Dinosaurs Day 11: Jurassic Carnivore Dinosaurs

Jurassic Carnivore Dinosaurs

Discuss:   As you learn each dinosaur on this day look up the Dino Dictionary to see you to correctly pronounce their names, and find each dinosaur on the dinosaur classification chart that we made earlier.

Dinosaur Flashcards:

Allosaurus read Allosaurus by Susan H. Gray

Archaeopteryx read Archaeopteryx by Richard M. Gaines and read/do pages page 31 in Dinosaurs:Diggin' Discovery (A+ Let's Grow Smart!).

Ceratosaurus read/do pages page 19 in Dinosaurs:Diggin' Discovery (A+ Let's Grow Smart!).

Compsognathus read Compsognathus by Susan H. Gray

Dilophosaurus

Megalosaurus read Megalosaurus by Susan H. Gray read/do pages page 18 in Dinosaurs:Diggin' Discovery (A+ Let's Grow Smart!).

Yangchuanosaurus

Dinosaur Journal: Draw a picture of your favorite Jurassic Carnivore Dinosaur.

Review:

1. Watch Dinosaur Train ABC Song
2. Play Dinosaur Spelling Game

Allosaurus Information

Translation: Different Lizard

Diet: carnivore

Period: Jurassic period

Family: Allosauridae

Height: 17 ft
Length: 38 ft
Weight: 4,000 lbs

Physical Appearance: This bipedal predator was up to 38 feet long and weighed roughly 1 to 5 tons. It had solid, heavy bones, long claws on its 3-fingered hands, and large, powerful jaws. Allosaurus has small ridges over its eyes

Lifestyle: Allosaurus was a carnivore (meat-eater) who may have hunted in packs. In these groups, Allosaurus could have ambushed even the very large sauropods.

Discovered by: Allosaurus was named in 1877 by paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh, based on fragmentary remains. The first virtually complete Allosaurus skeleton was discovered by rancher M. P. Felch in 1883, in Colorado, USA. (Find Colorado, USA on the world map).

Directions:  J filled in the Allosaurus Information Page to review what he learned.

 

Allosaurus Model

I found this Allosaurus Dinosaur 3D Model Discovery Kids toy at a garage sale.  It shows one side with skin on the dinosaur and the other side the skin is clear so you can see the internal organs of the dinosaur.

Archaeopteryx Information

Translation: Ancient Wing

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic period

Family: Archeopterygidae

Height: 1 foot
Length: 3 feet
Weight: 2 lbs

Physical Appearance: Archaeopteryx had sharp teeth, a long bony tail, and claw fingers on its wings.

Lifestyle: Paleontologist are not sure if Archaeopteryx could fly like modern birds or not.

Discovered by: Its remains were found in fine grained stone which still bore the clear impression of its feathers.

Directions: Fill out the Dinosaur Research Report with the information you learned about the Archaeopteryx.

Ceratosaurus Information

Translation: horn lizard

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic period

Family: Ceratosauridae

Height: 13 feet
Length: 20 feet
Weight: 2,000 lbs.

Physical Appearance: Ceratosaurus was a common meat-eating dinosaur with a short horn on its snout. This bipedal dinosaur had solid, heavy bones, primitive hands, and powerful jaws.

Lifestyle: This theropod dinosaur may have hunted in groups, preying upon large sauropod dinosaurs.

Discovered by: Ceratosaurus was named in 1884 by paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh. Fossils have been found in Colorado and Utah, USA, and in Tanzania, Africa.

Directions:

Write a descriptive essay about being a Ceratosaurus living in a particular region. What would the eat dinosaur eat; would it be a meat eater or a plant eater? How big would it be? What would it look like? What kind of plants and other animals/dinosaurs would be there? What would the weather be like? Would it be warm, hot or cool? Would the climate be wet or dry? What other details would you like to add?

Compsognathus Information

Translation: Pretty Jaw

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic period

Family: Compsognathidae

Height: 10 inches
Length: 3 feet
Weight: 6.5 lbs.

Physical Appearance: Compsognathus was a bird-like dinosaur that walked on two long, thin legs; it had three-toed feet. A long tail acted as a counterbalance and for stability during fast turns. It had short arms with two clawed fingers on each hand. Compsognathus had a small, pointed head with small, sharp teeth, hollow bones, and a long, flexible neck.

