Glossary SAB - SOC
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SABER-TOOTHED CATS
These extinct cats are notable for two huge canine teeth plus other sharp
teeth in powerful jaws. These mammals also had very strong jaw and neck
muscles that let them stab prey with their deadly teeth. They ate mammoth,
rhinoceros, and other thick-skinned animals. Examples include: Smilodon
(the largest and most powerful, from N. America), Hoplophoneus (with short
teeth, from the Oligocene), Eusmilus (leopard-sized with very long teeth,
from the Oligocene), and Machairodus (lion-sized and common; from Europe
during the Paleocene). Fossils have been found in Pliocene to early Pleistocene
rocks from both North and South America and other Northern continents.
SACRAL VERTEBRAE or SACRAL RIBS
Sacral vertebrae (also called sacral ribs) are the part of the backbone
that is attached (fused) to the pelvis in dinosaurs.
SACRUM
The sacrum is the part of the backbone that is attached to the pelvis.
SAICHANIA
(pronounced siy-KAHN-ee-ah) Saichania (meaning: "beautiful"
in Mongolian) was a heavily-armored, plant-eating dinosaur that lived
during the late Cretaceous Period, about 79-75 million years ago. It was
an ankylosaurid, a plated, slow-moving, quadrupedal ornithischian with
a clubbed-tail and bony spikes and knobs running along its sides. It had
a wide, boxy head with unusual nasal bones that may have cooled and moistened
inhaled air; it may have had an acute sense of smell. Both body armor
and stomach armor have been found for Saichania (other ankylosaurs may
have had belly armor, but it has not been found for them). Saichania was
about 23 ft (7 m) long. Three fossils were found in Mongolia. The type
species is S. chulsanensis. Saichania was named by paleontologist Maryánska
in 1977.
Salamander
A group of amphibians that evolved in the Middle Jurassic period. There
are about 400 living species most commonly occurring in fresh water and
damp woodlands where they feed on snails, worms insects and other small
animal.
SALIENTA
Salienta (or Anura, meaning: "no tail," since these amphibians
lose their tail as an adult) is the group of frogs, toads, and their close
fossil relatives. The earliest anuran is Triadobatrachus, from the early
Triassic Period.
SALTASAURUS
(pronounced SALT-ah-SAWR-us) Saltasaurus (meaning: "Salta lizard,"
Salta is a province of NW Argentina) was a long-necked plant-eating dinosaur
about 40 feet (12 m) long. It lived during the late Cretaceous Period,
roughly 83 million to 79 million years ago. It was a titanosaurid, a plated
sauropod from what is now Argentina and Uruguay in South America. The
plates on its back may have had spikes on them for protection. This quadruped
is known from the following fossils: a few oval and circular armored plates
(3.8-4.5 inches = 10-12 mm in diameter), hundreds of bumps which covered
its back (1/4 inch = 6-7 mm in diameter), and several incomplete skeletons,
including some vertebrae, limb bones, and jaws. Saltasaurus was named
by paleontologists J. Bonaparte and J. Powell in 1980. The type species
is S. loricatus.
SALTOPOSUCHUS
(pronounced SALT-oh-po-SOOK-us) Saltoposuchus (meaning: "leaping
crocodile") was a lightly-built, bipedal reptile (a primitive Crocodylomorph,
not a dinosaur) that was 3 ft 9 inches (1.15 m) long. This meat-eater
had sharp, pointed teeth and two rows of armored plates on its back. It
had long back legs, short front legs, and a long tail. Saltoposuchus lived
during the late Triassic Period, roughly 210 million years ago. Fossils
were found in Europe and North America.
SALTOPUS
(pronounced SALT-oh-pus) Saltopus (meaning: "leaping foot")
was an early, small, meat-eating dinosaur from the late Triassic Period,
about 225 million to 222 million years ago. Its fossil was found in Scotland.
The type species is S. elginsis.
SALTRIOSAURUS
Saltriosaurus (meaning: Saltrio [a town in Italy] lizard) is an unpublished
and informal name for a meat-eating dinosaur found in a quarry near Saltrio,
in northern Italy. This theropod dinosaur lived during the early Jurassic
Period, roughly 200 million years ago. Saltriosaurus was a biped about
26 feet (8 m) long and13 feet (4 m) tall). The skull was 28 inches (70
cm) long and the single tooth that was found was about 2.8 inches (7 cm
) long. About 10 percent of this fossil has been found; Angelo Zanella
discovered this fossil in 1996. Saltriosaurus is the oldest-known three-fingered
dinosaur. This dinosaur resembled Allosaurus. Saltriosaurus was named
by Dal Sasso (it is a nomen nudem).
