Amazing Dinosaurs

王辉章

Dinosaurs were amazing creatures， so here are some amazing facts about dinosaurs：

Some Dinosaurs Had Feathers！

Most fossils only preserve hard body parts， such as bones and teeth. However， recently fossils discovered in China， appear to have show feathers.

Scientists do not yet know for sure， which dinosaur species had feathers. Some scientists have suggested that it is possible that many different species may have had feathers， including Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Dinosaurs Out Competed Mammals！

Dinosaurs were the most successful land animals for over 165 million years. This is far longer than mammals have dominated （mammals have only dominated for the last 65 million years）， and what�s more， dinosaurs out competed the mammals and their ancestors.

During the Permian period， which was the period before dinosaurs evolved， the dominant land animals were mammal-like reptiles （who were the ancestors of mammals）. When dinosaurs evolved during the Triassic， over millions of years， they out competed and gradually drove to extinction， the mammal-like reptiles.

The mammal-like reptiles leave as their descendants （后代）， mammals. However， during the period that dinosaurs were around， most mammals were tiny mouse-like creatures， and the largest was no bigger than a beaver. The dinosaurs were so successful that they suppressed （抑制） mammalian evolution.

Only after dinosaurs became extinct （apparently because of bad-luck， rather than any flaw in the dinosaurs）， did mammals get the chance to evolve into larger creatures.

Dinosaurs Lived All Over The World！

Dinosaur fossils have been found in all the continents including Antarctica.

Dinosaurs in Space！

Dinosaurs have been in space！

Fossils from Maiasaura were taken into orbit （軌道） in NASA Space Lab 2 mission in 1985.

A fossil Coelophysis skull was taken into orbit， and then to the Mir space station， by the space shuttle Endeavour in 1998.

Dinosaurs Are NOT Completely Extinct

Most people know that the last dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago— but did they？

Most scientists now believe that birds evolved from dinosaurs. If this theory is correct —and there is good evidence for it—then birds are in fact an evolved type of dinosaur （see dinosaur family tree）， and not all dinosaurs are extinct after all.