Lifestyle: Compsognathus is the smallest known dinosaurs, about the size of a chicken. Although he was small he was still very fast. Compsognathus had a good side brain for the size of his body, so he is considered relatively intelligent compared to other dinosaurs. Compsognathus had hallow bones like birds, that is why some believe that he had feathers and could fly.

Discovered by: Compsognathus was first discovered by Dr. Oberndorfer in limestone deposits in the Riedenburg-Kelheim region of Bavaria, southern Germany (Europe) in the late 1850's. It was named by Johann A. Wagner in 1859. (Find Germany on the world map).

Directions: I printed out the following questions for J to answer as a comprehension drill.

Compsognathus Quiz

1. What does the name Compsognathus mean?_________________

2. Was Compsognathus a plant-eater or a meat-eater?____________


3. Did Compsognathus walk on two or four legs? ________________


4. Was Compsognathus about the size of an elephant or about the

size of a chicken?_________________________________________ 
 
5. Was Compsognathus a fast-moving or slow-moving dinosaur?
_______________________________________________________


6. What geologic period did Compsognathus live in? ______________ 
 
7. Was Compsognathus a relatively intelligent dinosaur or a relatively

unintelligent dinosaur? _____________________________________ 
 
8. On what continent have Compsognathus fossils been found?
_______________________________________________________ 
 
9. Something unusual was found in a fossil Compsognathus' stomach.

What was it? ____________________________________________


10. Were Compsognathus' bones solid or hollow?________________

Dilophosaurus Information

Translation: Two-crested Lizard

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic period

Family: Podokesauridae

Height: 8 feet
Length: 20 feet
Weight: 1,000 lbs

Physical Appearance: Dilophosaurus had two thin, hollow, bony crests on its head. It had short arms with three-fingered hands and strong legs with four-toed feet.

Lifestyle: Dilophosaurus may have lived in packs, since three specimens were found together in Arizona, USA.

Discovered by: The first fossil Dilophosaurus skeleton was found in Arizona, USA, in the 1940's. Dilophosaurus was named in 1970 by Samuel P. Welles. (Find Arizona, USA on the world map).

Directions:  How many words can you make using the letters from Dilophosaurus?

DILOPHOSAURUS

1.	11.
2.	12.
3.	13.
4.	14.
5.	15.
6.	16.
7.	17.
8.	18.
9.	19.
10.	20.

Megalosaurus Information
Translation: Great Lizard

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic

Family: Megalosauridae

Height: 12 feet
Length: 26 feet
Weight: 1 tons

Physical Appearance: Megalosaurus walked on two powerful legs, had a strong, short neck, and a large head with sharp, serrated teeth. It had a massive tail, a bulky body, toes also had sharp claws, and heavy bones. Its arms were short and had three-fingered hands with sharp claws.

Lifestyle: Megalosaurus was a theropod dinosaur, whose intelligence was high among the dinosaurs.

Discovered by: Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur fossil discovered (in England in 1676). It was also the first dinosaur given a scientific name - by William Buckland in 1824. Megalosaurus trackways have also been found in limestone in southern England. (Find England on the world map).

Directions: I printed out this Megalosaurus Dot-to-dot page for J to color.

J wrote a make believe story about Megalosaurus coming back to life in the museum.

Yangchuanosaurus Information
Translation: Lizard from Yang-ch'uan, China

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Jurassic

Family: Ceratosauria

Height: 15 feet
Length: 30 feet

Physical Appearance: It walked on two large, muscular legs, had short arms, a strong, short neck, a big head with powerful jaws, and large, serrated teeth. It had a long, massive tail that was about half of its length. Its feet had three toes, each with a large claw. Its arms were short, and it had three clawed fingers on each hand.

Lifestyle: Yangchuanosaurus was a hunter that may have stalked its prey in packs. Yangchuanosaurus may also have been a scavenger.

Discovered by: It was discovered in June 1977 by a construction worker during the construction of the Shangyou Resivoir Dam.

Directions:  Fill out the Dinosaur Research Report with the information you learned about the Yangchuanosaurus.