Science Museum of Minnesota Exploration - ESCI 1001 F22

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Name: hailey Kretsch University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences A Self-Guided Exploration of the Paleontology Hall Exhibits Copyright © 2022 - all rights You must enter your name above credit for your extra credit assign Science Museum of Minnesota ’ s
SMM Paleontology Hall Exploration Logistics: SMM Paleontology Hall Exploration The ekingated finger bones make up a majority of the quetzalcoatlus wing Be sure to answer questions with full sentences that briefly explain your respo reasoning. This Excel form of the exploration is only intended to help with the exploration submission. You should find it easier to complete the lab using the copy of the exploration in your lab manual, which you can then drop off during lab or to yo instructor's mailbox in Tate 150. If you cannot easily drop off your exploration, you can transfer your answers to Excel document, save the file, and then submit it through the submission porta lab Canvas page. Alternately, if you know how to merge photographs into a sin file, you can convert your paper copy to a single PDF file and submit it through Canvas portal. However, your lab instructors are NOT allowed to accept any exp submitted as multiple files (like a series of cell phone photographs). Hence, if y cannot drop off a paper copy of the exploration, it may be easiest to transfer y answers to this file. Be sure to save the file before submitting it. See copy of exploration printed in ESCI 1001 Lab Manual for details on Science Museum of Minnesot directions, parking, and hours. This exploration begins in the Museum entrance lobby. Although the T. rex skeleton may draw your e enter, first look up at the skeleton mounted above you. Quetzalcoatlus was a late Cretaceous pterosau reptile). Pterosaurs were NOT dinosaurs, but another line of Mesozoic reptiles. However, Quetzalcoatlu some recognition simply because it was one of the largest known animals to ever fly above the Earth’s Take a moment to try to really grasp the size of this animal. You will see a reconstruction later on. All vertebrate tetrapods (four-limbed animals) share a common skeletal design, so Quetzalcoatlus’ arm similar to your own. Only proportions differ. The wing begins with a single upper arm bone that conne shoulder girdle (shoulder blade and collar bone), two lower arm bones lie between the elbow and wrist the small wrist bones are long slender bones that form the fingers, one of which is much larger than t three. The smaller digits attach close to the middle of the longer digit. In addition, there is a long slen the wrist that points back towards the shoulder girdle. This is the pteroid bone, unique to pterosaurs significant difference between the pattern of Quetzalcoatlus’ arm and your own. • Which part of the forelimb comprises the largest part of the animal’s wing? Is it the upper the paired lower arm bones, or the bones of the elongated finger? Remember this pattern, so yo compare it to the other flying animals you will see later in the exploration.
Another hidden difference between your skeleton and Quetzalcoatlus’ is many of Quetzalcoatlus’ bones were hollow Despite its size, Quetzalcoatlus may have weighed only 250 kg (550) pounds, although some folks think it was heavi Now head over to the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and appreciate how its body is designed for hunting. Since the skull may be masked, walk behind the skeleton to the stand-alone skull. At first glance, the teeth are the most obvious indication this was a meat-eating dinosaur but take time to admire the powerful build of its rear legs as those played as great a role in this predator’s success. However, even within the skull there are other indications of a predatory lifestyle besides its formidable teeth. Use the image at right to identify the eye socket and then walk out to a point roughly five meters (16’) in front of the skull. ·         If you stand in front of T. rex ’s skull, can you still see both of its eyes? The front eyes of the Trex are located in the narrow skull; therefore the eyes can be seen from the fr the visual needs of the Trex the skull evolved over time, making the nose longer and narrower and th cheekbones more inward. Now walk towards the T. rex ’ s tail to find an Edmontosaurus skull. Edmontosaurus was one of the plan dinosaurs that Tyrannosaurus rex may have terrified. In life, the bill at the front of its mouth was cove horny material to form a sharp beak to crop plants. Although the teeth look small, they are numerous together to form a continuous grinding surface to break plants down for better digestion. The jaw’s co articulation with the skull allowed Edmontosaurus to move its jaws forward and back or side-to-side w motion than many plant-eating