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Paleo 200 > Lesson 1 > Flashcards

Lesson 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What does paleontology study? Where does the evidence from this study come from?

A
  • paleontology looks at prehistoric life

- >the evidence for these studies comes from fossils

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2
Q

What is a fossil

A
  • it is any preserved evidence left behind by a prehistoric organism
  • > they are found buried in ancient rock formations
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3
Q

What are examples of dinosaur fossils

A
  • examples are:

- >footprints, eggshels, poop, feather and skin impressions

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4
Q

What is the definition of an adaptation

A

-adaptations are traits that have evolved because they have specific functions

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5
Q

How do bones help serve animals major functions(describe four of them)

A

1) Bones passively resist gravity and maintain animals form
- >bones act like support columns

2)Bones provide a rigid framework for muscle attachment

3) Bones provide protection and can be a major component of horns/weapons
- >eg; skull

4) Bones store mineral reserves
- >eg; osteoclasts and osteoblasts

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6
Q

Are dinosaurs vertebrates

A

-yes they are vertebrates

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7
Q

What two structures do vertebrates have

A
  • they have:

- >skulls and vertebrae

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8
Q

What is the vertebrae made up of and what do multiple vertebrae make up

A
  • they primarily are structures of bone/cartilage
  • > they surround the spinal nerve cord

-together, vertebrae interlock to make a vertebrae column

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9
Q

Give examples of invertebrates

A
  • spiders, snails, squids, clams, jellyfish and worms

- >so basically insects and some sea animals

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10
Q

Are vertebrates or invertebrates more populated on land

A

-vertebrates are more populated on land

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11
Q

What is the brain case

A
  • it is a hollow chamber formed by multiple skull bones
  • > the BRAIN CASE houses the brain
  • > many small openings in the brain case
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12
Q

Are there nerves in the brain case

A
  • yes the brain case contains many small holes

- >nerves pass through these openings and connect to the brain

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13
Q

How does size and shape of a brain case help scientists?

A
  • the size and shape of the brain case indicates the size and shape of the brain that it housed
  • > therefore, provides clues to a dinosaur’s mental capabilities
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14
Q

What are nares and orbits

A
  • nares are the pair of openings for nostrils

- orbits are the pair of openings for the eyes

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15
Q

Where is the laterotemporal fenestrae

A

-fenestrae on the lateral side of the skull

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16
Q

Where is the supratemporal fenestrae

A

-they are located on top of the skull

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17
Q

What is the purpose of the laterotemporal fenestrae and supratemporal fenestrae

A

-they provide extra room for large jaw muscles

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18
Q

Where is the antorbital fenestrae located

A
  • it is located between each orbit and naris

- >function is unclear

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19
Q

Describe the basic form of vertebra. Make sure to include terms such as centrum, neural arch and neural canal

A
  • the vertebra has a spool or disk-shaped body called centrum
  • above the centrum is the neural arch, which covers the neural canal
  • the neural canal is the opening in each vertebra
  • > this is where spinal nerves run through
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20
Q

What are vertebral processes

A

-they provide attachment surfaces for muscles and sometimes provide articulation surfaces for ribs

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21
Q

What are the two types of vertebral processes

A
  • they are transverse processes
  • > extend from the lateral sides of the vertebrae
  • spinous processes
  • > which extend upwards from the neural arch
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22
Q

What are vertebrae in the neck referred to as

A
  • they are referred to as cervical vertebrae
  • > they have extra-large openings for blood and nerve channels
  • > adapted to support the weight of an animal’s head
23
Q

What are the vertebrae in the back referred to as

A
  • they are referred to as dorsal vertebrae

- >they often have tall spinous processes and large rib articulation surfaces

24
Q

What are the vertebrae in the hips referred to as

A
  • they are referred to as sacral vertebrae

- >pelvic bones are fused to the sacral vertebrae

25
Q

What is the sacrum

A

-sacral vertebrae are fused with one another and form a single solid bone called the sacrum

26
Q

What is the vertebrae in the tail referred to as

A

-they are referred to as the caudal vertebrae

27
Q

What are chevrons? Where are they located

A
  • chevrons are bones
  • > located underneath the caudal vertebrae
  • > chevrons protect a large blood and nerve channel

-they also provide support for tail muscles

28
Q

What are the largest ribs in dinosaurs

A

-the ones that connect to the dorsal vertebrae and form the ribcage

  • note in dinosaurs all dorsal vertebrae connect with the ribs
  • > however, in mammals, the dorsal vertebrae close to the hips do not
29
Q

What are gastralia

A
  • they are small ribs positioned across a dinosaur’s underbelly
  • > udnerneath the ribcage
30
Q

What are tetrapods

A
  • they are animals that evolved from an ancestor with four feet and four limbs
  • > examples include dinosaurs, mammals, reptiles and amphibians
31
Q

What are limb girdles?

