The Mesozoic Era: the age of dinosaurs
The dominance of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs lasted more than 170 million years and encompasses most of the Mesozoic Era , which ranges from-252.2 million years up to 66.0 million years.The Mesozoic lasted just over 186.2 million years and consists of three periods.
The three Mesozoic periods
The Triasico (between-252 , 17 and 201.3 MA) is a period that lasts around 50.9 million years.It is at this time when the dinosaurs began to develop.The Triasico is also divided between periods (lower, middle and upper Triasic) that They are further subdivided into seven stratigraphic levels. The Jurassic (between 201.3 and 145.0 MA) is composed of three periods as well (lower, middle and upper Jurassic).The upper Jurassic is divided into three levels , the middle Jurassic on four levels and the lower one on four levels too. The Cretaceous (between 145.0 and 66.0 MA) is the moment that It marks the disappearance of dinosaurs and ammonites (cephalopod mollusks) that inhabited the earth at the time, but what really ended the life of dinosaurs? There are two main theories about it; a period of volcanic activity and the impact of an asteroid on the earth.[1] In any case, it is estimated that the earth was covered by immense clouds of dust that would have veiled the atmosphere and radically reduced the temperatures of the planet, until ending the life of the dinosaurs.This long period is divided into two, the Lower Cretacic and the upper Cretacic.In turn, these two periods are divided into six levels each.5 curiosities of the Mesozoic you must know
Now that you have settled, you may want to know a little more about the Mesozoic, the time in which these gigantic saurians lived, to better understand their history:
At that time, the continents were not such and as we know them today, but the earth formed a single block known as " Pangea ".When the Triasico started, Pangea was divided into two blocks:" Laurasia "and" Gondwana ".These two continents were further divided, until Laurasia formed North America and Eurasia and, in turn , Gondwana formed South America, A Africa, Australia and Antarctica .All this is due to intense volcanic activity.The climate of the Mesozoic Era was characterized by its uniformity.The study of fossils reveals that the surface of the earth was divided into three climatic zones different : the poles, which showed snow, low vegetation and mountainous landscapes, the temperate zones, which showed richer fauna and, finally, the equatorial zone, characterized by a life that reached its maximum intensity.This period ends with the atmospheric overload of carbon dioxide, a factor that completely marks the environmental evolution of the planet.The vegetation became less exuberant, while scarred and coniferous plants proliferated., is also known as " the Age of the Cicadas ".The Mesozoic is characterized by the appearance of dinosarios but, did you know that the birds and mammals began to develop r also at that time? At that time there were already the ancestors of some animals that we know today and were considered food by predatory dinosaurs Can you imagine that Jurassic Park could really exist? While many biologists and fans have fantasized about This event, the truth is that a study published in The Royal Society Publishing shows that it is incompatible to find intact genetic material, due to several factors, such as environmental conditions, temperature, soil chemistry or the year of the animal's death, that cause the degradation and deterioration of the remains of DNA.It could only be done with fossils preserved in icy environments that will not exceed one million years old.
Image: www.alex-bernardini.fr
Examples of herbivorous dinosaurs
The time has come to meet the real protagonists: herbivorous dinosaurs .These dinosaurs They fed exclusively on plants and herbs, the leaves being their main food.They are divided into two groups, the "sauropods" , those who walked using four limbs, and the "orniquistios" , which moved on two limbs and subsequently evolved into other life forms.Discover a complete list with names of herbivorous dinosaurs, small and large:
Names of herbivorous dinosaurs
- Brachiosaurus
- Diplodocus
- Stegosaurus
- Triceratops
- Protoceratops
- Patagotitan
- Apatosaurus
- Camarasurus
- Brontosaurus
- Cetiosaurus
- Styracosaurus
- Dicraeosaurus
- Gigantspinosaurus
- Lusotitan
- Mamenchisaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Spinophorosaurus
- Corythosaurus
- Dacentrurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Gallimimus
- Parasaurolophus
- Euoplocephalus
- Pachycephalosauru s
- Shantungosaurus
You already know some of the names of the great saurus that inhabited the planet more than 65 MA ago.Want to know more? Read on, then we will present you in more detail 6 herbivorous dinosaurs with names and images so that you learn to recognize them.We will also explain the characteristics and some curiosities of each one of them.
1.The Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus)
We begin by preparing you for one of the most representative herbivorous dinosaurs that existed, the Brachiosaurus.Discover below some details about its etymology or characteristics that will surprise you, sure!
Etymology of Brachiosaurus
The name Brachiosaurus ( Brachiosaurus in Spanish ) was established by Elmer Samuel Riggs from the Greek terms old " Brachion " (arm) and " saurus " (lizard), which can be interpreted as " lizard arm ".It is a kind of dinosaur belonging to the group of sauropods sarrisquios.
