Glossary CAR - CED
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CAE - CAR - CEN - CHA - CHI - CLI - COM - CRA - CTE
CARDIODON
(pronounced CAR-dee-oh-don) Cardiodon (meaning: "heart tooth")
is doubtful genus if dinosaur known from a single, heart-shaped tooth
found in England. The tooth dates from the middle Jurassic Period, about
170 million years ago. Cardiodon, a large plant eater, was a cetiosaurid
sauropod, was named by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841. The type species
is C. rugulosus. Cardiodon may be the same as Cetiosaurus.
CARMELOPODUS
Carmelopodus is a theropod dinosaur known only from its fossilized trackways.
This bipedal, meat-eating ichnogenus lived in during the middle Jurassic
Period in what is now the Carmel formation in eastern Utah, USA and England
(supporting the theory of continental drift).
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a period of geological time between 360 and 286 million
years ago towards the end of the Paleozoic era. It is separated into two
epochs - the Early Carboniferous (360 to 320 MYA) and the Late Carboniferous
(320 to 286 MYA).
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals.
CARNOSAUR
(pronounced KAR-no-SAWR) Carnosaurs (meaning: "flesh lizards")
were large theropods (meat-eating dinosaurs) that lived during the Jurassic
and Cretaceous Periods. Allosaurus and Sinraptor were carnosaurs. These
saurischians are a groups of dinosaurs thatare part of the group tetanurae,
defined as closer to allosaur than to birds.
CARNOSAURUS
(pronounced KAR-no-SAWR-us) Carnosaurus (meaning: "flesh lizard")
is a misspelling of Carnotaurus. Carnosaurus was named by paleontologist
von Huene in 1929, from fragmentary fossil remains of a large theropod
dinosaur. Carnosaurus is a nomen nudum (published without a proper or
complete description); Carnosaurus is not a recognized dinosaur genus.
CARNOTAURUS
(pronounced KAR-no-TAWR-us) Carnotaurus (meaning: "flesh-eating bull")
was an unusual-looking theropod dinosaur that was about 25 feet (7.5 m)
long, weighing about 1 ton (1000 kg). This meat-eater had brow-horns (hence
its name), extremely tiny arms (even smaller than those of Tyrannosaurids),
and a long, thin tail. It may have had partial binocular vision (unlike
most other dinosaurs) since the eyes were set facing slightly forwards.
Carnotaurus lived during the Cretaceous Period, about 113 to 91 million
years ago. Its almost complete fossilized skeleton, together with skin
impressions (that reveal rows of bumps on rough skin), have been found
in Patagonia, South America. It was named by paleontologist J. Bonaparte
in 1985. The type species is C. sastrei.
CARPENTER, KENNETH
Kenneth Carpenter (1949 - ) is a paleontologist who works at the Denver
Museum of Natural History (in Denver, Colorado, USA). Carpenter, Bryan
Small, and Tim Seeber found the most complete Stegosaurus yet found in
1992, near Canon City, Colorado, USA. Carpenter named the dinosaurs Animantarx
(Carpenter, Kirkland, Burge, and Bird, 1999), Cedarosaurus (Tidwell, Carpenter
and Brooks, 1999), Gargoyleosaurus (Carpenter, Miles, and Cloward, 1998),
Gojirasaurus (Carpenter, 1997), Maleevosaurus (Carpenter, 1992), Mymoorapelta
(Kirkland and Carpenter, 1994), Niobrarasaurus (Carpenter, Dilkes, and
Weishampel, 1995), Pectinodon (Carpenter, 1982). Carpenter has written
many books on dinosaurs, including "Dinosaur Systematics," "Dinosaur
Eggs and Babies," "The Dinosaurs of Marsh and Cope," and
"The Morrison Formation - an Interdisciplinary Study."
Carrion
Bodies or parts of bodies of dead animals used as food by many scavenging
animals.
Cartilage
A dense plastic like material which is strong but more flexible than bone..
It forms the majority of the skeleton of many primitive animals including
the sharks. In humans, the nose and ears contain cartilage to stiffen
them.
CASEA
Casea was a small, sail-less pelycosaur that lived during the early Permian
period. It looked like a fat lizard; it had 4 short, sprawling legs, a
long tail, a small head, a bulky body, a huge rib cage, and a large gut
(needed to digest its food). This plant-eater ate tough plants, like horsetails
and ferns. It had no teeth in its lower jaw, but had thick, peg-like teeth
in the upper jaw. It also had small teeth on the palate itself (the roof
of the mouth). Casea was about 4 feet (1.2 m) and may have weighed over
1,300 pounds (600 kg). Fossils of this synapsid have been found in France
and the USA (Texas).
CASINERIA
Casineria kiddi, (meaning: "Cheese Bay" named for the Scotish
Bay where the fossil was found) a newly found reptile from Scotland, may
be the oldest reptile. This 8 inch (20.5 cm) long quadruped dates from
about 340 million years ago. Most of its length was in its 5 inch (13
cm) long tail. This tiny reptile had five fingers on each hand.
CATHETOSAURUS
(pronounced ca-THEE-toh-SAWR-us) Cathetosaurus (meaning: "upright
lizard") was a large, long-necked, quadrupedal, plant-eating dinosaur.
This sauropod dates from the late Jurassic Period, about 156-145 million
years ago. Its pelvic structure perhaps indicates that it could rear on
its hind legs to eat leaves high in the trees (hence its name). This pelvis
also has huge teeth marks in it (probably a theropod dinosaur that scavenged
the carcass). Cathetosaurus is known only from scanty fossils found in
Colorado, USA. It was named by paleontologist Jensen in 1988. The type
species is C. lewisi. Cathetosaurus is a doubtful genus and may be the
same as Camarasaurus.
CAUDAL
Caudal means of, near, or from the tail.
CAUDAL VERTEBRAE
Caudal vertebrae are the vertebrae in the tail - the tail bones.
CAUDIPTERYX zoui
(pronounced caw-DIP-ter-iks) Caudipteryx (meaning: "tail feather")
was a 3 feet (1 m) tall, feathered theropod dinosaur found in the sediment
of an ancient lake bed in China's Liaoning Province. It lived during the
late Jurassic to early Cretaceous Periods (about 120 to 136 million years
ago) and had asymmetrical feathers, indicating that it did not fly. The
feathers were probably for insulation. Caudipteryx did not have a long
tail like other theropod dinosaurs, but did have a generous tail fan of
feathers up to 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) long. Caudipteryx may be the closest-known
ancestor of birds.
CAVE LION
The cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea) was probably the biggest lion that
ever lived. It was 25 percent bigger than lions today and was up to about
11.5 ft (3.5 m) long. This subspecies of lion lived in Europe (as far
north as Denmark) until historical times; the last of these huge mammals
lived until about 2,000 years ago in the Balkans (southeastern Europe).
There are cave drawing of this huge feline. It probably hunted in a manner
similar to that of today's lions.
CEARADACTYLUS
Cearadactylus was a pterosaur with a 13 feet (4 m) wide wingspan with
protruding, interlocking teeth. It was not a dinosaur, but type of extinct,
flying reptile from Brazil during the early Cretaceous period.
CEDAROSAURUS
(pronounced SEED-er-oh-SAWR-us) Cedarosaurus (meaning: "Cedar Mountain
Formation lizard") was a sauropod dinosaur that lived during the
early Late Cretaceous Period. It had a long neck, a long tail, and a small
head. Fossils were found in Utah, USA. It was named by paleontologist
Tidwell, Carpenter and Brooks in 1999. The type species is Cedarosaurus
weiskopfae.