EDUCATOR RESOURCE UIDE - Missouri Botanical · PDF file · 2010-05-05Table of...

EDUCATOR RESOURCE GUIDE

2 Educator Resource Guide · DINOQUEST: A Tropical Trek through Time at the MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

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The Missouri Botanical Garden is marking the golden anniversary of one of its most popular attractions, the Climatron®, by transporting visitors back in time to the golden age of dinosaurs. Feel the thrill of encountering a hulking Placerias, bird‐like Bambiraptor or soaring Sordes in an unparalleled environment: hidden in the heart of a thriving tropical rain forest. Witness dozens of these realistic, pre‐historic creatures when DinoQuest debuts in 2010.

Since 1960, the Climatron has easily been one of the most recognizable features at the Garden, noted as the first geodesic dome to be used as a plant conservatory. Inside, lush green foliage, cascading waterfalls and a warm, humid climate simulate an authentic jungle atmosphere.

DinoQuest brings to life a range of plants and animals that existed on Earth millions of years ago. The exhibit features dozens of life‐size, realistic dinosaurs and other reptiles from the Cretaceous and Jurassic Periods of the Mesozoic Era. On the "trek through time," visitors of all ages will experience life in a tropical forest long ago, today and tomorrow. A smooth pathway winds through the 24,000‐square‐foot Climatron conservatory, where more than a dozen installations depict dinosaurs and reptiles from the Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic and Permian periods "frozen in time" amid the living flora.

During the Mesozoic Era the Earth was much more tropical, with climates much more like that in the Climatron than like in Missouri today. Ferns, cycads, ginkgos and other unusual plants dominated the Early Mesozoic Era. Modern gymnosperms, such as conifers, first appeared in a

recognizable form in the Early Triassic Period. By the middle of the Cretaceous Period, the earliest angiosperms, or flowering plants, had appeared and began to diversify. After the extinction of dinosaurs, the first modern rainforests appeared.

Many of the most famous dinosaurs, such as T. rex, were carnivores that ate other dinosaurs. Most dinosaurs, however, were actually plant‐eaters, or herbivores. The changing plant landscape sustained these creatures, both large and small. Trek among these creatures through the Climatron and learn how they adapted to their environment—and how their environment adapted to them.

The dinosaur discovery continues inside the Brookings Interpretive Center, where visitors will find a one‐and‐one‐half‐ton slab of sandstone containing over 200 bones, as well as the Dino Egg Incubator, an original prop from the set of the movie Jurassic Park III. Visitors can explore life in tropical forests today and learn how Garden researchers are working feverishly to document, protect and preserve these at‐risk ecosystems for generations to come.

This book is designed as a resource guide for educators. It was written and compiled by staff of the Education Division and the Communications Division with the invaluable resources provided by the Education Staff at the St. Louis Zoo and the Education and Exhibit staff at Denver Botanic Garden.


Dear Educator,

Happy Year of Biodiversity! This U.N.‐declared theme is, perhaps now more than ever, something around which we should all rally. The Earth’s extraordinary biodiversity will never cease to amaze and inspire me. From an early age, I became curious about this wondrous world and remain so today. Among the biggest inspirations early in life? My teachers.

Today, our planet’s biodiversity – the interconnected web of life upon which we all depend – is at serious risk. Among the most at‐risk are tropical rain forests and the diversity of inhabitants that call these special places home. This year, we’re shining a celebratory spotlight on St. Louis’ very own tropical rain forest – the Climatron™, a beloved St. Louis icon celebrating its 50th anniversary and a symbol of our mission‐driven work around the world to understand and protect these at‐risk ecosystems. “DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time” features life‐sized dinosaurs and reptiles in and around the Climatron, amid some of the very same prehistoric plants upon which they relied. Our exhibit invites visitors of all ages to explore the plants, animals and habitats of the past, discover how scientists have unraveled so many mysteries, and get inspired by efforts happening today that will help protect and preserve biodiversity close the home and around the world.

This DinoQuest Educator Resource Guide was designed to help you and your students take a “tropical trek through time” with us, as you explore species and stories of the past, wonders and discoveries of today, and the plants, places and people we’re working to ensure will be around for future generations. Designed to integrate science, math, geography, literacy, and the arts, this standards‐based curriculum guide features in‐depth information, hands‐on classroom activities, and resources for further exploration and learning.

As teachers, the work you do every day is the stuff of heroes. You educate, enrich, and inspire students today to become the doers, dreamers, discovers and problem‐solvers of tomorrow. Far from an easy task, but perhaps the world’s worthiest pursuit. On behalf of the Missouri Botanical Garden, thank you* for all you do.

Regards,

Peter H. Raven President, Missouri Botanical Garden

*As a small token of our thanks, we invite you as our guest to experience DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time this year. Check out the back cover of this Teachers’ Guide for your complimentary admission voucher and more information.

5 Table of Contents ·

Celebrating the Climatron Conservatory ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 6 Charles Darwin ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 8 What is Evolution ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 9 What is a Dinosaur ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 10 Dinosaur Classification, Characteristics & Diversity ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 11 How does a Dinosaur get its name? ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 12 Dinosaurs Today? ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 13 Ancient Missouri History ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 14 Paleontologists & Paleobotanists ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 16 Paleobotanist Profile ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 17 Fossil Facts ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 18

Paleontology in Missouri ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 20 Steps to Paleontology Work in the Field ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 20 Steps to Paleontology Work in the Lab ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 21

Prehistoric Plants and Plant Evolution ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 22 Dinosaurs & Plants ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 27 DinoQuest Dinosaurs & Other Reptiles‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 28 Guy Darrough & Lost World Studios ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 33 The Making of a Dinosaur ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 34 DinoQuest Lessons for Grades K‐8 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 35

Scientists at Work ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 36 What do Teeth Tell Us? ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 37 What is a Fossil? ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 39 Biodiversity Endangered ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 41 Prehistoric Plant Investigation ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 46 Dinosaur Teeth ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 49 Make Your Own Fossil ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 51

Student Resources ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 52 Teacher Resources ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 54 DinoQuest Definitions ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 56

TABLE OF CONTENTS


The Climatron is the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory, incorporating the principles of R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic system. It opened to the public on October 1, 1960. The design of the Climatron greenhouse was developed by St. Louis architects Murphy and Mackey, winning the 1961 Reynolds Award, an award for architectural excellence in a structure using aluminum. In 1976 it was named one of the 100 most significant architectural achievements in United States history. The term “Climatron” was coined to emphasize the climate‐control technology of the greenhouse dome.

The Climatron has no interior support and no columns from floor to ceiling, allowing more light and space per square foot for plants than conventional designs. It rises 70 feet in the center, spans 175 feet in diameter at the base, has 1.3 million cubic feet, and encloses approximately 24,000 square feet (more than half an acre).

The interior of the Climatron is designed on a tropical rain forest theme, highlighting their diversity and ecology. Visitors enter and immediately experience the tropics: dense green foliage, a small native hut, sparkling waterfalls, rocky cliffs, a river aquarium with exotic fish, and a bridge from which the forest canopy and associated plants can be viewed.

More than 2,800 plants, including 1,400 different tropical species, grow inside the Climatron. They include banana, cacao, coffee, many wild‐collected plants, orchids, and exotic, rare plants such as the double coconut, which produces the largest seed in the plant kingdom. The lush, green tropical rainforest environment is maintained by a computerized climate control system. Inside temperature ranges from 64°F (29° C) at night to a high of 85°F (18° C) during the day. The average humidity is 85 percent. Plants are watered with reverse osmosis purified, tempered water.

The greenhouse was closed for extensive renovations in 1988. It re‐opened in March 1990 with many new features, including new panes of glass and a re‐landscaped interior. The old, deteriorated Plexiglas panes were replaced with 2,425 panes of heat‐strengthened glass, containing a Saflex plastic interlayer manufactured by Monsanto Company. The inner surface of this glass‐and‐plastic sandwich is coated with a low‐emissivity film. This coating helps reduce heating costs by retaining the solar energy collected during the day for use at night. The new support system for the glazing is rigid and has integral gutters to carry condensation.

A ground‐level entrance and energy‐conserving automatic doors make the entire Climatron accessible to disabled visitors. The Shoenberg Temperate House hugs the north side of the building.

THE CLIMATRON® GEODESIC DOME CONSERVATORY

7 Celebrating the Climatron Conservatory

1959: Climatron Construction Series

(L) probably construction foreman of North American Aviation and Eugene Mackey (d. 1968) of Murphy & Mackey Architects. I.D. by Harry B. Richman in T.L.S. 1/10/89

(L) taken Nov. 29, 1959

(R) taken Oct 3, 1959

Climatron Exterior II. ca. 1966‐1970. "Festivals, concerts and other entertainment is provided by the Garden on certain occasions.”


WHO WAS CHARLES DARWIN? Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809—April 19, 1882) was an English naturalist who realized and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection.

He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. The scientific community and much of the general public came to accept evolution as a fact in his lifetime, but it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed that natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.

Darwin was puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on his five‐year long voyage on the HMS Beagle. This moved him to investigate the transmutation of species – the altering of one species into another – and he developed his theory of natural selection in 1883. In 2009 the world celebrates the 200th

anniversary of Darwin’s birth.

DARWIN’S WORK Charles Darwin, famous for his elaboration of evolutionary theory, developed many of his initial concepts while acting as the naturalist on the HMS Beagle. He collected many geological, zoological and botanical specimens during his voyage.

The importance of Darwin’s work cannot be underestimated. Many other scientists also worked in similar theories, observations and conclusions, it was Darwin’s work that drew great attention and, in some way, settled the issue.

Thanks to Darwin’s work, the process of evolution has been accepted by the scientific community. His theory of natural selection became the guiding principle for understanding observed changes over time and is now the basis for the modern evolutionary theory.

CHARLES DARWIN

9 Charles Darwin / What is Evolution?

WHAT IS EVOLUTION?

GENERAL DEFINITION The word ‘evolution’ is defined by the Merriam‐Webster dictionary as: “a process of change in a certain direction”.

SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION In science ‘evolution’ is defined as changes in trait or gene frequency in a population of organisms from one generation to the next.

EVOLUTION IN BIOLOGY Evolution is the process of change in all forms of life over generations. In every generation, an organism inherits features (called traits) from its parents through genes. Changes (called mutations) in the genes can produce a new trait in the offspring of an organism. In populations of organisms and with each passing generation, some traits become more common while others disappear. Traits that help the organism survive and reproduce are more likely to accumulate in a population than traits that are unfavorable.

