We cover topics in paleontology to answer common questions about the field to educate and inspire readers of all ages to understand the prehistoric world.
Most people have seen depictions of Tyrannosaurus a thousand times: they’re fearsome, likely hungry given their invariably open mouths, and covered in lizard-like scales. Some artists, however, take a different approach. These deviants show the beloved T. rex covered in feathers. While most people reject change for simply psychological reasons, others may wonder if they’ve been wrong all these years. … Continue Reading
When reading about dinosaurs or visiting a museum you may have wondered: how do scientists determine the age of fossils? Are they millions of years old? How do scientists know that, for example, Tyrannosaurus rex lived about 66 million years ago? Are these estimates verifiable? So, how do scientists determine the age of a fossil? Scientists use two general techniques … Continue Reading
One of the most famous Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, “Stan” the T. rex, may also be the most well-traveled T. rex. At the moment, he currently resides in Texas, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Kansas, Wyoming, Indiana, Wisconsin, the United Kingdom, and even Tokyo, Japan. There’s only one Stan, so how can he be in so many places at once? The answer … Continue Reading
Most readers will likely be familiar with the three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Many readers may not realize, however, that fossils only come from sedimentary rocks. Why are fossils found in sedimentary rock? Fossils are found in sedimentary rock because the conditions of sedimentary rock formation are crucial to fossilization, as igneous and metamorphic rock formation would … Continue Reading
Evolution is one of the most important theories in modern science. It provides a framework for understanding where modern species came from, including our own. Evolution teaches scientists how to understand trends in biodiversity, genetics, and Earth’s history. Further, evolution provides insights into such disparate topics as endangered species conservation, vaccine development, and antibiotic, pesticide, and herbicide resistance. How do … Continue Reading
As a child, I often annoyed everyone around me talking about dinosaurs nonstop. Honestly, I still do this. However, one thing always annoyed me too. Why did everyone think that I wanted to be an archaeologist? What’s the difference between paleontology and archaeology? Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life through fossils while archaeology is the study of ancient humans … Continue Reading
Dinosaur names are notoriously difficult to say. We all know the most popular ones because they’re prevalent in pop culture. Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus are no more difficult to say than Elephant; how many people can pronounce, much less, spell Tuojiangosaurus? Do dinosaurs have common names? Dinosaur names are often hard to pronounce because their scientific names are derived from … Continue Reading
One thing has been held for centuries: children love dinosaurs. They beg for dinosaur toys, adorn their rooms with dinosaur posters, and become engrossed in dinosaur films. The concept of conceptual domains or topics of “intense interest” is the most likely source of this obsession with dinosaurs. You may wonder: why do kids like dinosaurs so much when most adults take … Continue Reading
Why were prehistoric animals so large? Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, and many other prehistoric animals were massive! The largest living land animal, the African elephant is barely comparable to Triceratops in size and about a quarter of the size of many sauropods (the long-necked dinosaurs). Compared to animals like Brachiosaurus, it’s no wonder that many ask why prehistoric animals grew … Continue Reading
A common question directed to paleontologists is why is paleontology important? Why does it matter to us when other sciences seem more relevant? Paleontology is not flashy like other sciences. Those that create medicine or allow us to travel to the moon often command the headlines. To many, paleontology is merely the study of the past, but do not be … Continue Reading