Glossary CEN - CHA
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CAE - CAR - CEN - CHA - CHI - CLI - COM - CRA - CTE
Cenozoic
The last of the four eras into which the Earth's geological history has
been divided. It dates from 65 million years ago to the present day.
Centipede
Long flattened segmented predators each segment of which bears a pair
of legs. They evolved during the Silurian Period and there are about the
2800 species alive today. Together with the millipedes, they are known
collectively as the myriapods
CENTROSAURINES
(pronounced SEN-tro-sawr-INES) Centrosaurines (meaning: "pointed
lizards") were a group of rhinoceros-like ceratopsian dinosaurs -
most had large horns (or bony growths ) on the short snout and a relatively
short neck frill. Some centrosaurines included Centrosaurus, Styracosaurus,
Brachyceratops, Monoclonius, Einiosaurus, Achelousaurus, and Pachyrhinosaurus.
CENTROSAURUS
(pronounced SEN-tro-SAWR-us) Centrosaurus (meaning: "pointed lizard")
was a ceratopsian dinosaur, about 20 feet (6 m) long that lived during
the Late Cretaceous Period. This plant-eater had a large, forward-pointing
snout horn 18 inches (46 cm) long. The skull was over 3 ft (1 m) long.
Its scalloped frill had two hooked spikes near the center. Many skulls
and skeletons (and a fossilized skin impression) of this ornithischian
dinosaur have been found in bonebeds in Alberta, Canada. Centrosaurus
was named by Canadian paleontologist L. Lambe in 1904. The type species
is C. apertus.
CEPHALASPIS
Cephalaspis (meaning: "head shield") was a genus of primitive,
jawless, armored, fresh-water fish that lived during the Silurian-Devonian
periods (over 340 million years ago). Cephalaspis is the oldest known
animal vertebrate (an animal having a backbone). This extinct group of
fish were less than an foot long and had a large, flattened head shield
that ended in two points (it looked a bit like it had a boomerang in its
head). Classification: Chordata, Vertebrata, Agnatha (Cyclostomata=jawless
fish), Osteostraci (Cephalaspidiformes), family Cephalaspida, genus Cephalaspis,
many species, includng Cephalaspis tenuicornis (found in Norway).
Cephalopod
A group of molluscs which includes the squid, octopuses, nautiluses and
the extinct ammonites and belemnites. They have long tentacles around
the mouth which they use to catch prey. They move using a type of jet
propulsion by squirting water through a siphon.
CERAPODS
The cerapods (or cerapoda) were a group of ornithischian (bird-hipped)
dinosaurs that included the ornithopods and the marginocephalians.
CERATOPS
(pronounced SER-uh-TOPS) Ceratops (meaning: "horned face") was
a ceratopsian dinosaur, a plant-eater about 23 to 26 feet (7-8 m) long
that lived during the late Late Cretaceous Period, roughly 80 to 73 million
years ago. It is known from two horn cores and a single bone from around
the eye, that were found in Montana, USA. Ceratops was named by paleontologist
Othniel Marsh in 1888. The type species of this dubious genus is C. montanus.
When Ceratops was found, it was thought to be a stegosaurid dinosaur (no
other ceratopsians had been found yet). It may belong to the genus Chasmosaurus.
Ceratopsian
Ceratopsian or "horn-faced" dinosaurs, were an order of the
bird-hipped, herbivore dinosaurs that became highly successful in the
Late Cretaceous period. Distinctive features include facial horns, a hooked
beak and a large bony frill at the back of the head.
CERATOSAURIA
(pronounced se-RAT-uh-SAWR-ee-ah) Ceratosauria is a major division of
theropod dinosaurs; those whose three hip bones (the pubis, ilium and
ischium) are fused. Ceratosauria is divided into the Coelophysoidea (early
Ceratosaurs with a notch in the upper jaw, including Dilophosaurus, Coelophysis,
Syntarsus, Liliensternus) and the Neoceratosauria (Ceratosaurus, Elaphrosaurus,
and the abelisaurids).
CERATOSAURUS
(pronounced ser-RAT-uh-SAWR-us) Ceratosaurus (meaning: "horned lizard")
was a dinosaur that was about 20 feet (6 m) long, weighing roughly 524
kg. This meat-eater had a small horn on its snout, 2 smaller brow horns,
a long, thin tail, 4-fingered hands (which is a primitive feature for
a theropod), and large eyes (and probably had very good eyesight). The
femur (thigh bone) was 2.45 ft (62 cm) long. It was a common predator
that lived during the late Jurassic Period, about 156 to 145 million years
ago. Its fossils have been found in Colorado and Utah, USA and Tanzania,
Africa. It was named by O. C. Marsh in 1884, who theorized that Ceratosaurus
was a good swimmer, like the crocodilians (since it had a long, thin tail).
The type species is C. nasicornis.
CERESIOSAURUS
(pronounced ser-REE-see-oh-SAWR-us) Ceresiosaurus was a nothosaur, a reptile
with flipper-like limbs that lived both on land and in the water. It was
about 13 feet (4 m) long. It had longer toes than the other Nothosaurus,
and more bones in each of the toes (hyperphalangy). This made the limbs
very flipper-like, and Ceresiosaurus must have been a very good swimmer
. It lived during the mid-Triassic Period. Fossils have been found in
Europe. It was not a dinosaur.
CERVICAL
Cervical means of, near, or from the neck.
CERVICAL VERTEBRAE
Cervical vertebrae are the vertebrae in the neck - the neck bones.
CETIOSAURISCUS
(pronounced SEE-tee-oh-saw-RIS-kus) Cetiosauriscus (meaning: whale-like
lizard) was a diplodocid sauropod dinosaur. It was a large, four-legged,
long-necked, small-headed, whip-tailed plant-eater. Cetiosauriscus dates
from the mid-Jurassic Period, about 181-169 million years ago. It was
about 50 feet (15 m) long and weighed roughly 17000 kg. Fossils have been
found in England and Switzerland. Cetiosauriscus was named by the paleontologist
von Huene in 1927. The type species is C. stewarti.
CETIOSAURUS
(pronounced see-TIE-o-SAWR-us) Cetiosaurus (meaning: "whale lizard")
was a primitive sauropod dinosaur. It was a four-legged, long-necked,
small-headed plant-eater with a relatively short tail. Cetiosaurus' back
vertebrae had a coarse texture (like that of whales, hence its name, meaning:
"whale lizard"). It dates from the mid-Jurassic Period, about
181-169 million years ago. It was over 50-53 feet (15-16 m) long and weighed
roughly 24800 kg. It belongs to the family Cetiosauridae and is a saurischian
dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in England and Morocco in deposits
that were watery during the mid-Jurassic. This indicates that although
terrestrial, Cetiosaurus probably lived near the water. Cetiosaurus was
the first 4-legged sauropod found. It was named by the English anatomist
Sir Richard Owen in 1841. The type species is C. medius.
CHALICOTHERIUM
Chalicotherium was an early, herbivore mammal from the Miocene. This forest
browser was an ungulate with large, clawed feet (instead of hooves). It
may have been able to rear up on its hind legs to eat leaves high up in
trees. Fossils have been found in Europe (Kazakhstan). Classification:
Suborder Ancylopoda, Family Chalicotheriidae.
CHALIMIA
Chalimia was a tetrapod that lived during the late Triassic Period. It
was a tritheledontid cynodont (a synapsid, the group that led to the mammals).
This amniote was not a dinosaur. Fossils have been found in the Los Colorados
Formation in NW Argentina.