EVOLUTION – HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? There are several mechanisms at work in evolution like natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, adaptation, gene flow, speciation.

NATURAL SELECTION The theory of natural selection was conceived and presented by Charles Darwin in 1859 with his book The Origin of the Species. Darwin stated his theory as follows:

“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form.”


250 to 65 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs dominated life on Earth. The Mesozoic Era is divided into three periods; the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.

At the beginning of the Mesozoic, all the continents were joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea. Over the course of the Mesozoic, this supercontinent split apart due to the actions of plate tectonics. Where Missouri is now used to be in the tropics, but has migrated north with the shifting continents.

The climate was warm throughout the Mesozoic. During the Cretaceous, the earth was several degrees warmer than it is today, and there was much less temperature variation between the equator and the poles than there is today.

What Distinguished a Dinosaur? The word dinosaur means “terrible lizard.” Dinosaurs were vertebrates that laid eggs, lived on land, and had legs positioned directly below their bodies. The feature that distinguished dinosaurs from other reptiles is a hole in the hip socket that allowed these creatures to walk upright. Dinosaur legs were directly beneath their bodies instead of sprawled out to the side like other reptiles.

When Did Dinosaurs live? They existed from the Late Triassic until the late Cretaceous. Dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrate group on earth for over 160 million years, appearing about 240 million years ago and disappearing about 65 million years ago.

What did dinosaurs look like and what did they eat? Dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes. Most were about the size of dogs, but they ranged in size from the 4‐story tall Brachiosaurus to the chicken‐sized Compsagnathus.

Dinosaurs had varied diets. About 65% were herbivorous, about 35% were carnivorous, and a few were omnivorous. Carnivorous dinosaurs ate lizards, turtles, and early mammals. Some also ate other dinosaurs or were scavengers. Herbivores ate plants and had broad, flat teeth for snipping and stripping vegetation.

What happened to the dinosaurs? The K‐T Extinction 65 million years ago wiped out dinosaurs and most other vertebrate life on the planet. Scientists theorize that this extinction was caused either by an asteroid hitting Earth on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico or by a period of high volcanic activity taking place over the course of one million years. There is evidence that both of these events took place, but there is debate over what caused the demise of the dinosaurs.

It is widely accepted that birds are descendants of a group of saurischian dinosaurs known as the coelurosaurs. Among the many similarities are hollow bones, large eye openings, similar eggshell structure, and the presence of a wishbone.

WHAT IS A DINOSAUR?

11 What is a Dinosaur? / Dino Classification, Characteristics & Diversity

Dinosaurs came in many shapes and sizes. Paleontologists have divided them into two different groups: the Saurischians, or lizard‐hipped dinosaurs, and Ornithiscians, the bird‐hipped dinosaurs.

The Saurichians include both herbivores (also known as sauropods) and carnivores (theropods). Their pelvic bones were at an acute angle to their backbones.

SAUROPODS All herbivores. They had teeth that were either peg‐like or spoon‐like and swallowed stones called gastroliths to grind food in their stomachs to make it easier to digest.

Included the long‐necked dinosaurs, the largest land‐dwelling animal ever, and species such as Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, and Apatosaurus.

THEROPODS Most were carnivorous, and all were bi‐pedal.

Coelurisours Likely omnivores, had hollow bones like birds, and some species did not have teeth, like today’s birds. Birds evolved from Coelurosaurs. They had the largest brain cavity to body size ratio of all dinosaurs, so were likely the most intelligent

Carnosaurs Largest terrestrial meat‐eaters in history. Predators, may have hunted in packs. Large heads, sharp claws, and knife‐life teeth made them ideally adapted for killing. Includes Tyrannosaurus and Allosaurus.

Ornithiscians All herbivorous and had pelvic bones parallel to their backbones.

DINO CLASSIFICATION, CHARACTERISTICS & DIVERSITY

Ornithopods Small, bipedal, back feet terminated in hooves. Includes Iguanodon and Camptosaurus

Ceratopsian Quadripedal with ornamental skulls. One of the last groups of dinosaurs to evolve. Includes Triceratops and Protoceratops

Ankylosaurids Quadripedal with substantial body armor

Stegosaurids Quadripedal with distinguishing features ranged from plated backs to spiked tails and lower backs. Became extinct before other dinosaurs.

HERBIVORE, CARNIVORE, OMNIVORE Herbivorous, or plant‐eating, dinosaurs had flat teeth that ground together to grind up fibrous plant material. They could be bipedal or quadripedal, and stood with their weight evenly distributed throughout the foot, as evidenced by fossil trackways that show imprints of the whole foot.

Carnivorous, or meat‐eating, dinosaurs had sharp, pointed teeth and sharp claws for catching and killing prey. They were primarily bipedal and stood on the front part of the foot, as indicated by tracks left that show only indentation of front toes.

Omnivorous dinosaurs ate both plant and animal material.


Most dinosaurs are named after a unique physical characteristic, the place where their fossils were found, or the person that discovered them. Other dinosaurs are named by what they looked like or how they might have behaved. Usually consisting of two Greek or Latin words they are named in the same fashion as modern creatures such as Homo sapiens. Below are root words to help determine the names of the Dinosaurs in DinoQuest.

Allo—other, strange Ankylo—stiffened Apato—deceptive Archeo—old Brachio—arm Bronto—thunder Campylo—curved Ceohalo—head, brain Cerat—horned Coelo—hollow Compso—pretty Daspleto—horrid, frightful Derm—skin Di—two Dino, Deinos—terrible Diplo—double Echino—spiked Elasmo—plated Euoplo—well armored Gargoyle—a grotesque sculpture; a monster Iththy—fish Kritos—seperated Maia—good mother Man—hand Mega—huge Micro—small

HOW DOES A DINOSAUR GET ITS NAME?

Mosa—from Meuse River in France Nodo—lumpy Notho—false, or fake Odon—tooth Ops—face Ornitho—bird Ovi—egg Pachy—thick Paleo—old Placenti—like a round flat cake Platy—flat Post—after Proto—first Pteryx—wing Raptor—robber Rex—king Rhychus—snout Saur, Saurus—lizard Stego—roof Suchus—crocodile Tri—three Tyrano—tyrant Xiph—sword

13 How Does a Dinosaur Get Its Name? / Dinosaurs Today?

65 million years ago, almost all of the large vertebrates world‐wide, including dinosaurs, died. This major extinction, which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of the Tertiary Era, is called the K‐T Extinction.

Scientists believe all of these animals died either from an asteroid that hit the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico or in a series of volcanoes that erupted over a period of 1 million years. Scientists have found evidence of both event in the geologic record, but they do not know for sure what caused the extinction.

DINOSAURS TODAY?

Illustration of the K‐T Extinction http://skew.dailyskew.com/2008/01/look‐what‐really‐killed‐dinosaurs.html

Velociraptor Mongoliensis http://apiscerana.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/andai‐saja/4_velociraptor/

While the only dinosaurs around today are fossils, paintings and sculptures like those in the DinoQuest exhibit, many scientists believe that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Birds and dinosaurs share many similar characteris‐tics including hollow bones, large eye open‐ings, similar eggshell structure and the pres‐ence of a wishbone. Velociraptor is on of the dinosaurs believed to be related to birds.


The oldest known rocks in Missouri date back 1.8 billion years to the Precambrian Period.

During the Paleozoic Era, Missouri was covered by warm, shallow seas. Some common Missouri fossils from the era are trilobites, brachiopods, mollusks, echinoderms, corals, and brynozoans. Some rocks contain fossilized remains of ancient sharks and fishes as well. Toward the end of the Paleozoic, during the Carboniferous Period, erosion of mountains in the eastern US brought tons of sediment west into the seas, creating deltas and swampy lowlands. By the end of the Paleozoic, most of Missouri was above sea level.

During most of the Mesozoic, the age of the dinosaurs, Missouri was mainly above sea level. Towards the end of the Mesozoic Era, during the Cretaceous Period, a sea again flooded the far southeastern corner of the state. Missouri’s only known dinosaur fossils come from this area, along with fossils of mollusks, marine animals, and some of the earliest known flowering plants.

The Cenozoic Period brought major changes to Missouri. Glaciers covered the northern part of the state, and mammals were the major life force. Missouri’s mastodon fossils are the most famous examples of the state’s fossil history from this time.

ANCIENT MISSOURI HISTORY

Trilobite replica on display in the DinoQuest exhibit.

15 Ancient Missouri History


What is Paleontology? Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life, including organisms’ evolution and interactions with each other and their environments. Thanks to this science we discover and learn about how life on Earth has come to be, how and why it had changed.

What is a Paleontologist? Paleontologists study prehistoric life, including the evolution and environmental interactions of ancient organisms. They use fossil evidence to understand how life on Earth came to be and how and why it has changed.

What is a Paleobotanist? Paleobotany is the branch of paleontology dealing with fossilized plant remains, their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments, and evolution of the plant kingdom and life in general. Paleobotanists study ancient plant fossils to learn about the evolution of plant life. The Missouri Botanical Garden has its very own paleobotanist.

Why Study Plant Fossils? Scientists have learned a great deal about how plant life on Earth evolved from the single‐celled forms of the Precambrian to the complex flora we have today. Paleobotanists put together the history of the plant kingdom by looking at plant fossils and answering questions about the habitat, biology, and physical structure of plants living millions of year ago. The information gleaned from fossilized plant remains is used to reconstruct entire climates and ecosystems.

Fossil plants can also be use to determine the age of rock layers.

PALEONTOLOGISTS & PALEOBOTANISTS

http://www.nps.gov/parkoftheweek/photo‐450.htm

17 Paleontologists & Paleobotanists / Paleobotanist Profile

Alan Graham, Ph. D. Curator of Paleobotany & Palynology Missouri Botanical Garden Dr. Alan Graham is curator of paleobotany and palynology at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Paleobotany includes the study of terrestrial plant fossils and is important in the reconstruction of ancient ecological systems and climate. Palynology is the study of fossilized and extant (non‐extinct) spores and pollen. During Graham’s 50‐year botanical career, he has become a major source of information on the evolution of the New World vegetation and the climatic geologic events that have driven these changes. For 23 years, his research was sponsored through a series of nine grants from the National Science Foundation. One of the most significant results of his contributions was to provide the first direct evidence that, in an area where rain forest is the dominant vegetation today – in lowland southeastern Mexico – rain forest was not present in the recent geologic past. This finding, published in Evolution in 1976, was in direct contrast to the paradigm of the day that the rain forest and its environments were stable throughout the long intervals of geologic time. Correction of this misconception had many implications for the development of speciation models, and for demonstrating the delicately balanced, ephemeral nature of the rain forest and the need for conservation and sustainability efforts to protect its future. “Throughout a lifetime of perceptive and careful study, Alan Graham has laid the foundations for our understanding of the history of vegetation in the Western Hemisphere during the past 75 million years,” said Peter H. Raven, president of the Missouri Botanical Garden. “Encouraging students and colleagues for several decades, he has greatly advanced the field of vegetation history, the basis of our understanding the past migrations of plants and animals in North and South America, their evolution, and the way in which we should understand their present distributions.” Graham’s extensive publications include 118 scientific articles, two edited books, and three authored books.

