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Caenagnathidae
Translation: Recent Jaw
Caenagnathidae (SEE-nig-nay-thi-day) is a one-member family of theropods.
The classification was created because Caenagnathus has unique characteristics
that do not allow it to be classified with other families. Its exact location
within the thepods has not yet been determined.
Camarasauridae (Camarasaurids)
Translation: Chambered Lizards
Camarasauridae (kam-uh-ruh-SAWR-ih-day) is one of six families of sauropods.
They are distinguished by their nostrils placed in front of their eyes;
teeth which run along the jaw extremities; front and hind legs of equal
or nearly equal length; and a horizontal back.
Camarasaurinae
Translation: Chambered Lizards
Camarasaurinae (kam-uh-ruh-SAWR-ih-nay) is a subfamily of Camarasauridae,
members of which had large skulls and short snouts. Their necks and tails
were not as long as those of other sauropods. These quadrupedal herbivores
could grow up to 60 feet (18 meters) long. In North America and Europe
they existed from the Middle Jurassic Period to the Early Cretaceous Period.
See also Camarasaurs.
Camarasaurs
Translation: Chambered Lizards
Camarasaurs (KAM-uh-rah-sawrz) is the name applied to members of of Camarasauridae
or Camarasaurinae.
Camptosauridae
Translation: Bent Lizards
Camptosauridae (kamp-tuh-SAWR-ih-day) is a family of iguanodont ornithopods.
Members had short front legs with five-fingered hands and feet with four
toes. These herbivores were bipedal, but grazed on all fours. Both fingers
and toes were tipped with hooves instead of nails. The ends of their snouts
were beak-like. In North America and England, they lived from the Middle
Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Periods. They could approach the length of
17 feet (5.2 meters). Callovosaurus and Camptosaurus.
Camptosaurs
Translation: Bent Lizards
Camptosaurs (KAMP-tuh-sawrz) is a name used for the camptosaurids.
Carnivore
Translation: Meat-Eater
A carnivore (KAR-nih-vor) is any animal that eats meat and little of anything
else. The teeth of carnivores are typically large and sharp and are mounted
in powerful jaws. In a balanced ecosystem, carnivores are outnumbered by
herbivores. See also Herbivore and Omnivore. See also Coelurosaurs and
Carnosaurs.
Carnivorous
Carnivorous (kar-NIV-or-us) See Carnivore.
Carnosauria (Carnosaurs)
Translation: Meat-Eating Lizards
Carnosauria (kar-nuh-SAWR-ee-ah) is the micro-order of the suborder Tetanurae,
an infraorder of Theropoda. Carnosaurs had enormous heads, short necks,
powerful muscles and heavy bones. Armed with stout tails, vicious claws,
and serrated teeth, they attacked and killed prey swiftly. The family Tyrannosauridae,
which included Tyrannosaurus rex, is the best-known and most highly developed
family of carnosaurs. Carnosaurs lived on the Earth on every continent
from the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous Periods.
Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus.
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic Era (sen-uh-ZO-ik) is the Age of Mammals. It directly follows
the Mesozoic Era, beginning 66 million years ago and continuing to the
present.
Ceratopsia (Ceratopsians)
Translation: Horned Faces
The dinosaurs in the Ceratopsia (sair-uh-TOP-see-ah) infraorder of the
Marginocephalia suborder were quadrupedal herbivores and had horns on their
heads. They had no teeth; instead, their jaws were parrot-like beaks. Many
ceratopsians resembled the modern rhinoceros. Besides the fact that ceratopsians
were dinosaurs and rhinos are mammals, the two obviously differ at their
necks. Ceratopsians had a huge frill at their necks that possibly served
as a shield. They ranged in size from less than a hundred to a few thousand
kilograms. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
Ceratopsidae (Ceratopsids)
Translation: Horned Faces
Ceratopsidae (sair-uh-TOP-see-day) is a family of the Neoceratopsian dinosaurs.
These quadrupedal herbivores had horns on their brows and/or snouts. Their
necks were covered with frills. A dinosaur in the Ceratopsidae family could
grow as long as 25 feet (7.6 meters). During Late Cretaceous Period, two
types of ceratopsids lived on the North American continent. One type had
a short frill, nose-horns, and short brow horns. The other had a long frill
over its neck, short nose-horns, and long brow horns.
Brachyceratops, Eucentrosaurus, Monoclonius, Pachyrhinosaurus, and Styracosaurus,
Anchiceratops, Arrhinoceratops, Chasmosaurus, Pentaceratops, and Torosaurus.
Ceratosauria
Translation: Horned Lizards
One of three infraorders of the suborder theropoda, Ceratosauria (sair-AT-toh-SAWR-ee-ah)
were small to large-sized carnivorious dinosaurs some with cranial horns
or crests.
Ceratosauridae (Ceratosaurids)
Translation: Horned Lizards
The Ceratosauridae (sair-AT-toh-SAW-ri-day) is a family of medium-to-large-sized
theropods belonging to the Ceratosauria infraorder. Members are characterized
by their large heads (with thin nasal horns), short necks, and short forelimbs
bearing a four-fingered hand. Some have cranial horns and bony plates.