mammals have. While you can see its large eyes from the front, they offset to the skull’s side to provide a greater range of peripheral (side) vision than T. rex had. ·         What advantage would more forward-facing eyes give a predator like T. rex ? Why might a gr of peripheral sight have been an advantage for a potential prey animal like Edmontosaurus ? Trex have wider binocular field of view, this allows them to have better depth perception so it can fin much more easily. Peripheral vison allows edmontosaurus to spot prey approaching from the side an provides them with protection while eating Before leaving Edmontosaurus , take a moment to examine how its jaw articulates with the skull and h are inset from the jaw’s outer edge, allowing space for cheek-equivalent structures (our cheek muscles to mammals, but many plant-eating dinosaurs had structures that played similar roles in chewing. Th over to the stand-alone display of T. rex ’ s skull to examine T. rex ’ s jaws and teeth in detail. Were T. rex
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over to the stand-alone display of T. rex ’ s skull to examine T. rex ’ s jaws and teeth in detail. Were T. rex inset to provide space for cheek-equivalents? Did T. rex have a simple jaw articulation or was its conn skull as complex as Edmontosaurus’ was? ·         Does the design of Tyrannosaurus rex ’s jaw and teeth suggest that T. rex chewed its food b swallowing it or simply tore chunks of meat off its prey and swallowed them without chewing? The trex chewed food before swallowinf since the teeth were thicker than most reptiles and they we to crush and pierce food. The teeth were supported by a boney skull which helped to redirect much force to the nasal bones. After scanning your ticket, enter the exhibit hall on the other side of the lobby. Upon entering, you will b uppermost floor of the three main exhibit levels. Take the stairs or elevator down to the lowest floor (Lev If you wish to spend more time with Tyrannosaurus rex , you can race one at the Sportsology E Otherwise, walk toward the Paleontology Hall, keeping to the right of the staircase. Look up to see the a Mosasaurus mounted above the large black slab of fossiliferous coal. Imagine swimming across Kan time when these characters roamed the waters. Like pterosaurs, Mososaurus is often misidentified as but non-avian dinosaurs were land animals (rather than marine animals) and Mosasaurus came from tetrapod line. Mosasaurus’ sharp teeth not only identify it as a predator but hold clues to the identity of its favorite most abundant prey animals in Cretaceous seas were fish and ammonites. Ammonites were closely re squid and octopi but had hard shells. Most fish eaters have sharp slender teeth that curve towards th the mouth to trap and hold slippery fish. In contrast, predators that prey on shelled animals have thic like, upright teeth capable of easily puncturing shells without breaking. ·         Based on the design of its teeth, did Mosasaurus most likely rely primarily on a fish diet or likely that ammonites made up the bulk of its diet? mosasaurs had thick sear shaped upright teeth that suggest the ammonites were their primary diet. ammonites had hard shells which the teeth of the mosasaurs could easily puncture. Dinosaurs arose from a line with an erect stance (one with the limbs directly under the body as in most mammals), while other reptile lines often had sprawled stances, with the limbs jutting out to the sides (like lizards). Animals with sprawled stances move with the same side-to-side backbone motion that their ancestors used to swim with. They cannot easily run and breathe at the same time because their spines’ side-to-side movement constrains their lungs. A lizard can run quickly, but only for a short distance before it must stop to catch its breath. In contrast, animals with erect stances can run and breathe at the same time so they have greater running endurance. However, their spines need to move in a vertical plane, not a horizontal plane. Sprawling Stance
I think it was a side-to-side swing because it expands horizontally, it is suitable for swinging side-to-s Briefly describe some of the features of the Triceratops skull specifically tied to eating plants. Did Mosasaurus move its tail from side to side or in an up and down motion? The difference between swimming styles provides a crucial clue to the animal’s ancestry. Animals that rely on side-to-side sw to have pronounced lateral process on the vertebrae close to the hips (lower back and upper tail) for s while the tail’s end is taller than it is wide to catch the water and push the animal forward. In contras that swim with an up-and-down motion have little use for lateral processes and their tails tend to be m broader than they are tall. ·         Based on the design of Mosasaurus’ tail and spine, is it more likely