PALEOBOTANIST PROFILE


FOSSIL FACTS

What is a fossil? The word fossil comes from the Latin fossus, literally meaning “dug up.” Fossils are the remains or evidence of any ancient life that are excavated from the earth. Type I fossils are the remains of a dead animal or plant or imprint left from the remains. Type I fossils include: bones, teeth, skin impressions, hair, the hardened shells of ancient invertebrates, or the impression of an animal or plant. Type II fossils are something made by animals while they were living that has hardened into stone. Also called trace fossils, this type includes footprint, burrows, and coprolite (animal dung).

What is a Plant Fossil? A plant fossil is any preserved part of a plant that has long since died. They may be many millions of years old. Fossilized plant remains are not as common as those of animals. They may include roots, wood, leaves, seed, fruit, pollen, spores, and amber, which is the fossilized resin of some plants.

Types of Fossils Fossils are classified as either body fossils or trace fossils. Body fossils were parts of the organism, such as bones or teeth which are the most common fossils. Trace fossils include foot impressions, eggs, burrows, and dung.

How do fossils form? To leave a fossil, a plant or animal must be quickly buried in sediment or else frozen, desiccated, or laid to rest in an anaerobic (without air) environment. There are several different types of fos‐sils and fossilization processes.

Permineralization: When a creature is buried under sediment very quickly after death, the empty spaces of an organism, those which would have been filled with liquid or gas during life, can become filled with mineral‐rich groundwater. The minerals precipitate from the water, filling the empty spaces. Permineralization can create very detailed fossils, down to the cell level.

Casts and Molds: Sometimes, remains are completely dissolved or otherwise destroyed. When all that is left is the empty organism‐shaped space in the rock it is called an external mold. When minerals fill the internal cavity of an organism it is an internal mold. A cast is created when minerals filled the empty space left by a dissolved organism.

http://www.open.ac.uk/science/__assets/50svcrehu6mrmffotv.JPG

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Replacement: Replacement occurs when bone or tissue is replaced by other minerals. Sometimes, this occurs so gradually that microstructural features are preserved.

Compression Fossils: When plant material in sediment layers is compressed, and water is squeezed out, a compression fossil can form.

Unaltered Fossils: These types of fossils occur when the plant or animal material is buried somewhere where microbial activity is inhibited or restricted, such as in lake sediment and amber.

Where Have Fossils Been Found? Fossils have been found on all seven continents. The oldest known fossils date back 2.74 billion years and were found in Brazil. They were formed by sediment trapped between layers of cyanobacteria.

How Do We Find Fossils? Fossils are extremely rare since they require very specific conditions to form. With skill and luck, paleontologists find fossils in sedimentary rock that has eroded, exposing the fossilized plant or animal structure.

Why Are Fossils Important? Fossils hold millions of years of history, and by studying these remains paleontologists can gather information about the Earth. Fossils tell us about climate, natural disasters, shifting landforms and oceans, and plant and animal life in the distant past. They also help us understand the present and what lies in our future.

Why are plant fossils important? Fossil plants have helped scientists to learn an incredible amount about how plants evolved from the first Precambrian one celled forms to the complicated flowering plants of modern times. Fossil plants can also be used to determine the age of a layer of rocks. In addition, entire climates and ecosystem information can be reconstructed using what is known about fossil plants.

Paleobotanists attempt to put together the history of the plant kingdom by looking at plant fossils and other organisms like fungi or plankton. Paleobotanists use fossil leaves, fossil wood fragments, fossilized fruits and fossilized flowers to answer questions about the ecological activities and locations of plant species. Plant fossils can reveal information about the habitat, biology and physical structure of plants that lived millions of years ago.

Fossil Facts


Paleontology of Missouri Missouri’s fossil record dates back to the Paleozoic, about 544‐251 million years ago, and includes ancient sharks and fish that swam in a shallow sea that covered this area. During the era of the dinosaurs where we are now was above sea level, but the southeastern section of the state was underwater. This is where Missouri’s dinosaur fossils have been found, including Parrosaurus, a relative of the T. Rex, and hadrosaurs like Hypsibema, the Missouri State Dinosaur. Also found in Missouri are fossils of some of the earliest known flowering plants.

Steps to Paleontology Work in the Field: 1. Determine site base on survey work or report of discovery. Survey work may consist of

walking larges tracts for fossil clues. 2. Check USGS maps to determine date/type of rock layer. 3. Secure permission to work on the land (i.e. BLM). 4. Arrange for expedition: May mean long periods of time in remote regions with the only

resources (food, water, tents, bedding, toilets, showers, kitchen, etc.) you bring in. 5. Determine priority to work being conducted – What is mission of expedition? (i.e. don’t

excavate a common duck bill dinosaur when you are out to recover a rare velociraptor).

6. Begin slow, careful excavation using picks, shovels, trowels, brushes, dental picks, etc. 7. Use glues and consolidants to harden the bone and prevent cracking as you work. 8. Drawings will need to be completed and photos taken to aid in reassembling the fossil

(s) in the museum. 9. Platform the bone (excavate all around it to elevate it) – some matrix (surrounding

stone) may be left around it to protect it during transport back to the museum. 10. Cover the bone with aluminum foil or other covering to avoid covering the bone with

plaster. 11. Cut burlap strips; mix plaster; Dip burlap in plaster and wrap the covered bone. 12. Once the plaster has dried, flip the bone upside down. Cover the open end to protect it

(with plaster, soil or stone scraps). 13. Soil/rock may be sifted to find smaller, missed such as teeth and small bone. 14. Carefully pack the jacketed bones in a truck and transport to museum.

http://www.lostworldstudios.com/images/DSC009682.jpg

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Steps to Paleontology Work in the Lab: 1. Once the fossil in at the work station, remove protective cover. 2. Begin slow, careful removal of matrix using dental picks, brushes, etc. 3. A micro abrasive blaster, binocular microscope and air scribe may also be used. 4. Use a plaster saw to remove the jacket as you work. 5. Use glues and consolidants to harden the bone and prevent cracking as you work. 6. Many bones will be broken into pieces and require reassembly. 7. Photos and notes taken as you work. 8. Soil/rock may be sifted to find smaller, missed such as teeth and small bone. 9. Research/writing may be conducted if possible new species or preparing to publish on

the find. 10. Metal armature created to support bones for display. 11. Casts (copies) may be made of the bone. Many museum do not display actual bones –

too heavy to mount and too difficult to study when on display. 12. If missing bones from skeleton, casts will be acquired from other museums with same

species of a similar size and age. 13. Skelton placed on display on the museum floor.


PREHISTORIC PLANTS AND PLANT EVOLUTION

Dinosaurs looked very different from the animals we are familiar with today, and some of the plants in their environment were just as strange! Lepidodendrales, or scale trees, were a dominant plant group at the time of dinosaurs, but they didn’t look much like our modern trees. These primitive vascular plants are relatives of the lycopsids, the club moss family. Reaching heights of over ninety feet, with trunks 3 feet in diameter, scale trees were topped with a crown of branches bearing clusters of long narrow leaves, similar to blades of grass. The name scale tree comes from the plant’s distinctive fossils, which are marked with diamond‐shaped leaf scars that gave the impression of alligator skin. These trees would have been found in dense clusters in wet coal swamps.

Humans are like dinosaurs…we both depend on plants for life! In fact, all life on Earth depends on plants. Plants take the energy of the sun and convert it through photosynthesis into food. Herbivores (planteaters) eat the plants. Carnivores (meat‐eaters) eat the herbivores.

In the tropical rainforest of the Climatron and in the nearby outdoor gardens, we can see plants that illustrate the development of the plant kingdom, from the most primitive to the most highly evolved plants.

Types of plants that illustrate this development are : 1. MOSSES, 2. FERNS, 3. CYCADS, 4. GINKGOES, 5. CONIFERS, 6. PALMS, 7. BROADLEAF TREES. and 8. FLOWERING PLANTS.

1. About 9000 species of MOSSES grow around the world. They are small primitive plants that prefer moist settings but can survive in dry ones. Like most other plants, they have leaves with chlorophyll which photosynthesize— produce food from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. They have short stems, and threadlike structures that resemble roots. Tiny reproductive cells combine, by gravity or wind, to produce a special stalk that is an intermediate generation of the moss plant. The stalk produces spores which may shoot into the air and which grow into new plants.

LEPIDODENDRON sp. http://botany.cz/cs/lepidodendron/

Moss www.rook.org

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Where to see MOSSES: In the Forest Bridge area, mosses grow in the trees with the epiphytes, especially the orchids. Across the bridge, In the Central American Ridge, mosses grow on the moist rock walls.

2. FERNS grow in most parts of the world, about10,000 species in all. Like MOSSES, they are among the oldest plants on earth, having appeared more than 350 million years ago. Some measure only an inch, while TREE FERNS may grow up to 65 feet tall. Like mosses, they have complex life cycles and reproduce by means of microscopic cells called spores which grow on the undersides of their leaves. Unlike mosses, ferns have well developed roots and long stems which can live up to a hundred years.

Where to see FERNS: Maidenhair ferns grow in the Cycad Grove, across from the north door, while hard ferns grow in the Plantation Area between the cacao tree and the coffee plants. Several large TREE FERNS grow north of the door to the Brookings Center. They can be seen clearly from the Forest Bridge.

3. CYCADS, natives of the tropics, are the most primitive seed bearing plants, dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. Although some resemble ferns with leathery, sometimes thorny, leaves, they are related more closely to conifers, like pine, fir and spruce trees. Each cycad grows a large cone in the center of the circle of leaves which produces the seeds. Some cycads have underground stems (tubers) like potatoes; others can grow up to 60 feet tall.

Where to see CYCADS: A variety of cycads grow in the Cycad Grove of the Climatron, between the north door and the Water Garden and Cascade. Some cycads in the Climatron are over a century old; a few of the larger tree‐like ones may be around a thousand years old!