Sandstone
A compacted sedimentary rock consisting primarily of sand-sized grains
of quartz.
SANPASAURUS
(pronounced SAHN-ba-SAWR-us) Sanpasaurus (meaning: "Sanba [ancient
name for Sichuan, China] lizard") was a huge plant-eating dinosaur
that lived during the middle Jurassic Period, about 150-145 million years
ago. It had long front legs and was a hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur
from what is now China. Some bones that were found with it are probably
from a sauropod. Sanpasaurus was named by Young in 1946. The type species
is S. yaoi. Its classification is unsure and it is a dubious genus.
SANTANARAPTOR
(pronounced san-TAN-a-RAP-tor) Santanaraptor (meaning: "Santana [a
rock formation in northeastern Brazil] plunderer") was a fast-running,
meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the middle Cretaceous Period, roughly
112 to 99 million years ago. A partial skeleton and some skin impressions
of this coelurosaurid theropod were found in Brazil. It was about 6.5
feet (2 m) tall, weighing roughly 65 pounds (30 kg). Santanaraptor was
named by A. W. A. Kellner in 1999. The type species is S. placidus.
SARKASTODON
Sarkastodon was a huge, early mammal that lived during the late Eocene,
about 35 million years ago. This bear-like carnivore (meat-eater) was
about 10 ft (3 m) long. Fossils of this creodont have been found in Central
Asia (Mongolia). It was a quadruped (it walked on four feet) with clawed
feet, a small brain, a long tail, large jaws and many large teeth. Classification:
Class Mammalia (mammals), Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals), Division
Haplorhini, Order Creodonta, Family Oxyaenidae, Genus Sarkastodon.
SARCOLESTES
(pronounced SAHR-co-LESS-teez) Sarcosaurus (meaning: "flesh robber")
was a heavily-armored, slow-moving, quadrupedal plant-eating dinosaur
roughly 10 feet (3 m) long. This early nodosaur (an early ankylosaur with
no tail club) lived during the late Jurassic Period, roughly 161 million
to 157 million years ago. It is only known from a fossilized partial lower
jaw. Sarcolestes was named by paleontologist Lydekker in 1892. The type
species is S. leedsi.
SARCOPTERYGIAN FISH
Sarcopterygian fish (Subclass Sarcopterygii) are a type of bony fish with
fleshy fins. The fins of these fish are supported by fleshy lobes with
bones. Examples include: Coelacanth (pictured above), Australian lungfish,
and the extinct Eusthenopteron. These fish gave rise to the amphibians,
who led a life in and out of the water. Classification: Class Osteichthyes
(bony fish), Subclass Sarcopterygii (fleshy-finned fish).
SARCOSAURUS
(pronounced SAHR-co-SAWR-us) Sarcosaurus (meaning: "flesh lizard")
was a meat-eating dinosaur perhaps 12 feet (3.5 m) long. It lived during
the early Jurassic Period, roughly 206 million to 200 million years ago.
It was a theropod from what is now England. This biped is known from only
a few bones, including a partial pelvis (hip), a femur (thigh bone), and
some vertebrae. It was named by Andrews in 1921. The type species is S.
woodi.
SARCOSUCHUS
(pronounced SAHR-co-SOOK-us) Sarcosuchus (meaning: "flesh crocodile")
was a ancient crocodilian (it was not a dinosaur). This giant meat-eater
was about 37-40 feet (11-12 m) long and may have weighed up to 10 tons.
Its body was covered with bony armor (scutes). There were over 100 teeth
in its long jaws and it had an overbite (the top jaw extended beyond the
lower jaw). Sarcosuchus lived during the Cretaceous Period, roughly 110
million years ago. Fossils have been found in the Ténéré Desert, Niger,
Africa, and the Bahia Basin, Brazil, South America. It was found by French
paleontologist Albert-Felix de Lapparent in 1964. The type species is
S. imperator (named by France de Broin and Phillipe Taquet in 1966). Paul
C. Sereno recently found a large Sarcosuchus in Niger.
saurischians
(pronounced sawr-IS-key-ans) Saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs were
the ancestors of the birds. They are divided into the theropods (bipedal
carnivores) and sauropodomorphs (large, quadrupedal herbivores).
Saurolophus
(pronounced sawr-OHL-oh-fuss or SAWR-oh-LOHF-us) Saurolophus (meaning:
"crested lizard") was a duckbilled (Hadrosaurinae) dinosaur
that had a 5 inch (13 cm) long bony spike extending up from its forehead.