that Mosasaurus swam and-down tail motion or with a side-to-side tail motion? ·         Does its tail and spine design suggest that Mosasaurus’ ancestors most likely had an erect mammals or dinosaurs) or a sprawled stance (like lizards)? Their ancestors were lizards. Their body structure is similar to that of modern day lizards but is elong more suited for swimming Continue towards the cluster of large dinosaur skeletons in front of the Paleontology Hall’s main entra main entrance though, turn right to examine the skeleton of a horned dinosaur, Triceratops . Walk around the Triceratops skeleton to examine it from different angles. Start with the skull. Triceratops lived at the end of the Cretaceous after angiosperms (flowering plants) arose to dominate the landscape. Many features of its skull are adapted to acquiring or processing these higher-nutrient plants. Those differences are dramatic when you compare the design of this animal’s skull to that of one of the first dinosaurs (shown at right) which ate meat. Herrerasaurus ’ teeth were simple blade-like sharp teeth that tore away chunks of flesh without chewing. Its jaw margins were smooth, without any indentations to suggest the presence of cheek-equivalent structures to keep food in its mouth while chewing. But land plants are more difficult to digest than meat, so the skulls of plant eaters have adaptations to allow more extensive food processing before swallowing. ·         How does the design and placement of its teeth differ from those of Herrerasaurus ? The teeth are designed for sheaing in a vertical motion and they are arranged in groups of 36-40 colu each side of the jaw (each column containing three to five stacks of teeth) Sprawling Stance (crocodiles & lizards) Herre
·         Are there any indications of recessed areas along the jaw that suggest Triceratops had som cheek muscles or cheek-equivalent structures to hold food in its mouth for chewing? the chin is round with a structure on the outside indicating that it is connected to the cheek muscles elongated groove on the examination side of the chin showing evidence of muscle attachment ·         How was the front of Triceratops’ jaw modified to crop plants? the contact between the teeth and the dinasaurs upper jaw is reduced to lessen friction and make ch more efficient. The slicing edges of the tooth have become adapted to ensure that chewing is better stress on the teeth. Although you can see the placement, size, and shape of Triceratops’ teeth, it is more difficult to see that its teeth together to form a continuous slicing surface. As the teeth wore away, rows of erupting tooth buds in the jaw con replaced them, so Triceratops never ran out of serviceable teeth. Other parts of Triceratops’ skull served other uses. Its horns were used for defense and in social domi contests (push the panel button to see the healed wound from another Triceratops). There was once s controversy over the purpose of the skull’s posterior frill that covers the neck. Some people thought th served to protect its neck from predators, but in life the grooves across its surface held large blood ves ·         Does the presence of these grooves make the frill’s use in defense more likely or less likely explain your reasoning. The grooves in the frills make the defense much more efficient for the triceratops. They provide extr reinforcement for the frill making it hard for the enemy to break or penetrate the frill and get to the Another definite use of the frill’s base was as a surface attachment area for large jaw muscles, seen here in a relative of Triceratops. ·         Considering the size of its frill and the other jaw features you noted above, do you think Tr diet consisted of relatively soft plants or relatively tough woody vegetation? The diet consisted of tough and woody vegetation. The teeth of the triceratops would eat not only le strong branches and roots as well
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The triceratops had the bird-hipped designs All dinosaurs had one of two hip designs (see figure at left). In hipped dinosaurs, the pubis bone of the hip (labeled at left) ju while in bird-hipped dinosaurs the pubis parallels and is som to the other lower hip bone (the ishium) ·         Which of these hip designs did Triceratops have? ·         What effect does this hip design have on the size of Triceratops’ gut area? Does it increase the area available to help break down and digest plants? The pubic bone points backward while the ischium extends backwards in a more horizontal manner. ischium is elongated and narrow which allows a lot of space for the intestines giving better food dige Triceratops ’ frill and hips also play a role in an ongoing controversy over its lifestyle. Triceratops had a powerful hip for an animal of its size. Over a dozen sacral vertebrae are fused together at