4. GINKGO TREES are sometimes called Maidenhair Trees because their leaves resemble maidenhair fern. Like cycads, they are “dinosaur plants” going back millions of years when various kinds of ginkgoes existed. Now only one

Prehistoric Plants and Plant Evolution

Maidenhair Fern http://greenacresblog.wordpress.com

Cycads www.moplants.com


species survives. Although they are conifers, they have broad, fan‐shaped leaves. Ginkgoes are either male or female, and only the females produce seed pods with nutlike kernels and smelly outer coverings. These natives of Asia grow well in the Midwestern U.S.

Where to see GINKGO TREES: Ginkgoes grow on either side of the entrance gate, now the Spink Pavilion, and north of the main door of the Climatron, across the path from the rock garden. These large trees are over a century old.

5. CONIFERS are trees and shrubs that bear seeds in cones and have needlelike or scale‐like leaves. They are the oldest of woody plants and include cedars, cypresses, junipers, hemlocks, firs, pines, sequoias and redwoods. The largest living things are giant sequoias which can grow 275 feet high and have a trunk circumference of 100 feet. Redwoods are the tallest living things, growing over 360 feet high. Bristlecone pines are the oldest living things, some being over 4500 years old. Most conifers are evergreens, but some, like larches and bald cypresses, lose their leaves in winter.

Where to see CONIFERS: Because conifers prefer cool or cold climates, they don’t grow in the Climatron. But down the rock garden path from the north entrance of the Climatron are groves of dwarf conifers of several types—pine, fir and juniper. Lining the water lily ponds, from the front door of the Climatron to the Spink Pavilion (the old garden gate), are rows of large bald cypress trees.

6. Although PALMS have flowers and fruit, they are ancient plants. Like cycads and gingkoes, they date back to the age of reptiles. They used to thrive in most parts of the earth, but now they grow mostly in the tropics. More than 2,800 kinds of palms very greatly in size and in the kinds of leaves, flowers and fruit they produce. Many have straight trunks, up to 100 feet tall. They lack branches and grow bunches of fanlike or featherlike leaves at the top. Some palms live more than 100 years. Coconut and double coconut palms

Ginkgo http://botit.botany.wisc.edu

Conifer www.pinegenome.org

Palms http://z.about.com

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have the largest seeds in the plant kingdom weighing up to 100 pounds.

Where to see PALMS: Some twenty types of palms grow throughout the Climatron, including the huge‐leaved double coconut palm, the tall queen palm, the smooth Florida royal palm and the hairy old man palm. In a glass case in the passage between the Climatron and the Brookings Interpretive Center you can see a double coconut and the gecko lizards that pollinate the tree.

7. BROADLEAF TREES are flowering plants with tall woody trunks, multiple branches and many flat single or compound leaves. Most broadleaf trees are deciduous, meaning they shed their leaves in winter, like oaks, maples or poplars. But a few, like hollies and some magnolias, are evergreens. Tropical broadleafs tend to hold onto their leaves. Some broadleaf trees have inconspicuous flowers, while others produce showy, fragrant flowers that may develop into fruit or nuts.

Where to see BROADLEAF TREES: The largest broadleaf trees in the Climatron are fig trees that rise above the Cycad Grove. Some small orange and lime trees grow by the north door, and nearby are giant lemons. Outside, to the north and east of the Climatron grow Shumard and Pin Oaks which are among the tallest trees in the garden.

8. FLOWERING PLANTS are the most numerous plants on earth, with over 200,000 species. Flowers attract animals which transfer pollen to flowers on other plants to produce seeds. Seeds may be protected and dispersed by being encased in fruit that develops from the flowers. Grasses have small tassel‐like flowers, while some plants have large showy flowers. Some flowering plants are small, while banana plants grow from eight to thirty feet tall. Grasses can range in size from small grain plants, like rice and wheat, to bamboo, which can grow as tall as a tree and have stems tough enough for building houses.

Broadleaf Trees www.ucmp.berkeley.edu

Flowering Plant www.learnersonline.com


Where to see FLOWERING PLANTS: The Climatron is home to showy tropical plants, like orchids that grow in near the Forest Bridge and hibiscus that grows just south of the big Cascade. Rice, a grain grass that feeds millions of people, grows in a pond near the Plantation Trail. Several varieties of bamboo, another type of grass, grow throughout the Climatron. Banana plants, often with fruit, can be seen near the entrance to Brookings Interpretive Center. Of course, the gardens just outside the Climatron (the rock garden, the rose and bulb gardens and the water lily ponds) feature many types of flowering plants and shrubs.

‐ Fredric Rissover, Garden Docent & Volunteer Instructor

(2005, revised 2009‐10)

27 Dinosaurs & Plants

Simply explained, we can say that plants were the food source for dinosaurs. No dinosaur could have been able to survive without plants, even if they were carnivores. Carnivores fed on animals that depended on plants to survive. Remember the food chain?

Scientists talk about ‘co‐evolution’. Co‐evolution suggests that the evolution of one group (of organisms) affects, end even effects, the evolution of another group. Maybe there is a connection between the tall, herbivorous sauropods and the really tall conifers. Only sauropods could reach the leaves of those plants. Co‐evolutionary relationships are difficult to prove in the fossil record.

Plants could have also evolved to keep up with the demand for food from the dinosaurs and the behavior of these animals help in return the thriving of the plant species. And when it comes to the extinction of dinosaurs, some scientists suggest that maybe dinosaurs were not able to adapt themselves to the new plant‐based food source that came into being – the angiosperms.

Present‐Day Animals & Plants Numerous animals have coevolved with plants. Many animals pollinate flowers in exchange for food in the form of pollen or nectar. Many animals disperse seeds, often by eating fruit and passing the seeds in their feces.

Plants are the primary producers in most terrestrial ecosystems and form the basis of the food web in those ecosystems. Many animals rely on plants for shelter as well as oxygen and food.

DINOSAURS & PLANTS


DIMETRODON (DIE‐MET‐ROH‐DON) “Two Measures of Teeth” / Carnivore

Not a dinosaur, but a mammal‐like reptile that lived before dinosaurs evolved. Paleontologists believe that Dimetrodon’s sail helped raise its body temperature during the day after a cold night.

Lived: Permian period (late Paleozoic Era)

Fossils found: Texas and Oklahoma, U.S.; footprints found in Nova Scotia, Canada

Fun fact: Dimetrodon’s sail‐like fin was composed of bony spines covered with a leathery skin.

Installation dimensions: 8‐foot dinosaur

HYSIBEMA (HIP‐SYH‐BEAM‐A) “High Platform Reptile” / Herbivore

In 1942, a tail section of 13 vertebrae of a dinosaur was found near the town of Glen Allen, Missouri. More recently, the skeleton of a young Hypsibema was discovered, which will help shed light on the true identity of the Missouri dinosaur.

Lived: Late Cretaceous period

Fossils found: Southern Missouri, U.S.

Fun fact: Geologist Dan Stewart was the first person to discover dinosaur bones in Missouri in 1942. He liked to be known as “Dinosaur Dan.”

Installation dimensions: 30‐foot‐dinosaur; 6‐foot‐diameter egg nest

DINOQUEST DINOSAURS & OTHER REPTILES

29 DinoQuest Dinosaur & Other Repties

PARASAUROLOPHUS (PAR‐A‐SORE‐AL‐O‐FUSS) “Crested Lizard” / Herbivore

The crest of this dinosaur, which was larger than the rest of its skull, may have been used to produce a low‐frequency sound, to enhance smell, or to attract mates.

Lived: Late Cretaceous period to the end of the Mesozoic period

Fossils found: Alberta, Canada; Utah and New Mexico, U.S

Fun fact: It is unclear whether this dinosaur had webbed fingers. Web‐like fossilized hands have been discovered, but it is debated as to whether this was caused by the fossilization process.

Installation dimensions: 30‐foot‐dinosaur; three 2‐foot long babies

POSTOSUCHUS (POST‐OH‐SOOK‐US) “Post Crocodile” / Carnivore

Part of a group known as the archosaurs, or “ruling reptiles,” which included dinosaurs, crocodiles, pterosaurs and birds.

Lived: Late Triassic period

Fossils found: Arizona and Texas, U.S.

Fun fact: Postosuchus was a predator of Placerias.

Installation dimensions: Eight‐foot‐long reptile

QUETZALCOATLUS (KET‐SOL‐KOH‐AT‐LUS) Named for the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl / Carnivore

A flying reptile with wings covered by a thin, tough, leathery membrane. Quetzalcoatlus had a small, light body with a large, 36‐foot wingspan and a long, thin beak.


Fossils found: Texas, U.S.

Fun fact: Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur, not a dinosaur. Dinosaurs all had an upright stance with legs straight under the body; pterosaurs were only semi‐upright.

Installation dimensions: 30‐foot flying reptile; two 4‐foot‐long baby reptiles in a nest (separate installations)


SORDES (SORE‐DEES) “Hairy Demon” / Carnivore

A small, flying reptile about the size of a pigeon. Fossils indicate that its body was covered with thick hair, but the wings and tail were hair‐free.

Lived: Late Jurassic period

Fossils found: Kazakhstan

Fun fact: The name “Sordes” means “devil” in Greek.

Installation dimensions: Three 18‐inch‐long reptiles

TYRANNOSAURUS REX (TIE‐RAN‐O‐SORE‐US) “Tyrant Lizard King” / Carnivore

Perhaps the most famous of all dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex was a fierce, large‐headed predator. Its large, strong tail was used for balance and to aid in quickly changing direction when running after prey.


Fossils found: Montana, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, U.S.; Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada; Mongolia

Fun fact: T. Rex had an excellent sense of smell.

Installation dimensions: 32‐foot‐long dinosaur

Sponsor: Insituform Technologies, Inc.

BAMBIRAPTOR (BAM‐BEE‐RAP‐TORS) “Baby Raider” / Carnivore

This dinosaur is an important piece of the puzzle linking dinosaurs to birds. A 90‐percent complete skeleton was discovered by a 14‐year‐old boy in 1995.


Fossils found: Montana, U.S.

Fun fact: Bambiraptor is an important piece of the puzzle linking dinosaurs to birds. A 90% complete skeleton was discovered by a 14‐year‐old boy in 1995.

Installation dimensions: Four 4‐foot‐long dinosaurs; two 30‐inch‐diameter egg nests

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COMPSOGNATHUS (KOMP‐SOG‐NAY‐THUS) “Pretty Jaw” / Carnivore

A bird‐like dinosaur with short arms, two‐clawed fingers, long legs and three‐toed feet. It had a long neck and a small head with pointy teeth.