Cetiosauridae (Cetiosaurids)
Translation: Whale Lizards
The Cetiosauridae (seet-ee-oh-SAWR-ih-day) is a primitive family of medium-to
large-sized sauropods, with box-shaped heads and front and hind legs of
equal length.
Cetiosaurinae (Cetiosaurs)
Translation: Whale Lizards
Cetiosaurinae (seet-ee-oh-SAWR-ih-nay) is a subfamily of Cetiosauridae
sauropods whose forelegs and hind legs were of equal length. From the Early
Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Periods they lived in Europe, South America,
North America, Africa, and Australia. They acheived lengths as great as
72 feet (22 meters). Amygdalodon, Haplocanthosaurus, and Patagosaurus
Claws
Dinosaurs had claws on their feet and hands. The shape and purpose of the
claws varied with the dinosaur. Some claws were blunt, as were those of
the sauropods; others were razor-sharp, as were the sickle-like toe claws
of the dromaeosaurids. The size of dinosaur claws vary with the size of
the dinosaur, but in general, those of the carnivores were larger, longer,
and often sharper, resembling the talons of modern birds of prey. Carnosaurs'
claws were from 5 - 12 inches (12 - 30 cm); dromaeosaurids had toe claws
ranging from 5 - 12 inches (12 - 30 cm). However, claws were not always
used for defense or predation. For example, the sauropods must have used
their claws for digging nests in loose sand.
Coeluridae (Coelurids)
Translation: Hollow Bones
Coeluridae (see-LURE-ih-day) is a family of small, light-boned coelurosaurs,
members of which were less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Coelurids were
theropods, which means they were bipedal carnivores. From the Late Jurassic
to Early Cretaceous Periods, they lived in what are now North America and
England. Coelurus, Ornitholestes, and Microvenator.
Coelurosauria (Coelurosaurs)
Translation: Hollow Lizards
Coelurosauria (see-lure-uh-SAWR-ee-ah) is a micro-order of small theropods.
(This micro-order is a branch of the infraorder Tetanurae.) These bipedal
carnivores are believed to be the ancestors of birds. Their bones were
hollow, and they were built like birds. In fact, an Archaeopteryx fossil
that did not show impressions of feathers was once mistaken for a Coelurosaur.
Compared to their body size, some coelurosaurs had large brains. They might
have been intelligent dinosaurs. Coelurosaurs lived throughout the Mesozoic
Era and outlasted all other dinosaur groups. These dinosaurs could grow
to about 4 feet (1.2 meters) long. Their four-fingered hands and four toes,
long flexible necks made them successful carnivores.
Coloration
The exact coloration of dinosaurs is impossible to know, but by looking
at animal species of today, some assumptions can be made. Since dinosaurs
are related to modern reptiles and birds, it may be that dinosaurs were
colored as they are. For example, some small lizards are vividly colored.
Small dinosaurs, like Compsognathus, might have worn bright colors. Birds
are well-known for their plumage; it could be that dinosaurs were brilliantly
colored, too. Large herbivores of today, such as elephants and rhinos,
are dusty gray; perhaps Apatosaurus and Triceratops were as well.
Crests
Some dinosaurs had crests, or bony protrusions, on the tops of their heads.
The hadrosaurs are the best-known crested dinosaurs. Crests varied widely,
with many sizes and shapes, from small bumps to long tubes. Some crests
were solid, while others were hollow. There are as many theories about
the purpose of these crests as there are crests. The crests may have been
a type of breathing apparatus while the dinosaur was submerged under water.
Another theory suggests that the crests were resonance chambers for focusing
and increasing the sound the dinosaurs produced, or for improving the dinosaurs'
sense of smell. Yet another theory says that the crests were nothing more
than external sex characteristics indicating males and females.
Cretaceous Period
The Cretaceous (kreh-TAY-shus) Period is the last of the three periods
of the Mesozoic Era, the Age of Dinosaurs. It lasted from 135 million years
ago to 66 million years ago. As the Cretaceous Period progressed, the giant
forests of the Jurassic began to disappear. Toward the middle of the period,
a gradual global cooling began, and different vegetation began to develop.
Flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared, including beech, fig, and magnolia,
and seed ferns became extinct. In the Late Cretaceous, dinosaurs inhabited
forests that would have closely resembled those of today. The close of
the Cretaceous Period was marked by the extinction of the dinosaurs. Interestingly,
the greatest number of dinosaur fossils have been found in deposits from
the Late Cretaceous Period.
Crocodilia (Crocodilians)
Translation: Crocodile
Crocodilia (crok-o-DIL-ee-ah) is one of the "super-orders" of
Archosauria, as is Dinosauria. Although related to them, crocodilians are
not dinosaurs. Alligators and Crocodiles belong to this order. They appeared
during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic Periods and were among the
survivors of the great extinction 66 million years ago. They appear today
much as they did then.
Cycada (Cycad)
Cycada (SYE-ka-da) is an order of plants that flourished during the Mesozoic
Era. Similar in appearance to the palm tree, this plant grew during the Triassic
throughout the Creataceous periods. Because cycads grew everywhere, it is likely
they were a significant food source for dinosaurs.
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