the hip (in th these fused bones lack white spacers between them). This created an even more powerful hip than yo the adjacent, much larger Diplodocus . Typically, an animal with a powerful hip uses it to either run fr predators or wrestle with members of its own species to establish social dominance. Let us consider o Triceratops’ features to decide which option seems more likely here. Hollywood movies and artists often assume that Triceratops used its horns and frill to protect itself fro like Tyrannosaurus rex . However, most living animals with horns and antlers primarily use those feat establish social dominance between members of their own species. Most fast-running animals also sh distinctive leg design. The upper leg bone is shorter than (or equal in length to) the two lower leg bone anklebones are elongated, and the digits are long and slender. Finally, animals that rely on speed typ erect vertical limbs, so their legs move in line with their body. Taken all together, what do the relative proportions and limb stance suggest about Triceratops’ lifestyle? ·         Does Triceratops have the typical limb pattern and stance of an animal built for speed or d proportions and stance instead suggest its large hip helped it win shoving or wrestling social do contests with another Triceratops ? Briefly explain which features support your answer. The triceratops hips are designed to be very large which gives them extrareinforcement in figths with animals. The horn is an additional feature that can help them. Front of Animal
The calf bones are longer than the thigh bones which makes them less suitable for running If you crouch down, you can see another area where Triceratops ’ vertebrae fused greater strength. The three neck vertebrae closest to the skull were fused together massive head. The largest ceratopsians, like Triceratops , had the biggest skulls o animals (including elephants). The whole skull attached to the spine with a simple socket joint, which allowed it to rotate its head to strike predators with its horns o rivals in social dominance contests. In the figure, the skull and neck are shown pu apart to show the skull’s ball and socket articulation to the neck. Move on to the skeleton of the Stegosaurus (plated dinosaur) just in front of the Paleontology Hall’s m entrance. Examine the Stegosaurus skeleton from all sides as well as the single plate displayed in the As with the frill of the Triceratops , some people have thought that Stegosaurus used its plates for defe others argued that their primary role was to shed heat or for social display. * ·         Looking at the surface of the plate, what features of the plate suggest its purpose was prima heat-shedding device or for social display?* Why would the presence of these features make the poorly suited to fend off a predator’s teeth? These plates are flattened and arranged in two rows and there are many blood vessels to supplemen dissipation function. These plates point backwards towards the tail and their superposition mean tha have been bitten by the teeth of predators * Note that the same features that allow these plates to shed heat might also allow their use in c displays to attract mates, claim territory or establish dominance (without fighting) over other stego Next look at the design and proportions of Stegosaurus ’ upper and lower leg bones, as well as the sha anklebones and digits. ·         Does this animal appear to have been designed for rapid running or not? Which features of support your answer? If it was fast moving, why did it need to move quickly? If it was slow mo didn’t it need to move quickly? What feature might allow it to survive without running? Stegosaurus ’ long tail is a legacy of a bipedal ancestor who used a long tail to counterbalance its body its hips in order to move on two legs. When its descendants (the stegosaurs) became larger and adopt quadrupedal stance, this long tail was adapted for uses other than balance. If Stegosaurus’ ancestors
The front legs have five toes, and the inner toes may be used to grab things much like our fingers quadrupedal stance, this long tail was adapted for uses other than balance. If Stegosaurus’ ancestors bipedal though, it might be worth considering if Stegosaurus occasionally adopted a bipedal gait as w the design of the hands (forelimbs) and feet (rear limbs). ·         Could Stegosaurus use its hands to grasp and manipulate things or was their sole purpose w Which features or characteristics of the hand design supports your interpretation? Look at the design of Stegosaurus’ skull and compare it to that of Triceratops . Are there any large feat might have served as attachment surfaces for jaw muscles (like Triceratops’ frill)? Did Stegosaurus ha sharp shearing beak, like Triceratops’ ? ·         Overall, does the design of Stegosaurus’ skull suggest that its diet consisted