Fossils found: Germany and France

Fun fact: Compsognathus was about the size of a chicken.

Installation dimensions: Five 3‐foot long dinosaurs; three 2‐foot diameter egg nests

HETERODONTOSAURUS (HET‐ER‐OH‐DAHNT‐OH‐SORE‐US) “Different‐Toothed Lizard” / Herbivore

A small bipedal dinosaur with three types of teeth: sharp front upper teeth for biting food; cheek teeth for grinding food; and four long teeth with sockets for tearing food.

Lived: Late Triassic period to the early Jurassic period

Fossils found: South Africa

Fun fact: Heterodontosaurus was bird‐footed, beaked and about the size of a turkey.

Installation dimensions: Two 4‐foot‐long dinosaurs

PLACERIAS (PLAH‐SEE‐REE‐US) A dicynodont, meaning “Two Dog Teeth” / Herbivore

Placerias was a pre‐dinosaur age, mammal‐like reptile. It was a herder that walked on four short legs, had a short neck and a bulky body, similar to that of a hippopotamus. It had two tusks and a toothless beak.

Lived: Late Triassic period

Fossils found: Arizona, U.S.

Fun fact: Placerias weighed about one ton.

Installation dimensions: 8‐foot‐long reptile

DinoQuest Dinosaur & Reptiles


RHAMPHORYNCHUS (RAM‐FOR‐INK‐US) “Beak Snout” / Carnivore

A flying reptile known as a pterosaur. It had hollow bones and wings made of skin. Its long, narrow jaw was filled with sharp teeth that pointed outwards.


Fossils found: Germany and Tanzania

Fun fact: The wings of Rhamphorynchus stretched out from its fourth finger.

Installation dimensions: 3‐foot‐long reptile

SYNTARSUS (SIN‐TAR‐SUS) “Fused Ankle” / Carnivore

A light predator that walked on two legs and had light, hollow bones. Syntarsus had four‐fingered hands, four‐toed feet and fused ankle bones, for which it was named.

Lived: Early Jurassic period

Fossils found: Zimbabwe and Arizona, U.S.

Fun fact: About 30 Syntarsus fossils were found together in Zimbabwe, suggesting they lived in packs.

Installation dimensions: 12‐foot‐long dinosaur

CITIPATI (SIT‐IH‐PAT‐EE) “Funeral Pyre Lord” / Omnivore

Citipati’s skull was unusually short and ended in a toothless beak. It is one of the best known of the bird‐like dinosaurs. It has an unusually long neck and shortened tail, compared to most other theropods.

Lived: Cretaceous period

Fossils found: Mongolia

Fun fact: At least four specimens of Citipati have been found sitting on their nest, indicating that Citipati took care of its young like modern birds.

Installation dimensions: Three three‐and‐a‐half‐foot‐long dinosaurs; two 30‐inch‐diameter egg nests

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Guy Darrough is a self‐taught and highly accomplished fossil collector, fossil preparation expert and illustrator who has worked in paleontology and related areas for 40 years. He has collected and studied fossils in Canada, Morocco, and many parts of the United States.

His technical and artistic skills in fossil preparation meet the highest museum standards. Specimens from his own exceptional collection are routinely loaned to museums for exhibition and for scientific studies. Guy’s accomplishments include amassing a premiere collection of Missouri fossils, making significant discoveries in Paleontology (including the discovery of a wide variety of Cambrian and lower Ordovician fossil animals previously unknown to paleontologists) and co‐authoring in the Journal of Paleontology.

Lost World Studios

Headed by Guy Darrough, Lost World Studios has developed the concept of combining lifelike prehistoric animal models with actual living plants and other live creatures. This combination provides a realistic glimpse of the prehistoric world. Over 40 years of active work with fossil materials from around the globe has offered Lost World Studios a special insight into the world of prehistoric animals and their environments.

Lost World Studios is located in Arnold, Mo. Contact Lost World Studios at (636) 282‐0970 or [email protected].

GUY DARROUGH & LOST WORLD STUDIOS


Each of the life‐sized dinosaurs and reptiles on display at the Missouri Botanical Garden in the “DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time” exhibition started out small.

Creator Guy Darrough of Lost World Studios begins each creature as a model in miniature. He replicates this smaller version by carving out basic shapes—limbs, torso, neck and head—from a four‐by‐four‐by‐eight‐foot chunk of Styrofoam. These large Styrofoam shapes are then covered with a thick layer of clay in one‐ to two‐foot‐wide pieces. Darrough carefully sculpts this clay “skin,” blanketing it with tiny details and creases using custom tools.

Once these minute details have been pressed into the clay exterior, he covers certain body parts section by section with liquid rubber, waits for it to harden, and then adds a layer of fiberglass. He then pulls the fiberglass and rubber shells off separately—these two pieces are the new molds from which multiple dinosaur parts can be created. The end result, after months of work, is a sturdy, fiberglass dinosaur kit.

Darrough then assembles the new dinosaur piece‐by‐piece, fitting body parts together, connecting the seams and adding details. He uses a special putty to create dinosaur skin and cover connections.

Once the dinosaur is fully assembled, the colors and patterns are airbrushed with acrylic paints. The realistic eyes given to each dinosaur come from a company that manufactures human glass eyeballs. Darrough custom orders each pair to his exact specifications, from eyeball diameter and pupil size to color flecks.

Darrough uses fossil bones and other research materials to guide the accuracy of his creations. Inspiration comes from a variety of animals; for example, a bobcat’s slit eyes are similar to a Raptor’s. Or, a photo of elephant skin can serve as a basis for the skin texture of a Camerasaurus.

From scratch, a 35‐foot dinosaur can average about 2,000 hours of labor. However, once a life‐sized mold has been created, the replication process is slightly less daunting. Darrough may be able to get a few dinosaurs from a single mold before its details are lost. Also, by manipulating the arms and legs, he can create varied poses from the same basic body shape. Once the original Styrofoam dinosaur shape is no longer needed, the foam is “recycled” by sculpting a smaller dinosaur from it.

In the end, Darrough hopes he has created something with aesthetic appeal that offers an unmatched photo opportunity. “I’m going for the ‘click’ of the picture,” said Darrough.

THE MAKING OF A DINOSAUR

35 The Making of a Dinosaur / DinoQuest Lessons for Grades K-8

DINOQUEST LESSONS FOR GRADES K‐8

To find more activities about biodiversity and tropical rainforests, please call our Stupp Teacher Resource Center at (314) 577‐9501 to reserve a “Tropical Rainforest”

teacher kit today! We invite you to check out our website to see what other resources are avail‐able to teachers at http://www.mobot.org/education/strc/

Science As a Career Scientists at Work (K‐2)

Biodiversity Biodiversity Endangered (3‐5 and 6‐8)

Tropical Rainforests Prehistoric Plant Investigation (3‐5 and 6‐8)

Dinosaurs

What Do Teeth Tell Us? (K‐2 and 3‐5) What is a Fossil? (K‐2 and 3‐5) Dinosaur Teeth (6‐8) Make Your Own Fossil (K‐2, 3‐5, and 6‐8)

SORTED BY TOPIC

SORTED BY GRADE

K – 2nd Grade 3rd‐5th Grade 6th‐8th Grade

Scientists at Work

What Do Teeth Tell Us? What Do Teeth Tell Us?

What is a Fossil? What is a Fossil?

Biodiversity Endangered Biodiversity Endangered

Prehistoric Plant Investigation


Dinosaur Teeth

Make Your Own Fossil Make Your Own Fossil Make Your Own Fossil


Background Information It takes many different scientists and experts, working together, to be able to solve the “mysteries” of the history of dinosaurs. A geologist is a scientist who studies rocks and the earth. Geologists can tell the age of fossils. An ecologist is a scientist who studies the environment and the living things in the environment. A climatologist is a scientist who studies the earth’s weather. A draftsman creates drawings of the fossils. A photographer takes pictures of the fossils. A curator helps these other experts prepare the fossils to be displayed in a museum. A paleontologist studies prehistoric life, including the evolution and environmental interactions of ancient organisms. They use fossil evidence to understand how life on Earth came to be and how and why it has changed. A paleobotanist studies ancient plant fossils to learn about the evolution of plant life.

Objective In this activity, students will learn about the different kinds of jobs it takes to study dinosaurs.

Materials • Set of index cards with the names of scientist jobs written on them

• A rock • Picture of the wilderness • Thermometer (or some other kind of weather instrument)

• Pencil • Pad of paper • Old camera • Pair of white gloves • Paint brush • Microscope

SCIENTISTS AT WORK Procedure

1. Have the students sit in a circle on the floor. Explain to the students that it takes many different kinds of scientists and experts to study and learn about dinosaurs and their fossils. Invite the students to come up with a list of possible jobs (or things) that might need to be done when studying dinosaurs. Write down the students’ responses.

2. Then, place 8 items (a rock, picture of the wilderness, a thermometer or other weather instrument, a pencil and a pad of paper, an old camera, a pair of white gloves, a paint brush, and a microscope) into the center of the circle. Ask the students to take turns naming the items.

3. Next, explain to the students that you are going to read the name of a scientist that helps to study dinosaurs and their fossils, along with their job description. Instruct the students to listen very carefully to see if they can match the scientist’s description with one of the tools that they might use (the items on the floor).

4. Once all of the items have been matched to the scientist card, allow time for the students to discuss and brainstorm a list of characteristics that each person might need in order to have in order to be good at his/her job. Write down the students’ responses.

Extension Set up a special learning station in your classroom and invite your students to role‐play the different scientist jobs using the tools provided.

Activity for Grades K‐2

37 Scientists at Work / What Do Teeth Tell Us?

Background Information Paleontologists can tell a lot from the size of a dinosaur’s skull and from the teeth in it. If the skull has powerful jaws and long, sharp teeth, then the dinosaur were most probably a meat eater or carnivore. The teeth were used to rip apart meat. Wide, flat teeth with ridges indicate that the dinosaur was a plant eater, or herbivore. The teeth were used to mash and grind tough vegetation.

Objective This activity will introduce students to teeth and help them differentiate between the teeth of carnivores and herbivores.

Materials • Pictures of plant eating and meat eating animals (from nature magazines, calendars, internet, etc.)

• Staple removers (one per group) • Cotton balls • Flat rocks (two per group) • Leaves • Small mirrors

Procedure 1. Divide the students into small groups and

distribute several pictures of animals that are herbivores and carnivores.

2. Invite the students to take a few minutes to write down what they notice about the teeth of the animals. Challenge the students to figure out what kinds of food each animal might eat.

