Topics in the study of dinosaurs

The study of dinosaurs spans many connected topics, from the identification of individual species to the broad story of how these animals rose, ruled the land for over 150 million years, and largely disappeared. Dinosaurs were reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, and the science that investigates them, palaeontology, reconstructs their world entirely from fossils preserved in rock. The range of questions this raises makes dinosaurs a rich subject for study.

One major theme is classification: sorting the many known species into groups such as the two-legged meat-eating theropods, the giant long-necked sauropods, and the various armoured, plated and horned plant-eaters. A second theme is fossil discovery — how remains are preserved, found and dated, and how each new find can change the scientific picture. A third concerns how dinosaurs actually lived: what they ate, how they moved, whether they cared for their young, and how they are related to one another. Trace fossils such as footprints provide clues to behaviour that bones alone cannot give.

The extinction of most dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period is another central topic, widely attributed to the impact of a large asteroid combined with other environmental upheavals. Linked subjects include palaeoecology, the study of ancient ecosystems, and palaeoclimatology, the study of past climates, both of which help explain the conditions in which dinosaurs lived and died. The survival of birds, descended from feathered dinosaurs, connects this ancient story to the living world.

Frequently asked questions

What main topics does the study of dinosaurs cover?

They include classifying species, discovering and dating fossils, reconstructing how dinosaurs lived, and explaining their extinction.

Why did most dinosaurs become extinct?

The extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is widely linked to a large asteroid impact along with other environmental changes that disrupted ecosystems.

How do scientists learn how dinosaurs behaved?

They study trace fossils such as footprints and nests, and compare skeletal features with living relatives, to infer movement, feeding and social behaviour.