Saurolophus was about 30-40 feet (9-12 m) long, had a toothless beak whose
top bill curled slightly upwards, had cheek teeth, and could walk on two
or four legs. This plant-eater lived during the late Cretaceous period,
about 72 million to 68 million years ago. Many fossils have been found
in Alberta, Canada and Mongolia. Saurolophus was named by dinosaur hunter
B. Brown in 1912. The type species is S. osborni.
SAUROPELTA
(pronounced SAWR-oh-PEL-tah) Sauropelta (meaning: "small-shield lizard")
was a large, armored, quadrupedal, herbivore dinosaur from the early Cretaceous
period, about 116 million to 91 million years ago. This nodosaurid ankylosaur
was named by paleontologist John H. Ostrom in 1970.
SAUROPHAGANAX
(pronounced SAWR-oh-FAG-ah-naks) Saurophaganax (meaning: "king of
the lizard eaters") was a large, meat-eating dinosaur (a theropod)
from the late Jurassic Period, about 150 million years ago. This huge
carnosaur (it may be the same genus as Allosaurus) was perhaps about 45
ft (14 m) long. An incomplete fossil was found in Oklahoma, USA. Saurophaganax
was named by Chure in 1995. The type species is S. maximus.
SAUROPLITES
(pronounced sawr-oh-PLIE-teez) Sauroplites (meaning: "lizard armored
soldier") was an armored, quadruped, plant-eating dinosaur that dates
from the early Cretaceous Period, about 145-97.5 million years ago. This
large nodosaurid ankylosaur may have been up to 17 feet (5 m) long (and
had no tail club). Fragmentary fossils, including armored plates from
the back, have been found in China. Sauroplites was named by Bohlin in
1953. The type species is T. scutiger. Sauroplites is a doubtful genus
due to lack of fossil material.
Sauropod
A family of enormous herbivores that co-existed in herds on the plains.
Included in this group are Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus and
Camarasaurus.
SAUROPODOMORPHA
(pronounced SAWR-uh-pod-oh-MORF-ah) Sauropodomorphs were a suborder of
saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. They were quadrupeds with long
necks, small heads, and long tails. The earliest-known sauropodomorph
is a prosauropod about 230 million years old. Sauropodomorphs include
the prosauropods (like Massospondylus) and the sauropods (like Apatosaurus
and Diplodocus). Sauropodomorpha was named by von Huene in 1932.
SAUROPOSEIDON
(pronounced SAWR-oh-pa-SYE-din) Sauroposeidon (meaning: "Lizard,
God of " was a long-necked plant-eating dinosaur about 60 feet (18
m) long, weighing about 60 tons. It lived during the middle Cretaceous
Period, roughly 110 million years ago. It was a brachiosaurid, a sauropod
with a giraffe-like stance. Fossils were found in 1994 in Oklahoma. Sauroposeidon
was named by Matt Wedel and Richard Cifelli, in 1999, vide Franklin. This
genus is a nomen nudum.
SAUROPTERYGIA
Sauropterygia (meaning: "lizard flippers") are an order of extinct
aquatic reptiles that includes plesiosaurs, nothosaurs, and perhaps placodonts
(their classification is uncertain). Sauropterygians had four flipper-like
limbs and a streamlined body; they were well adapted to life in the water.
They were not dinosaurs, but were reptiles that also lived during the
Mesozoic Era, the time of the dinosaurs. They went extinct at the end
of the Creataceous period, about 65 million years ago.
SAURORNITHOIDES
(pronounced SAWR-or-nith-OY-dees) Saurornithoides (meaning: "lizard
bird form") was a fast-moving, bipedal, meat-eating dinosaur from
the late Cretaceous Period, about 85 million to 77 million years ago.
This theropod was about 6.5 to 12.5 ft (2 to 3.5 m) long and weighed about
28-60 pounds (13-27 kg). The type species is S. mongoliensis. It was named
by paleontologist Osborn in 1924. Fossils have been found in Mongolia.
SAURORNITHOLESTES
(pronounced SAWR-or-NITH-oh-LESS-tees) Saurornitholestes (meaning: "lizard
bird robber") was a fast-moving, bipedal, lightly-built, meat-eating
dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period, about 76 million to 73 million
years ago. This theropod was very similar to Velociraptor and was about
6 ft (1.8 m) long and weighed about 11 pounds (5 kg). The type species
is S. langstoni. Saurornitholestes was named by paleontologist Sues in
1978. Fossils have been found in Alberta, Canada.
SAUROS
Sauros is Greek for lizard.