3. Once ample time has been given, ask the students to share what they noticed about the pictures. Write down their responses. Then, as an entire class, go through the pictures of the animals, one at a time, and discuss what sorts of food the animal

WHAT DO TEETH TELL US? might eat based on their teeth shape. Lead the students to the conclusion that long, sharp teeth are used by carnivores and flat, blunt teeth are used by herbivores.

4. Explain to the students that they are going to experiment to learn how the teeth of animals help the animals eat their food.

5. Then, distribute the staple removers, cotton balls, rocks, and leaves to each group. Model what students are to do. Display the staple remover and tell students it represents the sharp teeth of a carnivore. Show them how the staple remover works. Tell them the cotton balls represent meat. Display the rocks and tell students they represent the flat, grinding teeth of an herbivore. Show them how the two rocks work by grinding them together. Tell them that the leaves represent plants.

6. Have students experiment “eating” the cotton balls and leaves using the stapler remover and rocks. Have students determine which set of teeth worked best for each food. Write down their responses.

7. Then have students use the mirrors to examine their own teeth to identify what kind of teeth they have. Call on groups to share their findings. Students should conclude that they have both sharp, biting teeth and flat, grinding teeth. Point out to them that they are omnivores (both meat eaters and plant eaters).

Activity for Grades K‐2 and Grades 3‐5


8. Ask the students to look at the dinosaur pictures below and decide which dinosaurs are carnivores and which dinosaurs are herbivores.

Answers: • Top left – herbivore • Top Right – carnivore • Bottom Left – carnivore • Bottom Middle – herbivore • Bottom Right ‐ carnivore

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Background Information A fossil is any evidence of prehistoric life that is at least 10,000 years old. The most common fossils are bones and teeth, but they can also be footprints, skin impressions, and plant impressions. They are often excavated from ancient riverbeds, lakes, caves, volcanic ash, and tar pits. Fossils are classified as either body fossils or trace fossils. Body fossils were parts of the organism, such as bones or teeth. Trace fossils include plant impressions, foot impressions, eggs, burrows, and scat (dung).

Objective In this activity, students will learn to distinguish between body fossils and trace fossils.

Materials • Pictures of body fossils • Pictures of trace fossils • Crayons or pencils • Paper for students to record findings

Teacher Lesson Preparation Go to the websites listed below and print out different pictures of body fossils and trace fossils. Laminate a class set to use for this lesson.

• http://ucmpdb.berkeley.edu/photos/fossil_vert.html

• http://ucmpdb.berkeley.edu/photos/fossil_plant.html

• http://www.leptree.net/image/tid/320

• http://www.leptree.net/image/tid/321

WHAT IS A FOSSIL? Procedure 1. Write the word fossil on the chalkboard

and have the students describe what a fossil is in their own words. Help the students understand that a fossil is any evidence of life that is at least 10,000 years old. Also, explain that dinosaur fossils are much, much older. They can be 65 million years old or as ancient as 225 million years old.

2. Explain to the students that they are going to be paleontologists today. Paleontologists are scientists that study plant and animal fossils. They can learn a lot about life long ago by studying the fossils they find. Divide your students into small groups of two or three. Explain to the students that they are going to have a few minutes to look at all of the fossil pictures and to record what they notice about them.

3. Once ample time has been given, have the students share what they notice about the fossil pictures. Write down their findings.

4. Tell students that the fossils they have been observing can be put into two categories. Before explaining the two categories, see if your students can figure out the differences first. While they might be able to name them, your students might be able to put them into two categories based on what they have noticed.

Activity for Grades K‐2 and Grades 3‐5

What is a Fossil?


5. Then, write the words body and trace in two columns on the chalkboard. Explain that fossils are usually either body fossils or trace fossils. Body fossils were once part of an animal, and trace fossils are evidence of something an animal or plant left behind.

6. Now, have the students revisit their fossil pictures and see if they can put their fossil pictures into two piles – one for body fossils and one for trace fossils.

7. Once the students have had ample time to separate their pictures, the teacher will initiate a discussion about which pictures were body fossils and which pictures were trace fossils.

41 Biodiversity Endangered

BIODIVERSITY ENDANGERED Background Information In this activity, students will learn about biodiversity. Using beans to represent trees, the students will compare a tropical rainforest to a Missouri temperate forest. The container with only red, black, and white beans represents a Missouri temperate forest. The container with many colored beans represents the tropical rainforest. Each different color, size, or shape of bean represents a different species of tree or other plant in the forest.

Tropical Rainforests are Diverse: Biodiversity is a term biologists and ecologists use to describe biotic variety ‐ numbers of animal and plant species, the richness of gene pools and living ecosystems. Plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, bacteria and fungi live together with non‐living elements like soil, water and air to make a functioning ecosystem. A tropical rainforest is the world's most spectacular example of a living ecosystem and the ultimate in biodiversity.

Just How Diverse are Tropical Rainforests? Rainforests have been around a long time. Some existing rainforests have evolved over 65 million years. This time‐enhanced stability has allowed these forests greater opportunities for biological perfection. Rainforests harbor the greatest gene pool in the world. The gene is a basic building block of living things and every species is evolved by various combinations of these blocks. The rainforest has nurtured this "pool" to become home for 170,000 of the world's 250,000 known plant species.

Fantastic Rainforest Comparisons To comprehend just how marvelous this biodiversity is you have to make a comparison or two: • One study in a Brazilian rainforest found

487 tree species growing on a single hectare (2.5 acres), while the US and Canada combined only have 700 species on millions of acres.

• There are approximately 320 butterfly species in all of Europe. Just one park in a Peruvian rainforest, The Manu National Park, has 1300 species.

The Biodiversity of the Rainforest Why should the loss of tropical forests be of any concern to us in light of our own poor management of natural resources? The loss of tropical rainforests has a profound and devastating impact on the world because rainforests are so biologically diverse, more so than other ecosystems (e.g., temperate forests) on Earth.

Consider these facts: • A single pond in Brazil can sustain a

greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers.

• A 25‐acre plot of rainforest in Borneo may contain more than 700 species of trees ‐ a number equal to the total tree diversity of North America.

• A single rainforest reserve in Peru is home to more species of birds than are found in the entire United States.

• One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty‐three different species of ants ‐ a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.

Activity for Grades 3‐5 and Grades 6‐8


• The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean.

The biodiversity of the tropical rainforest is so immense that less than 1 percent of its millions of species have been studied by scientists for their active constituents and their possible uses. When an acre of topical rainforest is lost, the impact on the number of plant and animal species lost and their possible uses is staggering. Scientists estimate that we are losing more than 137 species of plants and animals every single day because of rainforest deforestation.

Surprisingly, scientists have a better understanding of how many stars there are in the galaxy than they have of how many species there are on Earth. Estimates vary from 2 million to 100 million species, with a best estimate of somewhere near 10 million; only 1.4 million of these species have actually been named. Today, rainforests occupy only 2 percent of the entire Earth's surface and 6 percent of the world's land surface, yet these remaining lush rainforests support over half of our planet's wild plants and trees and one‐half of the world's wildlife. Hundreds and thousands of these rainforest species are being extinguished before they have even been identified, much less catalogued and studied. The magnitude of this loss to the

world was most poignantly described by Harvard's Pulitzer Prize‐winning biologist Edward O. Wilson over a decade ago:

"The worst thing that can happen during the 1980s is not energy depletion, economic collapses, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly that our descendants are least likely to forgive us for."

Yet still the destruction continues. If deforestation continues at current rates, scientists estimate nearly 80 to 90 percent of tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2020. This destruction is the main force driving a species extinction rate unmatched in 65 million years.

Objective In this activity, students will define biodiversity, compare the levels of biodiversity in the tropical rainforest to that found in a temperate rainforest, understand how greater biodiversity benefits rainforests, and recognize how biodiversity benefits humans

Materials • 2 containers of dried beans • One coffee scoop • Biodiversity worksheet • Graph paper

43

Procedure 1. Divide the students into groups of four.

The students will be instructed to act as scientists who are sampling the forest. The teacher will explain that scientists can get a fairly accurate idea of what species living the forest by taking a sampling.

2. The teacher will instruct two team members of the group to take a sample of the “tropical rainforest” by using a level coffee scoopful from the correct container.

3. The other two team members from the group will take a level scoopful sample of the “temperate forest.”

4. The students will be instructed to pour the “plants” onto the table in front of them, being very careful to keep their samples separate.

5. The students will separate their samples by “species” color and shape.

6. Then, they will count and record the numbers of each type using the biodiversity worksheet.

7. After all have completed the sorting and counting, the groups will share what they found with the class. The class can make a group chart and graph of their information.

Biodiversity Endangered


Team Member Names: Sort samples into piles by color and shape. Assign each pile a letter. Record how many beans are in each pile onto the chart below.

Missouri Temperate Forest Sample Tropical Rainforest Sample A. _______________________________ A. ______ I. ______ B. _______________________________ B. ______ J. ______ C. _______________________________ C. ______ K. ______ D. _______________________________ D. ______ L. ______ E. _______________________________ E. ______ M. ______ F. _______________________________ F. ______ N. ______ G. _______________________________ G. ______ O. ______ H. _______________________________ H. ______ P. ______

BIODIVERSITY WORKSHEET

Which sample has more different kinds of trees? a. Temperate Forest b. Tropical Rainforest Which forest has the largest number of trees all the same kind? a. Temperate Forest b. Tropical Rainforest Which forest has the second largest number of trees all one kind? a. Temperate Forest b. Tropical Rainforest Is the forest that has the most different kinds of trees the forest that has the most trees of one kind? (HINT: Compare the answers of questions 3 and 4) a. Yes b. No

Suppose insects invade both forests. The insects kill five of the plants represented by red beans. How will the loss of these plants effect the survival of the species? Explain. Which forest would you expect to be a better place to look for plants with chemicals for curing illnesses? Why? a. Temperate Forest b. Tropical Rainforest In which forest would you expect to see more kinds of pollinators and nut‐eaters? Why? a. Temperate Forest b. Tropical Rainforest

45

Biodiversity Endangered


PREHISTORIC PLANT INVESTIGATION Background Information Below is a list of the prehistoric plants one can find here at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Please note that the plant names that are underlined indicate that they can be found in the Climatron.

Mosses Mosses are the most diverse plant group after the flowering plants, with at least 12,800 recognized species. Mosses are typically small plants (.5 – 4 inches) that grow close together in clumps or mats in damp, shady areas. They have neither flowers nor seeds. In the Japanese Garden, look for a wide array of mosses near the Plum Viewing Arbor. Moss is also found abundantly throughout the Climatron.