A

-limbs of a tetrapod are connected to the rest of the skeleton by limb girdles

  • note the forelimbs are connected to the pectoral girdle also called the shoulder girdle
  • the hindlimbs are connected the pelvic girdle or hip bones
32
Q

What is the largest bone on each side of the pectoral girdle

A

-the scapula or shoulder blade is the largest bone on each side of the pectoral girdle

33
Q

What three bones are the pelvic girdle composed of

A
  • they are composed of the upper hip bone(ilium)
  • below the ilium are the pubis and the ischium
  • > the pubis is in front of the ischium and is nearer the belly
  • > the ischium is positioned behind the pubis, nearer the tail
34
Q

What is the acetabulum

A

-it is the depression or the hole in the pelvic girdle into which the hind limb articulates

35
Q

What is the largest bone in the forelimb? Where is it located

A
  • the largest bone in the forelimb is the humerus

- >it is located between the shoulder and elbow

36
Q

Where is the radius and the ulna located

A
  • they are located between the elbow and the wrist

- >note the radius is the thinner of the two

37
Q

What are the bones in the wrist referred to as

A
  • they referred to as carpals
  • > the bones between the wrist and fingers are the metacarpals

-note finger bones are called the phalanges

38
Q

What is the femur

A
  • the femur refers to the hindlimbs
  • > the femur is between the hip and the knee
  • > it is the largest bone in the hindlegs
39
Q

What is the fibula and tibia referring to

A
  • the fibula and tibia are two parallel bones

- >between the knee and the ankle

40
Q

What is the bones in the ankles referred to as

A
  • they are referred to as tarsals
  • > the bones between the ankles and the toes are called metatarsals

-the bones in the toes are called phalanges

41
Q

What are the two major groups of dinosaurs? What is the difference between them

A
  • saurischians and ornithischians
  • > they do share the same ancestor but paleontologists are not sure what this ancestor looked like
  • saurischians are those that share an evolutionary ancestor that had a pubis which extended downwards and forwards towards the ribcage
  • ornithischian dinosaurs are those that share an evolutionary ancestor that had both a special beak-forming bone in the upper jaw and a pubis that extended downwards and backward towards the tail
  • THEREFORE, THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT THE GROUPS ARE BASED ON THE PUBIS SHAPE OF A SHARED ANCESTOR
42
Q

What are the two major groups of saurischian dinosaurs

A
  • they are sauropomorphs and prosauropods
  • > sauropomorphs were large herbivores that had elongated necks and relatively small heads
  • > prosauropods were an early group of sauropodomorphs

-note prosauropods were the first group of large-bodied herbivorous dinosaurs to evolve

43
Q

Did sauropods have complex air sacks

A
  • yes they had air sacks which helped reduce weight

- >the teeth of sauropods are usually simple and peg-like

44
Q

Describe the characteristics of theropods

A
  • they were bipedal saurischian dinosaurs that shared a carnivorous ancestor
  • > many theropods were carnivorous and had serrated blade-like teeth and sharp hooked claws
  • > but some were herbivorous and had a few teeth altogether
  • note birds are theropods
  • > therefore, the theropods are the only group of donosaurs to not go extinct
45
Q

What are the characteristics of ornithischians

A
  • they have a backwards extending pubis
  • > this creates the most space for them in the ribcage
  • > in this space they had a large digestive organs
  • all known ornithiscians were thought to be herbivores
  • > they all also had beaks to eat plants
46
Q

What are the five types of ornithiscians

A

-the five types are: ornithopods, pachycephalosaurs, ceratopsians, stegosaurs and ankylasours

47
Q

What is an ornithopods

A
  • include a wide range of dinosaurs that lack armor

- >and that either walked bipedally all the time or assumed a bipedal stance when running

48
Q

What is a hadrosaur

A
  • ‘duck-billed dinosaurs’
  • they evolved late in the history of dinosaurs
  • some hadrosaurs have elaborate boney crests
  • > and all hadrosaurs have strikingly large beaks in the front of their mouths and dense tightly packed rows of small teeth in the rear of their mouths
49
Q

What are pachycephalosaurs

A
  • they were bipedal
  • > with short arms
  • > stout and strong tails
  • > armored skulls
  • they have sharp conical teeth in front of their mouths behind their beaks
  • > leaf-shaped teeth in the rear

-the front teeth have led some paleos to believe that these dinosaurs might have been omnivores as well

50
Q

What are ceratopsians

A
  • another group that evolved late in history of dinosaurs
  • large parrot-like beaks and skulls that are greatly expanded in the rear
  • many have large horns and also possess dental batteries
  • note triceratops is an example
  • > most were quadrupedal and have short tails
51
Q

Describe the characteristics of stegasours

A
  • a group of quadrupedal dinsoaurs
  • > with rows of projecting osteoderm plates down their backs and long osteoderm spikes on their tails
  • their front limbs are much shorter than their hind limbs
  • > they were not the fastest runners
  • > but they could pivot quickly and rear up to stand on their hind legs
52
Q

Describe the characteristics of ankylosaurs

A
  • they are the most heavily armored of all dinosaurs
  • > they are quadrupedal with short legs and wide ribcages
  • > their backs and skulls are covered in osteoderms
  • unlike their relatives, the stegasours
  • > most ankylosaurs have short snouts and broader rounded beaks
53
Q

What is an integument

A

-it refers to the body covering

54
Q

Can fossilization of the skin be possible? Give an example

A
  • yes
  • > eg; sometimes a footprint may include the impressions of foot scales

-skin impressions from other regions of a dinosaur’s body can be preserved if a dinosaur was covered by mud shortly after it died and before its flesh rotted away

Paleo 200 (10 decks)

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