SAUROSUCHUS
(pronounced SAWR-oh-SOOK-us) Saurosuchus (meaning: "lizard crocodile")
was the biggest rauisuchian (an Archosaur but not a dinosaur) from the
late Triassic Period. This huge carnivore (meat-eater) was about 23 ft
(7 m) long and had an enormous skull (about 3 ft = 1 m long). It may have
weighed 1 to 2 tons. It walked on four short legs, had a long tail, and
a short neck; it looked like a huge, big-headed lizard. It probably ate
Kannemeyerid Dicynodonts. Saurosuchus was named by Reig in 1959; the type
species is Saurosuchus galilei. Fossils have been found in South America.
SAURUS
Saurus (from the Greek word sauros) means lizard.
SCAPHOGNATHUS
(pronounced sca-fog-NAYTH-us) Scaphognathus (meaning: "canoe jaw")
was a pterosaur with a 3.25 feet (1 m) wide wingspan. It had good eyesight,
a poor sense of smell, and a diamond-shaped flap of skin at the end of
the long, pointed tail. Scaphognathus was the only long-tailed pterosaur
that had a bony head crest. It lived in what is now Europe during the
late Jurassic Period. It was not a dinosaur, but a type of extinct, flying
reptile, a pterosaur. It was named by Wagner in 1861. The type species
as S. crassirostris (meaning: "thick billed"). Two fossil specimens
have been found in Germany.
SCAPHONYX
(pronounced sca-FON-iks) Scaphonyx (meaning: "canoe claw") was
a rhynchosaur (it was not a dinosaur). This reptile was a quadruped and
an herbivore. probably eating seed ferns. It was a land-dwelling, archosauriform
reptile. It lived during the late Triassic Period, about 230 million years
ago. This short, pig-like reptile had a barrel-shaped body, tusks and
a beak. Scaphonyx was named by Woodward in 1908.
SCAPULA
(pronounced SKAP-you-lah) The scapula is the shoulder bone. The scapula
of Ultrasauros is bigger than a person!
SCAVENGER
Scavengers are animals that eat dead animals that they did not kill themselves.
Most meat-eaters are scavengers. Hyenas are modern-day scavengers.
SCELIDOSAURUS
(pronounced SKEL-eye-doh-SAWR-us) Scelidosaurus (meaning: "limb lizard")
was a low-slung, armored, plant-eating dinosaur that was 10-13 feet (3-4
m) long and weighed about 440-550 pounds (200-250 kg). It had a small
head,a short neck, leaf-shaped teeth, a long, stiff tail, and a heavy
body with armored plates embedded in its back. It may have had a bony
beak. These bony plates had pointy studs on them. This quadruped lived
during the early Jurassic Period, roughly 206 million to 200 million years
ago. It was an Ornithischian dinosaur from what is now England, and Arizona,
USA. It is known from two skeletons, one of which was a juvenile. Scelidosaurus
was named by paleontologist Owen in 1868. The type species is S. harrisonii.
SCIPIONYX
(pronounced sip-ee-ON-iks) Scipionyx samniticus was a Cretaceous period
theropod (from about 113 million years ago), perhaps a maniraptor. It
is known from a single, extremely detailed specimen of a hatchling that
includes fossilized soft tissues, including muscles and internal organs.
It was 9.5 inches (24 cm) long and had a very large head. John A. Ruben,
a vertebrate paleobiologist from Oregon State University, used an 80-watt
ultraviolet (UV) lamp to help reveal outlines of Scipionyx's fossilized
internal organs. Ruben found that the position of Scipionyx's colon (intestines)
and liver were similar to that of modern crocodilians (which are cold-blooded),
and unlike that of birds (which are warm-blooded). The position of the
liver also gives information about the lungs, since a muscle that runs
by the liver helps the lungs to expand and contract in crocodilians. Scipionyx
probably had reptilian-style lungs (and not highly efficient bird lungs).
Although Ruben's work is not absolutely conclusive, it looks like the
small theropod Scipionyx may be cold-blooded.
SCLEROTIC RING
A sclerotic ring (also called sclerotic ossicles) is a ring of bones (found
in some animals) that supported the eye. When present, the sclerotic ring
is located in the orbit (the eye hole of the skull). Some dinosaurs had
sclerotic rings.
SCOLOSAURUS
(pronounced SKOH-loh-SAWR-us) Scolosaurus is an invalid name for Euoplocephalus,
an armored, plant-eating dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period. It
was about 20-23 feet (6-7 m) long.