Gnetophytes These seed‐bearing plants can grow as shrubs, trees, or vines and share similarities with both gymnosperms and angiosperms. The fossil record of gnetophytes extends back to the Late Triassic. Today, there are three surviving genera: Ephedra, Gnetum, and Welwitschia. Gnetum can be found in the Climatron.

Cycads Cycads are cone‐bearing plants that look like palms. They have a slow‐growing trunk (1,000 years). Cycads flourished in eons past and reached their peak in the Mesozoic Era some 150 million years ago. Cycads were more varied and profuse in earlier times and more widely distributed than they are today. The group has been in decline since the Jurassic Era. Living cycads are found in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions of both the Northern

and Southern Hemispheres. The

Garden cultivates eight of the nine known genera of cycads. These can be found in the Climatron.

Ferns Ferns comprise about 10,000 species and at least 36 families of perennial, flowerless, spore bearing plants of many different shapes and sizes. They flourished during the age of the dinosaurs.

Ferns range in size from a few inches to 50 feet tall. Eons ago the ferns lived beneath the shady canopies of giant club mosses and horsetails. Dinosaurs nipped their soft fronds and ate them. Ferns can be found throughout the Garden, including the Climatron and Temperate House.

Selaginella Commonly known as spike moss, Selaginella is a creeping, low plant with roots and tiny cones. They are widely distributed all over the world, particularly in the tropics, with more than 700 species of moss‐like, or sometimes fern‐like, perennials. Many are forest plants, some grow on trees, and others thrive in dry or seasonally dry areas. Examples of the Selaginealla family can be found in the Climatron and Temperate House, as well as in various areas of the greater Garden.

Horsetail Also called scouring rush, horsetails have rings of thin leaves and spore bearing cones at the end of their branches. Before the dinosaurs, these plants grew to giant size. They survived the age of the dinosaurs, though they became smaller as the climate became drier. Horsetails grow in moist, rich

Activity for Grades 3‐5 and Grades 6‐8

47

Procedure

1. Explain to the students that while visiting the “DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time” exhibit, they will be responsible for completing a detailed prehistoric plant investigation sheet for a minimum of two plants.

2. Take time to go over possible items that they may want to record, such as size, covering, color, etc. Explain that this is not an all inclusive list, but a list of observation suggestions they may want to use.

3. In addition, invite the students to write down any questions they have during their time in the Climatron. The generated questions will be compiled and be used to

soils in almost all parts of the world. In the Garden, horsetails may be found near the bog in the English Woodland Garden.

Ginkgo Gingko biloba, commonly called the maidenhair tree, is a modern day survivor of an ancient evolutionary line extending back 150 million years. This species appears to have undergone very little change from its ancient ancestors. In the Garden, ginkgo trees can be found across from the main entrance to the Climatron.

Dawn Redwood A coniferous, non‐evergreen tree native to remote valleys of Central China, the dawn redwood is the only living species of the genus Metasequoia. In the Garden, these trees can be found near the Lehman Building.

Flowering Plants – Herds of giant plant‐eating dinosaurs must have left vast areas of stripped trees and trampled earth behind them. Experts think Sauropods might have helped the first flowering plants to flourish in the Cretaceous Period. Flowering plants became dominant plants on Earth at the end of the age of the dinosaurs. Look for flowering plants throughout the Garden grounds.

Objective In this activity, students will use their observation skills to record what they notice about the prehistoric plants in the Climatron.

Materials • Prehistoric plant investigation sheet (see below)

• Pencil



PREHISTORIC PLANT INVESTIGATION STUDENT OBSERVATION SHEET

further investigate their interests when back at school.

Choose 2 of the following plants to investigate while in the

Climatron:

• Mosses

• Gnetophytes

• Cycads

• Ferns

• Selaginella

Name of plant: Size of plant: Length and width of plant: Covering of plant: Feel/texture of plant: Color of plant: Other observations of plant:

Name of plant: Size of plant: Length and width of plant: Covering of plant: Feel/texture of plant: Color of plant: Other observations of plant:

49

DINOSAUR TEETH Background Information Paleontologists can tell a lot from the size of a dinosaur’s skull and from the teeth in it. If the skull has powerful jaws and long, sharp teeth, then the dinosaur were most probably a meat eater or carnivore. The teeth were used to rip apart meat. Wide, flat teeth with ridges indi‐cate that the dinosaur was a plant eater, or herbivore. The teeth were used to mash and grind tough vegetation. Some dinosaurs, like Apatosaurus, had long, rake‐like teeth. They used their teeth to strip leaves off branches. Tyrannosaurus Rex had sharp, knife‐like teeth. It used them to rip meat off its prey and swal‐low it whole. Triceratops had a whole battery of sharp teeth that it used to slice plants. Other dinosaurs, such as Hadrosaurs, had whole batteries of grinding teeth used to grind up plants.

Objective This activity will help students differentiate between the teeth of dinosaurs that were used for chopping, stripping, grinding, and rip‐ping.

Materials • Small mirrors • Pieces of carrot (one per student)

Procedure 1. Divide the students into small groups and

distribute mirrors to each group. Have stu‐dents use the mirrors to examine their teeth. Ask them to identify and sketch the three different kinds of teeth they have (incisors, canine teeth, and molars). Ask them to hypothesize how each of the three teeth are used.

2. Next, distribute a piece of carrot to each student. Instruct the students to use their teeth to:

a. grate or rake off the carrot’s outer layer

b. slice or bite off a piece of the carrot c. grind up a piece of the carrot

3. Once each student has had a chance to ex‐periment, have the students share their results with the class. Record their re‐sponses on the board.

Activity for Grades 6‐8

Dinosaur Teeth


4. Ask the students to look at the dinosaur pictures below and decide which dinosaur uses its teeth to chop up plants, which di‐nosaur used its teeth to strip leaves off branches, which dinosaur uses its teeth to grind up plants, and which dinosaur uses its teeth to rip meat off its prey.

Answers: • Top left – stripper • Top Right – grinder • Bottom Left – chopper • Bottom Right ‐ ripper

51

MAKE YOUR OWN FOSSIL Objective In this activity, students will create their own fossils.

Materials • Recipe for fossil dough (see rough and smooth limestone recipes below)

• Enough dough for each student to make a one‐inch ball

• 4” X 4” square of wax paper for each student

• Leaf, shell, or other material from which to make an imprint

• Paint and paint brush

Make Your Own Fossil

Activity for Grades K‐2, Grades 3‐5, and Grades 6‐8

Fossil Dough Recipe for Rough Limestone

This recipe will produce a “rock” which is rough in texture. It is preferred for making fossil impressions of shells, acorns, etc.

Mix: 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon alum ½ ‐ 1 cup water

Directions: 1. Combine first four ingredients. Add a

small amount of water at a time until the mixture is the consistency of bread dough. Knead until smooth.

2. Shape into balls one‐inch in diameter, one for each student.

3. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag until needed. For long‐term storage, keep in the refrigerator.

Yield: 25‐30 one‐inch balls

Fossil Dough Recipe for Smooth Limestone This recipe will produce a “rock” which is white and smooth. It is preferred for making fossil impressions of leaves and other plant material.

Mix: 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups baking soda (1 lb. Box) 1‐¼ cups cold water

Directions: 1. Stir all ingredients in a saucepan over me‐

dium heat for about 4 minutes until the mixture thickens to moist mashed potato consistency. Remove from the heat, turn out onto a plate and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Knead as you would dough.

2. Shape into balls, one for each student. 3. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight con‐

tainer or plastic bag until needed.

Yield: 25‐30 one‐inch balls

Procedure 1. Provide each student with wax paper.

2. Provide each student with enough dough to make a one‐inch ball.

3. On the wax paper, press the dough ball into a disc. The disk should be about the size of a half‐dollar.

4. Have each student select a piece of material (shell, bone, leaf, etc.) from which to make an imprint.

5. Press the selected material into the dough. Remove the material, leaving an imprint. Set aside to dry.

6. When dry, the fossil may be painted.


STUDENT RESOURCES

Aliki. Digging Up Dinosaurs. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.

Aliki. Fossils Tell of Long Ago. New York: Harper &Row, 1972.

Aliki. Dinosaur Bones. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1985.

Aliki. Dinosaurs Are Different. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1985.

Arnold, C. Dinosaurs Down Under. New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

Asimov, I. and Stevens, G. Death from Space: What Killed the Dinosaurs? Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens, Inc., 1994.

Barrett, Paul. National Geographic: Dinosaurs. Minnesota: Washington DC, National Geographic Society, 2001.

Barton, Byron. Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1990.

Branlley, Franklyn M. What Happened to the Dinosaurs? New York, NY, Harper Collins Publisher, 1989.

Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus: In the Time of the Dinosaurs. New York: Scholastic, 1994.

Crane, Peter C. Chicago’s Dinosaurs at The Field Museum. Chicago: IL, The Field Museum, 1994.

Dingus, Lowell. What Color Is That Dinosaur? Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, 1994.

Dingus, L. and Norell, M. A. Searching for Velociraptor. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1996.

Dixon, D. Dinosaurs. Honesdale, Penn.: Boyds Mills Press, 1993.

Dodson, Peter. An Alphabet of Dinosaurs. Scholastic Hardcover, 1995.

Eldredge, N., Eldredge, G., and Eldredge, D. The Fossil Factory. Reading, Penn.: Addison‐Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., 1989.

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Gibbons, Gail. Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Holiday House, 1987.

Hart, Christopher. Kids Draw Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Watson‐Guptill Publications, 2001.

Horner, John R. Digging Up Tyrannosaurus Rex. New York: Crown, 1992.

Hunt, J. and Selsam, M. E. A First Look at Dinosaurs. New York: Walker & Co., 1982.

Johnson and Piggins. Dinosaur Hunt. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens, Inc., 1993.

Joyce, William. Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo. New York, NY: Laura Geringer Books, 1998.

Kerven, Rosalind. Saving Planet Earth. Watts, 1992.

Lambert, D. The Ultimate Dinosaur Book. New York: Dorling Kindersley, Inc., 1993.

Lauber, P. and Henderson, D. Living With Dinosaurs. New York: Macmillan, 1991.

Lessem, Don. All the Dirt on Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Tor Kids, 2001.

Lessem, Don. Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals. New York, NY: Scholastic Reference, 1999.

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Lessem, Don. Dinosaur Worlds: New Dinosaurs, New Discoveries. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 1996.

Lessem, Don. The Fastest Dinosaurs. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2005.

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Lessem, D. and Glut, D. Dinosaur Encyclopedia. New York: Random House 1993.

