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American Museum of Natural History
Course: American Museum of Natural History > Unit 1
Lesson 2: How do scientists study dinosaurs?- Where in the world did dinosaurs live?
- Where in the world did dinosaurs live?
- Did dinosaurs travel in herds or packs?
- Did dinosaurs travel in herds or packs?
- How fast were dinosaurs?
- Were dinosaurs warm-blooded?
- Were dinosaurs warm-blooded?
- How fast did dinosaurs grow, and how long did they live?
- How fast did dinosaurs grow, and how long did they live?
- What was dinosaur skin like?
- What color were extinct dinosaurs?
- What color were extinct dinosaurs?
- What were the biggest and smallest dinosaurs?
- Did dinosaurs fight?
- How did dinosaurs reproduce?
- How intelligent were dinosaurs?
- New research points to dinosaurs' colorful past
- New dinosaur research: Microraptor's feather color revealed
- Quiz: How do scientists study dinosaurs?
- Exploration Questions: How do scientists study dinosaurs?
- Answers to Exploration Questions: How do scientists study dinosaurs?
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Where in the world did dinosaurs live?
Fossils of dinosaurs have now been found on every continent, almost everywhere that rocks of Late Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous rocks are exposed on the Earth's surface. Because dinosaurs were (and in the form of birds still are) such a diverse group or animals, they probably lived in nearly every terrestrial environment. Their fossils, whether bones, teeth, or footprints, have been found in Mesozoic rocks that are geologically interpreted to have been deposited in deserts, savannahs, forests, beaches, and swamps. Created by American Museum of Natural History.
Want to join the conversation?
- A silly question: What if someone accidentally found dinosaur fossils in his/her backyard? Where or who should he/she call to tell about that?(9 votes)
- I think the safest bet would be to call a museum.
They can access the fossils and make sure they are removed correctly. (So they're not broken in the process.)(6 votes)
- Did dinosaurs live before the "Continental Drift" happened?(6 votes)
- Yes, but they were only around for about 20 million years before the drift happened, so they were still new(5 votes)
- What would happen if somehow dinosaurs came back to life? How would us humans be affected? Kind of a whimsical question, but I truly want to know. Thanks!(4 votes)
Video transcript
Dinosaurs lived just about everywhere,
on all continents and all habitats as far as we can see. Now they're not preserved well in all
habitats there's certain regions of the world were dinosaur fossils are especially
abundant and well preserved. Part of the time period when the traditional dinosaurs were alive soutehrn Australia was very close to
the Arctic, to the southern pole, and dinosaur fossils are found there.
Northern Alaska on the north, the north slope was above the Arctic
Circle during the time these animals lived, we find dinosaur fossils there. So, they basically lived in every possible
habitat that we know of, everywhere in the world, they're a truly cosmopolitan
group.