Glossary DOR - DRY
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DAC - DEI - DIC - DIN - DOR - DRY
DORSAL
Dorsal means of, pertaining to, or near an animal's back or upper surface
of the body.
Dorsal Fin
The fin or fins on the back of fish.
DORSAL VERTEBRAE
Dorsal vertebrae are the bones of the spine that support the back, between
the cervical vertebrae (the neck) and the sacrum (by the hips).
DOUGLASS, EARL
Earl Douglass (1862-1931) was a fossil hunter who in 1909 found the Carnegie
Quarry (now known as Dinosaur National Monument) in Utah, USA. Douglass
found many specimens (350 tons of fossils!), including Allosaurus, Apatosaurus,
Camarasaurus, Camptosaurus, Diplodocus, Hoplosuchus, Othnielia, and Stegosaurus,
for the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
DRACONYX
(pronounced drack-ON-iks) Draconyx (meaning: "dragon claw")
was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic Period,
about 155 million years ago. Draconyx was an iguanodontid dinosaur (ornithopods
with spiked thumbs) whose fragmentary fossil was found in Portugal. Draconyx
was named by paleontologist Mateus and Antunes in 2001. The type species
is D. loureiroi.
DRACOPELTA
(pronounced drack-oh-PELL-ta) Dracopelta (meaning: "shield bearer")
was a squat, armored, plant-eating dinosaur from the late Jurassic Period,
about 156 to 150 million years ago. Dracopelta was a nodosaurid ankylosaur
whose partial rib cage and some armor were found in Portugal. It was named
by paleontologist Galton in 1980.
Dragonfly
A type of colorful insect characterised by four large wings. They appeared
in the Devonian period. In the Carboniferous period there were species
with wing spans of over 70 cm. They are still around today, and commonly
fly in tandem when mating. The eggs are laid in water and the young have
gill-like structures to assist breathing.
DRAVIDOSAURUS
(pronounced druh-VID-oh-SAWR-us) Dravidosaurus (meaning: "Dravidanadu
[the name of the southern part of India] lizard") was a reptile from
the late Cretaceous Period, about 88.5-875 million years ago. It was 10
ft (3 m) long, had a small, narrow head with a pointed beak, and perhaps
some armored plates. It was originally thought that Dravidosaurus was
a Stegosaurid dinosaur, but it is now thought to be a Plesiosaur (a swimming
reptile). Fossils were found in southern India. It was named by Yadagiri
and Ayyasami in 1979. The type species is D. blandfordi.
DRINKER
(pronounced DRINK-er) Drinker was a small, plant-eating dinosaur from
the late Jurassic Period, about 156 to 145 million years ago. Drinker
was a 6.5 feet (2 m) long Ornithopod with a flexible tail. Both an adult
and a juvenile were found in Wyoming, USA. It was named by paleontologists
Bakker, Galton, Siegwarth, and Filla in 1990 to honor the late nineteenth
century paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope.
DROMAEOSAURID
(pronounced DROH-mee-oh-SAWR-id) Dromaeosaurids belonged to a group (family
Dromaeosauridae) of small, fast, meat-eating, theropod dinosaurs with
large, retractible, sickle-like toe claws and big eyes. They were among
the smartest and most deadly dinosaurs. Velociraptor, Deinonychus, and
Dromaeosaurus were Dromaeosaurids.
Dromaeosaur
The word means "swift lizard". The dromaeosaurs were a group
of small carnivorous dinosaurs or theropods. A group of small to medium-sized
coelurosaurs, that included Velociraptor and Deinonychus. They evolved
in the Early Cretaceous period and became extinct along with the rest
of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. One of the distinguishing
features of this group was a huge sickle-like claw on the second toe of
its foot. Dromaeosaurs are possibly the closest known relatives of birds.
DROMICEIOMIMUS
(pronounced droh-MEE-see-oh-MY-us) Dromiceiomimus (meaning: "emu
mimic") was an extremely fast-moving (perhaps over 40 mph = 64 kph)
bipedal dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period, about 75 to 70 million
years ago. It was about 12 feet (3.6 m) long and weighed about 220 to
330 pounds (100 to 150 kg). Its femur (thigh bone) was 46.8 cm long. This
ornithmimid (a bird-like theropod) had very long limbs and large eyes.
It had a toothless, beaked mouth, and weak jaws; it may have eaten insects,
eggs and some meat. It was named by D. A. Russell in 1972. The type species
is D. brevitertius. Fossils of adults and juveniles have been found in
Alberta, Canada.
DRYOSAURUS
(pronounced DRY-oh-SAWR-us) Dryosaurus (meaning: "tree lizard")
was a speedy, leaf-eating, bipedal dinosaur (a hypsilophodontid). It lived
in forests during the late Jurassic Period, about 156 to 145 million years
ago. It was about 10 - 12 feet (3 - 3.5 m) long. The type species is D.
altus. Fossils have been found in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah (USA), and East
Africa. Dryosaurus was named by Marsh in 1894. The type species is D.
altus.