of relatively so or relatively tough woody vegetation? Due to the small spike shaped design of the teeth, they cnanot be used to grind hard foods. The diet consists of soft leaves. Compare the Stegosaurus’ back vertebrae to those of its tail. The back vertebrae are taller, so the ribs the vertebrae well above the spine’s base (compare the theropod and stegosaur cross-sections below). Stegosaurus ribs had a sharp bend, so they arched out away from the vertebrae. Similar features also Triceratops . ·         Along with its hip design, how do these vertebrae and rib modifications affect the size of Stegosaurus’ gut area? Do they reduce or enlarge it? Spine deformation increases the area of the intestine by leaving enough space for the intestine to adapt to the digestive characteristics of the stegosaurus ·         Do the much longer rear legs complement this impact or offset it? The longer legs create more space in the abdominal area and compliment the impact of the vertebral adaptions. ·         Which type of hip design (see right) did Stegosaurus have? Did its hip design increase or decrease the size of its gut area? Cross-section typical thero Above is a la back vertebr Front of An A
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Limbs are closer to the spine each foot is made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles design increase or decrease the size of its gut area? Stegosaurus has a bird hipped design. The pubic bone and ischium extend backward creating a lot of space for the large intestine ·         Meat-eating theropod dinosaurs did not need these adaptations, yet if you walk back to the Triceratops, you will see it had similar hip, vertebra, and leg designs. So why might plant-eatin benefit more from these adaptations than meat-eating dinosaurs? herbivorous dinosaurs do not need to hunt because their food is easy to obtain. The soft foods they digested quickly, so they need to continue to feed longer whereas a carnivorous dinosaur can eat on day. therefore they do not need a huge intestinal cavity. Next move on to the Prestosuchus skeleton in front of the Stegosaurus . Prestosuchus was not a dinosa rather a competitor of Late Triassic dinosaurs. Despite not having an elongated skull like modern croc Prestosuchus was a relative of the crocodile line and had its distinctive crocodilian ankle structure. Ho design of its limbs differed from modern crocodiles in one important way. ·         How did Prestosuchus’ stance (leg design and position) differ from that of modern crocodile Behind the Prestosuchus is the skeletal mount of a Massopondylus . Massopondylus is a distant relati large Diplodocus whose head and neck reaches out of the main Paleontology Hall. Its small simple sku elongated neck reflect the animals’ shared ancestry. However, the immense size of Diplodocus required skeletal adaptations to carry that mass. Examine the feet and hands of this bipedal Massopondylus to them with those of Diplodocus at the next station. ·         The number of bones differs in each toe of Massopondylus ’ feet, but how many bones are pr longest toes? Front of An
no it is not Diplodocus hands are more for bearing weight ·         Looking at Massopondylus ’ hands, are the hands designed more for weight bearing or for m food or other objects? Before comparing Massopondylus to Diplodocus , take time to fully appreciate the two large reconstruc Quetzalcoatlus behind and above the Massopondylus . Its size was mentioned earlier but can be hard t from a ceiling mount. Up close and personal, it is easy to believe that Quetzalcoatlus was the largest a ever soar over the Earth’s landscape. Next, examine the skeleton of Diplodocus , the long-necked dinosaur that dominates the left side of the Paleontology Hall’s main entrance. • Look at the skull (you may have to move back a bit to do this). Are the the teeth sharp or rounded? Do you think they were designed to cut and s vegetation or to simply rake vegetation off into the mouth? The points of the teeth are eliptical. They are designed for simply taking vegeta the mouth as they can not effectively strip tree barks. ·         Is there any evidence of recessed areas along the jaws for beak or cheek-equivalent structur on this and the design of its teeth, is it likely that Diplodocus did a lot of food processing in its before swallowing its food? There are depressions on the underside and outside of the mandible indicating muscle attachment. T designs indicates that the food processing in the mouth is limited because they are not suitable for h amounts of chewinf pressure Compare the design of Diplodocus ’ feet and hands to those of Massopondylus. ·         How many bones make up the longest toe of Diplodocus’ feet? ·         Compared to Massopondylus ’ hands, are Diplodocus’ hands designed more for weight bearin manipulating food or other objects?
