Leapin'
Lizards! CyberBee has time warped back over 65 million years to the
Mesozoic Era known as the age of the dinosaurs. Aren't Jurassic
Park, the Legend of the Loch Ness monster, and the original Lost
World
enough? Not for CyberBee. Tarpits, arid
lands, and stream beds have been part of his itinerary to dig up
theories on why dinosaurs disappeared, to learn about their habitats,
to find out if scientists can recreate them from ancient DNA, and
to answer why they resemble modern birds. Let's begin this adventure
withCyberBee as he takes us to ground zero of modern paleontology. HISTORY
Paper
Dinosaurs
1824-1969
Highlighting this extraordinary exhibit is original source material
from the collections of the Linda Hall Library, Kansas City, Missouri. The curators have gathered
over 80 printed works about dinosaur discoveries and lore such as
why one scientist called T-Rex Teddysaurus.
You will learn about the pioneers, read their findings, and view
over 136 impressive dinosaur drawings and images. Any student researching
or investigating the history of paleontology will want to make a
stop here.
Hadrosaurus foulkii
Visit Haddonfield, New
Jersey, to view the area where the first nearly complete dinosaur
skeleton was discovered in 1858 by William Parker Foulke.
This single discovery changed scientific thinking about dinosaurs
forever. As the focus shifted to newer finds and bigger bones, the
importance of this event faded. It wasn't until 1984 when a local
boy scout decided to reestablish the site as a community service
project that Hadrosaurus foulkii received
proper recognition. In 1994, it became a National Historic Site.
An excellent, easy-to-understand history of the location is presented
along with numerous photographs, drawings, and maps. A link to Fossils
of New Jersey discusses the geologic history of the East Coast.
REFERENCE
Dinosaurs Facts and
Fiction
From a scientific
viewpoint the study of dinosaurs is important both for understanding
the causes of past major extinctions of land animals and for understanding
the changes in biological diversity caused by previous geological and
climatic changes of the Earth. These changes are still occurring today.
A wealth of new information about dinosaurs has been learned over the
past 30 years, and science's old ideas of dinosaurs as slow, clumsy
beasts have been totally turned around. This pamphlet contains answers
to some frequently asked questions about dinosaurs, with current ideas
and evidence to correct some long-lived popular misconceptions. Although
much has been discovered recently about dinosaurs, there is still a
great deal more to learn about our planet and its ancient inhabitants.
Dinosaur Images for Kids
Read interesting facts and information about how big dinosaurs were, when they lived, where their fossils were found and much more. Theres are many images to browse.
MUSEUMS
American Museum
of Natural History
Who are the people behind the bones? What contributions
did they make to paleontology? Personalities in Paleontology showcases
10
leading individuals, complete with a picture and short biography.
Ever wonder what the environment would look like during geologic
history? An artist's depiction in the Timelines section lets you
imagine a scene from a specific period and explains the habitat.
How should T-Rex be mounted for display? To find the current theory,
click on six new halls. Vertebrate evolution is illustrated with
numerous drawings.
Dinosauria University
of California at Berkeley
This is one of the best places for finding general
information about dinosaurs. Learn all about current research in Dinosbuzz, a newsletter that gives a thorough explanation
of the theories on extinction, the relationship with birds, and
the differences between fact and fiction of dinosaurs portrayed
in the
movies. To better understand the groups of dinosaurs, read dinosaur
diversity and dispelling myths. Join Sam Welles,
professor emeritus, on a narrated tour of his discovery of Dilophosaurus beginning
in the summer of 1942. Find out why the name changed after several
years of investigation and how he viewed Dilophosaurus as
a movie star in Jurassic Park.
In addition, the site is searchable, has a glossary of terms, and
links to the geologic time machine.
Royal Tyrrell Museum
Want to dig for fossils or save the dinosaurs? There
are numerous choices for all ages. Trips range from day digs to
lengthier field
experiences. World renowned paleontologists lead you on fascinating
journeys throughout North America. On the
Great Canadian Fossil Trail, you will be linked to locations in
western Canada. All ages will want
to browse the virtual museum. It is loaded with facts and pictures.
MORE MUSEUMS
Museum
of Western Colorado
Field Museum
of Natural History
There are other notable museums to visit for virtual
tours, area information, and images. Don’t miss the Sue Website
at the Field Museum. Then, journey through other dinosaur exhibit areas. Check
out the forecast for the Triassic period by dialing 1-900 CLIMATE for
an audio recording. Round out you visit in the Triassic, Jurassic,
and Cretaceous periods for an overview of dinosaurs that lived during
those times.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
focuses on local digs. Lots of good information about their state fossil.
MISCELLANEOUS
Trace
Fossils
Prem's Fossil
Gallery
In our zeal to focus on the dinosaurs themselves, we often overlook
the area of trace fossils. These are tracks, trails, burrows, borings, gnawings,
eggs, nests, gizzard stones, and dung. An excellent place to learn
more about this subject is at Emory University's Trace Fossils site.
All of your aspiring
rock hounds will want to read Fossil Hunting FAQ at Prem's Fossil
Gallery. This amateur collector has assembled a top-notch display
of trilobites, graphtolites,
and fossil plants.
LESSONS
Discovery Education
Dinosaurs
Home Page Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
From a comprehensive
unit designed for kindergartners at the Southwest Educational Development
Laboratory site, to To Scholastic's wealth of material,
teachers will want to look through the list of lessons. Book resources,
hands-on activities, dinosaur recipes, songs, and lots of suggestions
will be found at these educational sites.
FUN STUFF
Dino
Hunt
Prehistoric
World Images
|