Understanding Sauropods Objectives Develop an understanding of the two groups of
ID: 280673 • Letter: U
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Understanding Sauropods Objectives Develop an understanding of the two groups of sauropodomorph dinosaurs Learn details of three different genera of the two major groups of sauropodomorph dinosaurs Use web-based resources including museum websites and other academic websites to obtain information about three different genera of prosauropod and sauropod dinosaurs. You should identify one genus of prosauropod, one genus of Jurassic sauropod, and one genus of Cretaceous sauropod that you find interesting. For each genus obtain the information listed on the answer sheet. A good starting point for this exercise is The Dinol Directory hosted by the Natural History Museum of London (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature online/life/dinosaurs-other extinct-creatures/dino-directorylindex.html). You can search by "body shape" to sort out the different types of sauropod dinosaurs. Once you've identified a genus that you are interested in, this website can provide you with much (but not all) of the information that is required. You can then begin searching for other sites on the internet and your textbook using the genus name for additional information. If you cannot find enough information to fully answer all of the questions in terms of content and length, you should choose a different genus. Completed answer sheets should be submitted through Blackboard. This exercise is due by Friday, June 22 at 5:00 pm. Late exercises will be penalized 5 points per day. Grading This exercise is worth a total of 24 points. Points will be earned using the following rubric: Problem 18 Prohlem8Explanation / Answer
SHEET 1 Problem 2 Sauropods- Jurassic
Genus name: Massospondylus (a member of Prosauropod)
Meaning of name: massive vertebra or elongated vertebra
Named by Person: Sir Richard Owen date: 1854
Type species: carinatus (M.carinatus)
Family: Plateosauridae
Order: Saurischia
Size : height: 6feet (1.8m) tall at the hips, length: about 13 feet (4 meters) long, weight: about 1.5 tons
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater). Massospondylus swallowed pebbes and small stones to help in digestion of the tough leaves and other plant material that it ate These gizzard stones (gastroliths) would help grind up the food in the stomach.
Habitats/ Environments: It lived in plant filled and stony areas of africa and North America.
Geologic Range / Periods: In Jurassic period, about 205 - 194 million years ago
Geographic Range / Locations : Massospondylus lived in North America (Arizona) and Africa (Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa)
SHEET 2 Problem 2 Sauropods- Jurassic
Genus name: Diplodocus
Meaning of name: Double beamed
Named by Person: Othniel C. Marsh date: 1878
Type species: longus (D.longus)
Family: Diplodocidae
Order: Saurischia
Size : height: 16 feet (5m), length: 90 feet (27meters) long, weight: 10-20 tons
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater). Its main food was probably conifers, Secondary food sources may have included gingkos, seed ferns, cycads, bennettitaleans, ferns, club mosses, and horsetails. Diplodocus had blunt teeth (but only in the front of the jaws), useful for stripping foliage (leaves).
Habitats/ Environments:Places where the dominant plants were conifers.
Geologic Range / Periods: Late Jurassic period, about 155-145 million years ago
Geographic Range / Locations : Many Diplodocus fossils have been found in the Rocky Mountains of the western USA (in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming).
SHEET 3 Problem 2 Sauropods- Jurassic
Genus name: Apatosaurus
Meaning of name: deceptive lizard
Named by Person: Othniel C. Marsh date: 1877
Type species: A.ajax
Family: Diplodocidae
Order: Saurischia
Size : height: 10-15 feet (3-4.6m) tall at the hips, length: 70-90 feet (21-27meters) long, weight: 33-38 tons
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater). Apatosaurus swallowed stones to help grind up its tough plant food. It did not chew its food.
Habitats/ Environments:Places where plants and stones were plenty.
Geologic Range / Periods: Late Jurassic period, about 157-146 million years ago
Geographic Range / Locations : Fossils have been found in Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming, in the USA, North America
SHEET 4 Problem 3 Cretaceous
Genus name: Torosaurus
Meaning of name: pierced lizard
Named by Person: Othniel C. Marsh date: 1891
Type species: A.latus
Family: Ceratopsinae
Order: Ornithischia
Size : height: 7 feet (2m) tall at the hips, length: 21-25 feet (6.2-7.6meters) long, weight: roughly 4 tons
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater). it may have eaten conifers, cycads, ginkgos, and flowering plants. Torosaurus could chew well with its cheek teeth (like other ceratopsians, but unlike most other dinosaurs).
Habitats/ Environments:Places where conifers were plenty.
Geologic Range / Periods:Late Cretaceous period, about 70-65 million years ago
Geographic Range / Locations : Fossils have been found in the USA (Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Utah), and Canada (Saskatchewan), North America
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