the bones are elongated and allows for better dispersion of the weight The tail was flexible this allowed for better forward propulision through its side to side movement Although the hands of Diplodocus and Stegosaurus have the same number of bones, Diplodocus ’ hand vertically aligned, and the animal is actually walking on tiptoe. Most people intuitively grasp that shor bones are well designed to carry weight, but it is more counterintuitive to realize that walking on tipto better way for an immense animal to carry its mass. Modern elephants have a similar foot design and running animals that must deal with high stress (such as horses) also run on their tiptoes. ·         Why would walking on tiptoe be better for a really immense animal like Diplodocus than ha design like Stegosaurus ? (Consider how stress affects the toes as the animal moves forward.) Note that the Diplodocus foot still retained one large claw. As falls can be fatal for large animals, the claw on th foot might have kept Diplodocus from slipping as it crossed muddy surfaces or may have been used to dig. Next look at the top of the vertebrae bones that make up the creature’s neck and upper spine. If you w your finger down your backbone or a friend’s backbone (do not try this with random museum visitors feel a line of bumps that marks the top of your vertebrae, but each bone only has a single bump. How Diplodocus had two spines on the top of each vertebra forming a notch between them. In life, this notc ligaments that stretched from the back of the animal’s skull, down its neck, to its back. These ligamen hold the skull and neck up, like a cable strung across a bridge. ·         As you walk towards the rear of the animal, do the tail vertebrae close to the hips have sim features? In other words, did the tail counterbalance the weight of the neck or did these ligame extend to the animal’s back? ·         Look at the rest of the tail vertebrae. Does it appear that the Diplodocus’ tail was flexible, o show evidence of being fused and rigid? If it was flexible, what use might this creature have for tail? If it was rigid, what use might this creature have for a rigid tail? (
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Despite being a plant-eater, Diplodocus had a lizard-hip rather than a bird-hip. Its immense size allow have a large gut even without a bird-hip design. ·         Although Diplodocus did not have the same hip design as either Stegosaurus or Triceratop similarities does its skeleton share with those animals that helped create a larger gut area? The sacral vertebrae consisted of several fused bones, which were flexible at the joints to allow expa guts. The ribs also curved putwards to accommodate more volume inside. This large gut also made t likely to become over heated. Diplodocus lived long before flowering plants arose, so the plants it fed on were not very nutritious. Its size and large gut was a simple approach to dealing with a low-nutrient diet. However, while a large g digest plants, it also makes it more difficult for large animals to avoid overheating. Plates and frills he large dinosaurs shed heat, but Diplodocu s did not have any of these features. ·         What features of its body greatly increased Diplodocus ’ surface area to help it shed heat? The long neck assisted in thermoregulation. The neck altered the surface to body mass ration, thus h faster heat loss from the body. Walk on the far side of Diplodocus there is a display with one Allosaurus and two Camptosaurus skele which appears to be napping). If you are a bit disappointed in the size of this meat-eater, realize you a at an adolescent Allosaurus ; the adults were nearly twice the size of this youngster. Still, its skull is b designed for killing, with a lightweight, flexible design that could resist the stress of struggling prey w breaking, stereoscopic vision, a simple jaw joint and a full complement of sharp, deeply rooted teeth t formidable claws. However, even if the skulls were missing, you should be able to tell which of these f prey and which fed on plants. ·         If the skulls and forelimbs were missing, how could you tell that this Allosaurus skeleton c predator, while the Camptosaurus was an herbivore. Which features of the skeletons’ hips, legs would still suggest that their diet? Strong hips, similar length for the front and back legs which would allow them to run better, small gu suggests that the animal did not feed regularly
Next look up towards the ceiling area between the Diplodocus and Triceratops skeletons to find a susp Pteranodon skeleton. ·         Even without the identification, how can you tell from its wing design whether this animal (flying dinosaur) or a pterosaur (non-dinosaur reptile)? ·         Was Pteranodon’s chest composed of discrete individual bones or were they fused together? is where the wing muscles connect, what advantage might the presence or absence of fusion pr flying animal? The chest of the pteranodon was composed of fused bones. The fusion of the bones increased the st the chest cavity making it more stable and able to withstand the air resistance while flying. Note that the weight of the rock burying the skeleton crushed the wing bones into the flattened shapes you see h life, the wing bones were round, hollow, and had walls less than a sixteenth of an inch thick! Now walk towards the back of the hall, towards the green Emergency Exit doors. Just before you reac look up to see a skeleton of a Pelagornis , one of the largest flying birds ever found. It is just above the Champsosaurus’ display. Unlike pterosaurs, birds are directly descendants of dinosaurs, and most paleontologists consider them to be flying dinosaurs. Almost 30 million years ago, Pelagornis soared over southeastern North America. Look at the design o and compare it to what you saw in Quetzalcoatlus (or Pteranodon ). Both animals were active flying for than passive gliders, so they share many similar traits like hollow bones and a light design. However, in their wing designs. Both forms had a single upper arm bone and two lower arm bones above the dig However, note how these bones’ relative proportions differ from those in Pteranodon ’s wing . ·         Which part of the forelimb comprises most of this animal’s wing? Is it the combination of u lower arm bones, or is it instead the animal’s elongated finger bones? Pterosaur, theropod and bird forelimbs (not shown to scale). Digit 1 corresponds to the thumb in human hands.