These dinosaurs inhabited the earth for two periods, from the end of the Jurassic to the middle of the Cretaceous, from 161 to 145 MA.Brachiosaurus is one of the most popular dinosaurs, for that reason it appears in movies like Jurassic Park and for a good reason: it was one of the most gnary dinosaur dinosaurs ranches .
Features of the Brachiosaurus
The Brachiosaurus is probably one of the largest land animals that have ever existed on the planet.Media around 26 meters long, 12 meters high and its weight ranged from 32 to 50 tons.It had an exceptionally long neck, consisting of 12 vertebrae of 70 centimeters each.
Precisely this detail Morphological has caused heated discussions among specialists, since some say that he would have been unable to keep his long neck straight, due to the little muscle pass he possessed.In addition, his blood pressure had to be especially powerful, to be able to pump the blood to his brain.His body allowed him to move his neck left and right, as well as from top to bottom, which gave him the same height as a four-story building.
The Brachiosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur that, supposedly, fed on it The tops of the cycas, conifers and arborescent ferns.It was a voracious dining room, since it had to eat about 1,500 kg of food a day to maintain its energy level.It is suspected that this animal was gregarious and that moved in small herds, which allowed adults to protect younger animals from large predators, such as theopods.
2.The Diplodocus
Following with our article about herbivorous dinosaurs with names and images, we introduce you to Diplodocus, one of the most representative herbivorous dinosaurs.Read on!
Diplodocus Etymology
Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878 named the Diplodocus after observing the presence of bones that were called "hemaic arches" or "chevron." These small bones they allowed the formation of a long band in the bottom of the tail.In fact, it owes its name to this characteristic, since the name diplodocus is a Latin neologism derived from the Greek, " diploos " (double) and " dokos "(beam).That is," double beam ."These small bones were discovered thereafter in other dinosaurs, however, the specification of the name has remained until today.Diplodocus inhabited our land during the Jurassic in what would now be western North America.
Characteristics of Diplodocus
Diplodocus was a huge long-necked quadruped easy to recognize, mainly because of its long whip-shaped tail.Its front legs were slightly shorter than its hind legs, which is why, seen from afar, it could resemble a kind of suspension bridge.Half around 35 meters in length .
The Diplodocus had a small head compared to the size of its body oy it was supported on a neck of more than 6 meters in length, composed of 15 vertebrae.Right now it is estimated that it should keep it parallel to the ground, since it was unable to hold it very high.
Its weight It stood around 30 and 50 tons , which was partly due to the immense length of its tail, composed of 80 caudal vertebrae, which allowed it to counterbalance its long neck.Diplodocus fed only on grass, small shrubs and leaves of trees.
3.The Stegosaurus
It is the turn of Stegosaurus, one of the most unique herbivorous dinosaurs, mainly for its amazing physical characteristics.
Etymology of Stegosaurus
The name Stegosaurus was awarded by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1877 and comes from the Greek words " stegos " (roof) and " sauros " (long-haul) so its literal meaning would be " covered lizard " or " long-roofed roof ".Marsh would also have called the Stegosaurus " armatus "(armed), which would add an extra to the meaning of its name, being" armored roof lario ".This dinosaur lived 155 MA and would have inhabited the lands of the United States and Portugal during the Jurassic superior.
Characteristics of Stegosaurus
The Stegosaurus mediates 9 meters long, 4 meters high and its weight was around 6 tons.It is one of the dinosaurs h Children 's favorite erbivores, easily recognizable thanks to the two rows of plaques located along their spine.In addition, their tail had two defensive plates more than about 60 cm in length.Planesas were not only useful as a defense, it is estimated that they also performed a regulatory function, to adapt their body to ambient temperatures.
The Stegosaurus had two front legs smaller than the rear, which offered a unique physical structure, showing a skull much closer to the ground than the tail.It also had a kind of "beak" that had small teeth, located at the back of the oral cavity, useful for chewing.
4.Triceratops
Do you want to continue knowing examples of herbivorous dinosaurs? We introduce you to Triceratops, another of the saurios that inhabited the earth most well-known and that also witnessed one of the most important moments of the Mesozoic:
Etymology of Triceratops
The term Triceratops comes from the Greek words "tri" (three) "keras" (horn) and "ops" (face), but its name would really mean " cocked head ".The Triceratops lived during the end of the Maastrichtian, the Upper Cretaceous, from 68 to 66 MA in what is now known as North America.It is one of the dinosaurs that experienced the extinction of this species In addition, it is one of the dinosaurs that lived with the Tyrannosaurus Rex of which it was prey.After 47 complete or partial fossils are found We can assure you that it is one of the most present species in North America during that period.
