On Dinosaur Reconstruction: An Introduction to Important Topics of Paleontology and Dinosaurs
Journal
Open Journal of Geology
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
DOI
10.4236/ojg.2021.1110028
Abstract
Many people may be interested in Paleontology since the subject allows for
large amounts of imagination and freedom in the creation of scenes. Dinosaurs draw the biggest interest because of their diversity in peculiar forms and
often unusually large size of many species. There are people like artists who
help the field paleontologists to describe, interpret and reconstruct fossils,
and others that create drawings, restorations, sculptures and, most recently,
computer animations for science, art and joy. To this end, a successful professional should have specific knowledge that will allow them to produce
high-quality work. The current paper aims at: 1) providing knowledge on
various topics of Paleontology, in order to understand the time scale of life on
earth, its evolution and diversity; 2) generating appreciation for the evolution
of climatic conditions, continental plates and movement and the Mesozoic
environment in which dinosaurs evolved; 3) offering an understanding of
scientific nomenclature used in Paleontology, and interpretation of drawings
and meanings; 4) helping one to realize how scientists extract information
from bones, tracks, eggs, embryos and other remains; 5) examining the physiology of dinosaurs, their metabolism, behaviors, growth rates estimated lifetime and diet; and 6) leading to the understanding of the relations between
different dinosaur species and how Paleontologists complete missing parts
from uncomplete skeletons. Examining the evolution of life, we observe that
life began about 3.8 billion years ago in the deep sea. The first simple animals
such as worms and jellyfish appeared in the oceans around 600 mya. The
crust of the earth continuously moves to produce changes in the land masses
and changes in the climatic conditions that affect the evolution of life. The life
of the earth is divided into geological eras. At the end of each geological era, a
major event of extinction occurred, which every time obliterated important
groups of life. Dinosauria was one of the most successful clades of animals
that lived on terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, but was extinct
at one of the major extinction events 66 mya. The remains of animals allow
scientists and artists to recreate their forms usually in great detail and extract
a lot of information about their lives. The paper describes in detail how and
where to find information and explains how to interpret them in order to
understand the meanings. The paper presents all the above in a simplified
way giving the required knowledge without using difficult scientific terms
and provides the essential knowledge to the interested person to appreciate
the science of Paleontology.
large amounts of imagination and freedom in the creation of scenes. Dinosaurs draw the biggest interest because of their diversity in peculiar forms and
often unusually large size of many species. There are people like artists who
help the field paleontologists to describe, interpret and reconstruct fossils,
and others that create drawings, restorations, sculptures and, most recently,
computer animations for science, art and joy. To this end, a successful professional should have specific knowledge that will allow them to produce
high-quality work. The current paper aims at: 1) providing knowledge on
various topics of Paleontology, in order to understand the time scale of life on
earth, its evolution and diversity; 2) generating appreciation for the evolution
of climatic conditions, continental plates and movement and the Mesozoic
environment in which dinosaurs evolved; 3) offering an understanding of
scientific nomenclature used in Paleontology, and interpretation of drawings
and meanings; 4) helping one to realize how scientists extract information
from bones, tracks, eggs, embryos and other remains; 5) examining the physiology of dinosaurs, their metabolism, behaviors, growth rates estimated lifetime and diet; and 6) leading to the understanding of the relations between
different dinosaur species and how Paleontologists complete missing parts
from uncomplete skeletons. Examining the evolution of life, we observe that
life began about 3.8 billion years ago in the deep sea. The first simple animals
such as worms and jellyfish appeared in the oceans around 600 mya. The
crust of the earth continuously moves to produce changes in the land masses
and changes in the climatic conditions that affect the evolution of life. The life
of the earth is divided into geological eras. At the end of each geological era, a
major event of extinction occurred, which every time obliterated important
groups of life. Dinosauria was one of the most successful clades of animals
that lived on terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, but was extinct
at one of the major extinction events 66 mya. The remains of animals allow
scientists and artists to recreate their forms usually in great detail and extract
a lot of information about their lives. The paper describes in detail how and
where to find information and explains how to interpret them in order to
understand the meanings. The paper presents all the above in a simplified
way giving the required knowledge without using difficult scientific terms
and provides the essential knowledge to the interested person to appreciate
the science of Paleontology.
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