The animals elongated finger bones composes most of the animals wings All five digits in the wing are clearly distinct The structure and alignment of the digits suggest a common ancestry between birds and dinosaurs Note this bird had teeth-like structures even though living birds lack ·         Have digits in the wing been lost or fused together or are all five digits still clearly distinct? ·         Does it appear that most of the muscles for the wing connect to the shoulders and back or the chest area? (In other words, which surface is larger?) Does this suggest that the wings’ up s down stroke was more important in flight? The wing muscles connect to the shoulders and back. This suggests that the down stroke was the mo important in flight. When asked, most people identify pterosaurs as ‘flying dinosaurs’ while Hollywood movies, children’s toy manufactures often support that misidentification. Far fewer correctly identify birds as dinosaurs. designs though clearly show relationships between the two lineages. ·         Despite some differences due to fused digits, which features of their arm and digits suggest share a common lineage with dinosaurs while pterosaurs were a separate line of reptiles? Next look at the wall behind the Triceratops ’ skeleton to see a painting of Stegosaurus by Charles Knig the more famous paleoartists. Beneath this painting you can find two small dinosaur skeletons. The s Compsognathus skeleton in the glass case to the left of the Bambiraptor is one of my favorite dinosaur Although this was a Jurassic animal, it is close in design and size to the ancestors of all dinosaurs. A into its eyes, you see a blueprint for animal design that successfully dominated the land for over 150 years and evolved into the variety of dinosaurs you have seen so far. An erect stance (vertical legs, rat sprawling legs) gave this animal greater running endurance, and its long tail counterbalanced the bod run on its back legs (bipedal stance). · Only two animal groups, dinosaurs (including birds) and humans, have become fully bipedal
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·         Only two animal groups, dinosaurs (including birds) and humans, have become fully bipedal times it has proven to be very successful, but why? What advantage might free forelimbs provid predator? (Compared to having to use its forelimbs to run.) Smaller predators will have the ability to grasp and will be better adapted to running. The bipedalism them the ability to respond faster to any predators attacks. Although there was nearly 75 million years between Compsognathus and Bambiraptor , the two share t basic theropod design. However, Bambiraptor had a few innovations that Compsognathus lacked. ·         Briefly describe two skeletal adaptations (or changes) that Bambiraptor had that Compsogn lacked. (Note that feathers are not skeletal and Compsognathus undoubtedly had them as well). The Bambiraptor has better developed long arms and a well-adapted wishbone, which gave iot stabi flight. TheBambiraptor had opposable first and third digits which gave it the ability to grasp and plac mouth. An erect stance and bipedal gait can also be very advantageous for a plant-eating dinosaur so early he dinosaurs had very similar designs to this one, just with some adaptations for plant eating. ·         If you wanted to morph this animal into a small, bipedal herbivore, what changes would you the skull to make it better adapted for life as a plant eater? Provide them with smaller less sharp teeth with a wider surface area for better chewing. Make the ja flexible allowing for more verticle motion while chewing ·         Since your new plant eater has to escape swift predators, you will want to keep its legs and are, but how else might you change the rest of the body (below the neck) to help your new herb digest plant material? expand the ribcage outward. Expaninding the pelvic cavity by changing the ischium to make it face b and increase volume. This will allow space for more food and better digestion
Take some time to enjoy the rest of the museum! - end - By now, you are probably tired of questions, so enjoy the rest of the exhibits and take some time to se floors as well. Before leaving the Paleontology Hall though, be sure to see one last display. Just behind the Diplodocus tail are two skeletons that look similar to a giant armadillo and a small di simply because that is exactly what they are. These are a glyptodont and Paraphysornis (a large flight Both lived in South America nearly 10 million years ago. When North and South America joined rough years ago, the animal communities from both continents encountered one another and ended up com the same resources. In general, the North American community came out