Lessem, D. and Horner, J. Digging Up Tyrannosaurus Rex. New York: Random House, 1992.

Lockley, M. and A.P. Hunt. Dinosaur tracks and other fossil footprints of the western United States. Columbia University Press, 1995.

Milner, A. and Norman, D. Dinosaur: Eyewitness Books. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1989.

Most, Bernard. If the Dinosaurs Came Back. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.

Most, B. How Big Were the Dinosaurs? Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt brace, 1994.

Nolan, Dennis. Dinosaur Dream. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1994.

Norman, D. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. New York: Crescent Books, 1985.

Norell, M. A., Gaffney, E. S., and Dingus, L. Discovering Dinosaurs. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1995.

Patent, Dorothy Henshaw. Biodiversity. Clarion Books, 1996.

Pope, Joyce. Fossil Detective. Troll Associative Press, 1993.

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Pringle , Laurence. Living Treasure: Saving Earth’s Threatened Biodiversity. Morrow Junior Books, 1991.

Rhodes, Frank H. T. Fossils: A Guide to Prehistoric Life. Golden Books, 1962.

Simon, Seymour. New Questions and Answers About Dinosaurs. New York: William Morrow, 1990.

Stein, W. Dinosaurs. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,1994.

Stickland, Paul. Ten Terrible Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books, 1997.

Taylor, P. D. Fossil: Eyewitness Books. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.

Wexco, J. B. Zoobooks: Dinosaurs. San Diego: Wildlife Education, Ltd., 1992.

Wheeler, Jill. Earth Kids. Abdo and Daughters, 1993.

Whyman, Kathryn. The Animal Kingdom: A Guide to Vertebrate Classification and Biodiversity. Raintree, Steck & Vaughn, 1999.

Wilkes, Angela. The Big Book of Dinosaurs: A First Book for Young Children. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersly, 1994.

Student Resources


TEACHER RESOURCES

Bakker, Robert T. Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the

Dinosaurs and Their Extinction. New York, NY: Morrow, 1986.

Bird, R. T. Bones for Barnum Brown: Adventures of a Dinosaur Hunter. College Station, Texas: Texas University Press, 1985.

Carpenter, K., Hirsch, L. F., and Horner, J. A. (eds). Dinosaur Eggs and Babies. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press, 1977.

Chatterjee, Sankar. The Rise of Birds: 225 Million Years of Evolution. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Currie, Philip J. and Padian, Keven. Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. New York: Academic Press, 1997.

Dean, Dennis R. Gideon Mantell and the Discovery of Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Degler, Teri. Everything Your Kids Ever Wanted to Know About Dinosaurs and You Were Afraid They’d Ask. Western Producer Prairie Books: Saskatoon, 1990.

Dingus, Lowell and Rowe, Timothy. The Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1998.

Dingus, Lowell. Next of Kin. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 1996.

Dingus, L. and Rowe, T. The Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds. New York: W. H. freeman and Company, 1998.

Dobson, Andrew P. Conservation and Biodiversity. New York: Freeman. 1996.

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Gaffney, Eugene S. Dinosaurs. New York: Golden Books, 1990.

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Norell, M. A., Gaffney, E. S., and Dingus, L. Discovering Dinosaurs. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.

Norell, Mark A. Unearthing the Dragon. New York, NY: Pi Press, 2005.

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Novacek, Michael, J. Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs. New York: Anchor Books, 1996.

Novacek, Michael. Time Traveler: In Search of Dinosaurs and Other Fossils from Montana to Mongolia. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003.

Paul, Gregory S. Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Biodiversity. Clarion Books, 1996.

Powell, James Lawrence. Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Comets, Craters, Controversy, and the Last Days of the Dinosaurs. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1998.

Psihoyos, Louie. Hunting Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Random House, 1994.

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Dinosaurs. Weldon Owen Inc.: San Francisco, 1999.

Reaka‐Kudla, M. L., E. O. Wilson, et al. Biodiversity, II. Understanding and protecting our biological resources. Washington, D.C. : Joseph Henry Press, 1997.

Russell, D. A. An Odyssey In Time: The Dinosaurs of North America. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992.

Sattler, H. R. Dinosaurs of North America. New York: William Morrow, 1981.

Sattler, H.R. The New Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary. New York: William Morrow, 1990.

Shipman, Pat. Taking Wing: Archaeopteryx and the Evolution of Bird Flight. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Stout, William. The New Dinosaurs. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1981.

Tanke, Darren H. Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001.

Tewell, D. Where Dinosaurs Still Rule: A Guide to Dinosaur Areas. Helena, Mont.: falcon Press, 1993.

VanCleave, J. Dinosaurs for Every Kid. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1994.

Wallace, J. The American Museum of Natural History’s Book of Dinosaurs. New York: Michael Friedman Publishing, 1994.

Weishampel, D. B., Dodson, P. and Osmolska, H. The Dinosauria. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

Willis, K.J. The Evolution of Plants. Oxford University Press, 2002

Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. W.W. Norton, 1992

Internet Resources • www.mobot.org • www.mbgnet.net

Teacher Resources


Adaptation A special characteristic, or the way an animal or plant species has developed over time resulting in an improved relationship to its environment (It is important when teaching this concept to stress that adaptations are not ways that organisms/species have decidedly adjusted to their environments but instead that adaptations are the results of a long process, natural selection, which weeds out less successful variations of body plans thereby resulting in the success of organisms that have characteristics more in‐tune with their environmental conditions.); a feature that contributes to an organism’s success and survival in its environment.

Autotroph An organism that uses energy from the sun or energy stored in chemical compounds to manufacture their own nutrients (e.g., green plants).

Biomechanics The study of how animals—past and present—move. To study biomechanics, scientists look at how bones fit together, move in relation to each other, and—in living animals—how ligaments and muscles work.

Carnivore A meat eating animal. Carnivores have large sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

Cast A mold made from the original fossils. These casts are often used in museums so the original fossils can be studied and protected.

DINOQUEST DEFINITIONS

Cenozoic The latest of the Phanerozoic eras of geologic time, extends from the end of the Mesozoic Era (65 million years ago) to the present; the Age of Mammals.

Collection An accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison or exhibition.

Community The organisms of an ecosystem.

Cretaceous Period The third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, ranging from about 141 to 65 million years ago. Snakes and plants with flowers first evolved during the Cretaceous Period, and modern types of mammals—including placentals and marsupials—inhabit the Earth. At the end of the Cretaceous Period, a mass extinction wiped out 50%of all species, including all dinosaurs except birds.

Curator A person who organizes and exhibits objects of art, science, or historical interest for a museum department.

Dinosaur A group of reptiles that walked with their legs directly beneath their body and characterized by a hole in the hip socket. Dinosaurs first evolved during the Triassic Period, some 230 million years ago. Most went extinct during a mass extinction 65 million years ago; birds are the only dinosaurs that survived.

Display Structure A physical feature of an animal—such as antlers or frills—used to attract mates or recognize members of their own species.

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Ecosystem The organisms living in a particular environment, such as a lake or forest, and the physical part of the environment that affects them. The organisms alone are called the community.

Environment The air, water, and land in and on which organisms live.

Era A division of geologic time composed of Periods.

Evolution The accumulation of inherited changes in populations of organisms over the course of generations. Evolution explains how species change over time and evolve into new species, and how what we see today may differ from the past. Evolutionary theory explains the diversity of life through the process of descent with modification.

Extinction When a species dies out forever. Small numbers of species are going extinct all the time, but mass extinction events are responsible for wiping out much of the species diversity in the past.

Food Web A model that shows all the possible feeding relationships within a community.

Fossil The remains or traces of organisms that were once alive. Fossils can include bones, trackways, skin impressions, etc.; preserved remains of organisms which lived in the geologic past (>10,000 years ago).

Geologic time The vast amount of time (4.6 billion years) interpreted to represent the Earth’s history.

Herbivore An animal that feeds on plants. Many herbivorous dinosaurs had flat grinding or shearing teeth. There were many more plant eating dinosaurs than meat eating.

Heterotroph An organism that cannot make its own food and must feed on other organisms for energy and nutrients.

Invertebrate An organism (e.g. insects, jellyfish, etc.) which lacks a backbone or spinal column.

Jurassic Period The second and middle period of the Mesozoic Era, ranging from about 210 to 141 million years ago. Birds first evolved during the Jurassic.

Mass Extinction When a large proportion of species go extinct within a relatively short time (several million years) across much of the world. There have been at least six mass extinctions in the four billion years since life began.

Mesozoic Era The period of Earth’s history from about 250 to 65 million years ago; often known as “The Age of Dinosaurs.” It includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.

DinoQuest Definitions


Natural Selection The driving mechanism of evolutionary change: organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and therefore more likely to pass along their successful features to their offspring. The concept of natural selection was proposed by Charles Darwin in his 1859 On the Origin of Species.

Omnivore An animal that eats both meat and plants.

Paleontologist A scientist that studies extinct organisms, such as dinosaurs.

Paleontology The science that investigates extinct organisms and the history of life on Earth; the study of ancient life through the examination and interpretation of fossils

Paleozoic The first era of the Phanerozoic, after Precambrian Time and before the Mesozoic Era Period; a division of a geologic Era

Permineralization The process of fossilization wherein the original hard parts of an organism have additional mineral material deposited in their pore spaces.

Phanerozoic The part of geologic time represented by rocks in which evidence of ancient life is abundant.

Precambrian Time The part of geologic time preceding the Phanerozoic, representing 7/8th of the Earth’s history.

Predator An organism that feeds by preying on other organisms, killing them for food.

Prehistoric Relating to the times before recorded/written history began.

Reptile A cold blooded vertebrate that uses lungs to breathe, has an external covering of scales and usually lays eggs.

Species A fundamental category of taxonomic classification, ranking below a genus or subgenus and consisting of related organisms capable of interbreeding .

Specimen A single item of fossil, rock, animal, plant, or other natural object that is part of a museum or research collection.

Strata Beds or layers of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout .

Terrestrial Land based, as opposed to aquatic or atmospheric.

Theory An explanation of some phenomenon of the natural world that is well supported by the evidence at hand.

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Trackway A series of footprints made by an animal.

Triassic Period The first period of the Mesozoic Era, ranging from about 250 to 210 million years ago. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, and mammals all first evolved during the Triassic Period.

Vertebrate An organism (e.g. mammals, reptiles, etc.) which has a backbone/spinal column

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DINOQUEST: A TROPICAL TREK THROUGH TIME

MAY 1‐OCTOBER 3, 2010.

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DinoQuest Definitions

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