Dinosaur paleontology

Dinosaur paleontology investigates dinosaurs through fossils, anatomy, evolution, and geological context. It reconstructs their biology and history from preserved remains and traces.

Fossil: Preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms from the geological past. Dinosaur research begins with the preserved remains and traces that supply its evidence.
Dinosaur trackway: A sequence of fossil footprints that records an animal's movement across a surface. Track spacing and direction can reveal gait, speed, and group movement.
Dinosaur locomotion: The study of how dinosaurs moved, including their gait, posture, and speed. Bones and trackways provide complementary evidence about dinosaur movement.
Archaeopteryx: A Late Jurassic feathered fossil that combines birdlike and non-avian theropod traits. Its anatomy became central evidence for the evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs.
Dinosaur endothermy: The question of whether and to what extent dinosaurs regulated body temperature internally. Growth, anatomy, and isotope evidence continue to shape debate over dinosaur metabolism.
Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers and their sequence, composition, and age. Rock layers help place dinosaur fossils in relative time and environmental context.
Bone histology: The microscopic study of bone tissue and its growth structures. Growth marks in dinosaur bones help estimate age and growth rates.
Dinosaur growth: The study of how dinosaurs changed in size and anatomy as they developed. Bone growth records help distinguish juvenile, adult, and rapidly growing individuals.
Sinosauropteryx: An Early Cretaceous theropod dinosaur known from exceptionally preserved fossils in China. Its preserved filament-like covering helped establish that feathers were not unique to birds.
Dinosaur social behavior: The study of social interactions and group living among dinosaurs. Trackways and bonebeds suggest group behaviors but rarely preserve direct interactions.

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