatever they could find. The Armintomys, a species of prehistoric rodent, is believed to be one such omnivore. However, as there is a limited number of available skeletons for study, it is not fully proven whether or not they ate both plants and animals. The similar body structure to the jumping mouse and Jerboa lead many to believe they were, as these species are often thought to be omnivorous.
After the different types of dinosaurs have been classed by what they eat, they are often classed by the type of animal they are. These include flying species, mammalian species, reptilian species and marine species. Pterodactyl belong in the flying species category, while woolly mammoths are mammalian in nature. The T. Rex is more reptilian in nature, while the four finned Plesiosaur is one of the most well known marine dinosaurs to have ever inhabited the oceans.
In the cases where it is unknown what the animals ate or whether or not they were marine, flying, mammalian or reptilian, the types of dinosaurs are often classed by size. As links to the specific categories they belong in are discovered, it becomes easier to figure out the relations between different types of dinosaurs and how they fit into prehistoric life.