Triceratops characteristics:
It is believed that Triceratops are between 7 and 10 meters long , between 3.5 and 4 meters high and weighing between 5 and 10 tons.The most representative feature of the Triceratops is, without a doubt, its wide skull, which is considered the most skull large of all land animals.It was so large that it represented almost a third of the animal's length.
It was also easily recognizable thanks to its three horns , one in the snout and one above each eye.The largest could measure up to a meter.Finally, it should be noted that the skin of the Triceratops was different than that of other dinosaurs, as some studies indicate that it could have been covered with hair .
5.The Protoceratops
The Protoceratops is one of the smallest herbivorous dinosaurs that we show you in this list and its origins are located in Asia, then we explain more about it:
Etymology of Protoceratops:
The name of Protoceratops comes from the Greek and is formed by the words "proto" (first), "cerat" (horns) and "ops" (face), which would mean " first horned head ".This dinosaur inhabited the land between 84 and 72 MA ago, specifically the lands of present-day Mongolia and China.It is one of the dinosaurs with older horns and it is probably the ancestor of many others.
It was in 1971 when an unusual fossil was discovered in Mongolia: a Velociraptor hugging a Protoceratops.The theory that explains this position is that, probably, both would have died fighting when a sandstorm or a dune fell on them.In the year 1922, an expedition to the Gobie's desert discovered the nests of Protoceratops, the first dinosaur eggs found .
In one of the nests were found about thirty eggs, which leads us to believe that this Nest was shared by several females, who had to defend this nest from predators.Several nests were also found nearby, which seems to indicate that these animals lived in groups of the same family or perhaps in small herds.Once the eggs hatch, the offspring should not measure more than 30 centimeters.Adult females brought them food and defended them until they are old enough to fend for themselves.Adrienne Mayor, a folklorist, wondered if The discovery of these skulls in the past could not have led to the creation of "faucets", mythical creatures.
Appearance and power of Protoceratops:
The Protoceratops did not have a well developed horn, just a small p rotuberanciaosea in the snout.It also had a large neck, which was used to protect its neck, as well as to impress its predators.It was not a large dinosaur, since it measured about 2 meters in length , but weighed about 150 kilograms.
6 Patagotitan Mayorum
The Patagotitan Mayorum is a type of clade sauropod that was discovered in Argentina in 2014, and was a particularly large herbivorous dinosaur:
Eimologia del Patagotitan Mayorum
Patagotitan was recently discovered and is one of the least known dinosaurs.Its full name is Patagotian Mayorum, what does it mean? Patagotian derives from "pata" (referring to Patagonia, region where its fossils were found ) and "Titan" (from Greek mythology), on the other hand, Mayorum pays homage to the Mayo family, owner of the La Flecha farm and the lands where the discoveries were made.According to the studies, the Patagotitan Mayorum lived between 95 and 100 million years ago, in what was then a forest region.
Characteristics of Patagotitan Mayorum
Since only one fossil of the Patagotitan Mayorum was discovered, the figures we can offer are estimates only.However, experts theorize that it would have measured approximately 37 meters in length and that it would have weighed approximately 69 tons .Its name of titan was not given in vain, the Patagotitan Mayorum would be nothing more than the largest and most massive being that has stepped on the planet's floor.
We know it was a herbivorous dinosaur, but for now, Patagotitan Mayorum has not yet revealed all its secrets.Paleontology is a science forged in the certainty of uncertainty because discoveries and new evidence await fossilized in the corner of a rock or on the side of a mountain that will be excavated at some future time.
The characteristics of herbivorous dinosaurs
We will end with some amazing features shared by some of the herbivorous dinosaurs that you have known on our list:
The feeding of herbivorous dinosaurs
The diet of the Dinosaurs were based mainly on leaves, bark and soft branches and that is that during the Mesozoic there were no fleshy fruits, flowers or grass.At that time the common fauna were ferns, conifers and cicadas, most of them of great size, exceeding 30 centimeters in height.
The teeth of herbivorous dinosaurs
An unmistakable characteristic of herbivorous dinosaurs are their teeth, because unlike Carnivorous, they are much more homogeneous.They had larger front teeth or spikes, to cut the leaves, and with flat back teeth to swallow them, since it is generally estimated that they chewed them, as do the current ruminants.It is also suspected that his teeth was n from several generations (unlike humans we only have two, milk teeth and definitive teeth).
Herbivorous dinosaurs had "stones" in their stomachs
Suspected that the large sauropods possessed "stones" in the stomach called gastrolitos , which would help to crush the food difficult to digest during the digestion process.This characteristic is currently observed in some birds.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of dinosaurs herbivores , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.
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