saurischians vs. ornithischians
Why is it ironic that birds evolved from the “lizard-hipped” group (saurischians)?
What is because they have a bird-like pelvis, yet their ancestors had a lizard-like one?
How did sauropods manage their massive body weight?
What is they had column-like legs, air sacs in bones to reduce weight, and efficient circulatory systems.
How did feathers benefit small theropods before the evolution of flight?
What is insulation, display, and possibly gliding or balance?
How do fossilized teeth of ornithopods suggest complex chewing behaviour?
What are tooth batteries show grinding surfaces and replacement teeth, like modern cows.
What was the likely purpose of Stegosaurus’s back plates?
What is the play, species recognition, or thermoregulation?
Compare locomotion in ornithischians vs. theropod saurischians.
What are Ornithischians? They are often characterized by how they often walked on all fours or had a flexible posture; theropods, on the other hand, were primarily bipedal and agile.
In what ways did sauropod reproduction differ from modern large animals like elephants?
What is they laid eggs in nests, likely in large groups, rather than giving live birth.
Compare the hunting styles of ceratosaurs vs. advanced tetanurans.
What were Ceratosaurs? They were likely ambushed; tetanurans (like Allosaurus) were more active hunters with complex strategies.
Why might large herds have been beneficial to ceratopsians?
What is protection from predators and more efficient migration or nesting.
How did ankylosaurs protect themselves from predators like T. rex?
What is with heavy armour, spikes, and powerful tail clubs?
How might differences in hip structure have influenced diet and feeding behaviours?
What is because Ornithischian hips supported large gut spaces for digesting plants; saurischians often had simpler guts (except sauropods).
Why did sauropods develop extremely long necks, and how might that have influenced ecosystem structure?
What is to access food high in trees and minimize competition with ground feeders?
What adaptations suggest that theropods were among the most intelligent dinosaurs?
What is a larger brain-to-body ratio, forward-facing eyes, and complex behaviour inferred from fossils.
What does the pachycephalosaur skull structure suggest about their brain protection?
What is the thick dome could protects the brain during head collisions?
Compare the brain size of stegosaurs to their body size—what does it imply?
What is that a small brain suggests limited intelligence or simple behaviour?
What evolutionary pressures may have caused such a divergence in hip shape between the two groups?
What is because the differences in diet (herbivory vs. carnivory), posture, and locomotion needs likely drove pelvic evolution.
What evidence suggests that sauropods may have lived in herds?
What are fossilized trackways and nesting sites with multiple individuals?
What does the discovery of nesting behaviour in theropods like Oviraptor suggest about parenting?
What is that some theropods may have guarded or incubated their eggs?
Compare cerapod communication to that of modern herd animals.
What are visual signals (frills, crests) and possibly sound-producing crests like in Parasaurolophus?
How did body armour evolve differently in stegosaurs vs. ankylosaurs?
What is the Stegosaurs had fewer, larger plates; ankylosaurs had dense, overlapping armour.
How could scientists use the hip structure to hypothesize the behaviour or lifestyle of an unknown dinosaur fossil?
What is because hip shape can indicate likely diet, gait, posture, and group classification
How could the long tails of sauropods have been used, beyond balance?
What is for defence, sound (whip-like motion), or communication.
How do theropod fossils support the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs?
What are feathers, wishbones, brooding behaviour, and skeletal similarities with birds?
How can horn and frill variation among ceratopsians help identify species and behaviour?
What is they suggest species-specific traits for mating, identity, or social status.
What role might coloration or ornamentation of plates and spikes have played?
What is Camouflage, intimidation, or attracting mates?