on top, simply because it ha continual contact and competition with Eurasian and African lines so North American animals had to good at what they did. The animals here, along with opossums and giant ground sloths, represent som South American lines that survived the competition and expanded their range north. The glyptodonts because few predators could tackle them. Paraphysornis survived by following the same lifestyle of its ancestors. However, note how the proportions of its leg bones differ from those of the Allosaurus behin Flightless birds have to sacrifice most of their upper leg for balance, to center their weight over their k than their hips. This is necessary because their flying ancestors lost the nice heavy tails that dinosau balance their bodies over their hips. A claw from a giant ground sloth is in a glass case on the display railing. Because of their immense si giant ground sloths had no natural predators until humans showed up. Although this one came from Carolina, giant ground sloths made it as far as St. Paul’s parks, which must have made picnicking in much more interesting a few thousand years ago. Also along the railing is a cave bear skull mounted in a glass case. As you look at this skull, can you s skulls of this animal that were found in caves across Europe might have led to the legends of dragons Once you have completed the exploration, be sure to SAVE your answe then upload your completed exploration to the submission pageon the L Canvas site.
s reserved KCK to get nment.
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onse and n our lab o this al on the ngle PDF h the lab ploration you your ta eye when you ur (flying us deserves s surface. m bones are ects to its t. Beyond the other nder bone at and the only arm bone, ou can
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side the two wimming tend side muscles st, animals much m with an up- stance (like gated and ance. As the umns on Erect Stance (dinosaurs & modern mammals) erasaurus skull
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me sort of s. There is an hewing r with less h fitted ntinually inance some he frill ssels. y? Briefly ra e flesh riceratops’ eaves but
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n lizard- uts forward, metimes fused e or decrease . The estion a very large, he mount, ou will see in rom other om predators tures to hare a es while the pically have e limb bone do the limbs’ ominance h other
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d together for r to support its of any land e ball and or to push ulled slightly main e glass case. ense while marily as a e plate nt their heat at they may colorful osaurs. apes of its its skeleton oving, why y weight over ted a s were
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walking? tures that ave a large oft plants t mainly s attach to In addition, o occurred in ns through the rib cages of a opod (A) and Stegosaurus (B). arger image of a Stegosaurus ra. nimal B
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e ng dinosaurs eat are ne meal a aur but codiles, owever, the es? ive of the ull and d some o compare resent in its nimal
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manipulating ctions of to grasp animal to e e points of shear ation into res? Based s mouth The tooth holding large ng or for
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ds are more rt, stocky oe is an even d large fast aving a hand he inside of the were to run s) you would wever, ch held large nts helped milar ents only or does it r a flexible Stegosaurus hand ( big animal ) Diplodocus hand ( immense animal )
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wed it to ps , what anison of the them more s immense gut helps to elped some helping in etons (one of are looking beautifully without to match its forms fed on came from a s and torso ut cavity
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pended was a bird ? Since this rovide this trength of here. In ch the doors, e ‘Build a of the wing rms rather they differed gits. upper and
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k them. ? instead to stroke or ost books and . Skeletal t that birds ght, one of small r displays. As you look million ther than dy so it could l and both
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m also gives the same nathus ility during ce food in its erbivorous u make to aws more d tail as they bivore better backward
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ee the other inosaur, tless bird). hly 3 million mpeting for ad been in o be very me of the few survived s dinosaur nd you. knees rather urs used to ize, adult m North Como Park see how s? ers and Lab
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