Who lived after the dinosaurs. Dinosaur history. The emergence of dinosaurs. History of Dinosaur Studies

They appeared on earth almost simultaneously: about 220 million years ago. But during the heyday of dinosaurs, the mammals they suppressed remained small animals, resembling rodents. However, after the extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period (≈ 65 million years ago), new living spaces and ecological niches were opened for small and insignificant mammals. Why did they survive but the dinosaurs did not?

If these animals were as large as dinosaurs, they would not have been able to survive the collision with a large meteorite and the accompanying radiation. The small inhabitants of the burrows probably survived. Because they consume fewer resources, feeding on insects, seeds and smaller animals has allowed them to survive in environments where dinosaurs could not. Thus, it turns out that small dimensions have a great advantage.

The short life cycle of mammals also affected - a new reproductive generation in these animals appeared every 2-3 years. For dinosaurs, it took decades. That is why mammals were able to adapt to the changed environmental conditions.

Only over time, when a large part of the dense jungle gave way to sparse forests, life in open areas began to increase the size of mammals.

1. Juramaia

Juramaya, estimated at about 160 million years old, is the oldest known placental mammal today. The emergence of the placenta proved to be the most important event in the history of mammals, as this boon significantly increased their survival rate. Today, more than 90% of the species in this class are placental. The Yuramai were small animals that vaguely resembled modern rodents.

2. Propaleotherium (Propalaeotherium)

Propaleoteria in physique were more similar to tapirs, but their height at the withers varied only from 30 to 60 centimeters. These animals were the ancestors of the Paleotherians - an extinct genus of equids. But the propaeothermia had no hooves; instead, their feet ended in toes. These animals were herbivores, as evidenced by the well-preserved fossils.

3. Tilakosmil (Thylacosmilus)

The tilakosmil or marsupial saber-toothed tiger was the size of a jaguar. Despite its predatory jaw, the tilakosmila was much weaker than that of the modern leopard. Its jaw played a minor role in catching prey - instead, it used powerful neck muscles, and its long sharp fangs served to deeply bite through the soft tissues of the victim.

4. Ambulocetus (Ambulocetus natans)

Ambulocet, which means "walking whale" in Latin, is a transitional form between terrestrial tetrapods and modern cetaceans. The length of this predatory animal was about three meters. Like crocodiles, Ambulocetes were adapted for life on land and in the aquatic environment.

5. Doedicurus

An adult Dedicurus reached a length of 4 meters and a weight of 1.5 tons. This mammal had a powerful tail, at the end of which there was a spiked mace weighing up to 74 kilograms. Researchers believe that it served not only for protection, but also for battles between males during the mating period. Dedicurus were herbivorous animals that fed on undersized vegetation.

6. Embolotherium

Outwardly, the embolotherium looks like a rhinoceros, but it was the size of an elephant. Remaining fossils of their skulls indicate that they may have grown to 2.5 meters at the shoulders. An interesting feature is the presence of a large bony horn that resembles a ram.

7. Gastornis

It was previously thought that the gastornis was the first major predator after the dinosaurs. However, the absence of hooked claws and the anatomy of the beak indicate that these animals were more adapted for the consumption of plant foods. Gastornis were large birds, reaching a height of 1.75 meters and a weight of 100 kilograms.

8. Indricotherium (Indricotherium)

Indricotherium belongs to the Giracodont family, akin to modern rhinos. These herbivorous animals were the largest and heaviest land mammals in Earth's history. Their height could reach almost 5 meters, and their weight - up to 17 tons.

9. Dinoterium (Deinotherium)

At one time, Dinotherium was inferior in size only to Indricotherium and the largest mammoth species. These mammals could reach heights of up to 4.5 meters. Its distinctive feature is the curved tusks on the lower jaw, however, how exactly the herbivorous dinotherium used its tusks remains in question. There are several hypotheses in this regard, for example, he could bend branches with them or dig up roots.

10. Basilosaurus

Basilosaurs, who inhabited all the warm seas of the planet 45-36 million years ago, were probably the largest predators of their time. Their body length could reach 21 meters in males and 18 meters in females. An interesting anatomical feature in these animals is the presence of rudimentary hind legs approximately 60 centimeters long. Basilosaurs attacked large victims, including whales.

Life on Earth originated about 3000 million years ago. It started out as tiny, single-celled creatures. Then other forms of life began to appear. But dinosaurs settled on the planet only 200-230 million years ago. Scientists to this day have put forward various theories as to how dinosaurs came to be, and it is not known which one is correct.

Ancient world

Different types of dinosaurs lived on Earth at different times: some species died out, others appeared. In general, the era of these creatures lasted more than 150 million years. If we compare the time of human existence with this period, then we live only 200,000 years. According to the official version, people and dinosaurs lived in different eras, but rock paintings, various archaeological finds, question this version.

The very word "dinosaur" means a terrible or terrible lizard. These creatures were cold-blooded, needed a lot of sunlight. The official version of how the dinosaurs came into existence says that these creatures evolved from the reptiles that lived on the planet before them. The ancestors of dinosaurs lived both on land and in water. They are called archosaurs - ancient lizards. They looked like amphibians, ate plant foods. The ancient lizards had lungs, they laid their eggs on land. Gradually, the reptiles became larger, although the first dinosaurs were small, the size of a chicken. Some species remained this way throughout their existence. Other species became large, they increased in size, became stronger. This is how dinosaurs appeared, which changed and improved over millions of years, populating the Earth.

Dinosaur ancestors

So how did dinosaurs come from, who did they come from? It is generally accepted that all dinosaurs descended from thecodonts. These creatures were of various sizes: small, large, medium. They walked on four legs, and some on two. It was from them that the first dinosaurs went.

A distinctive feature of the thecodonts is that they had a special skeletal structure: the place of articulation of the thigh and pelvis was such that this type of reptile could move on two legs.

World domination

After dinosaurs appeared, they began to evolve. Gradually, these creatures took over the Earth, becoming the real masters of the land. Their success in survival lay in the fact that they had a unique flexibility of evolution, and could also eat a wide variety of foods. Also, dinosaurs could walk on two legs, which allowed them to cover huge distances. As soon as new conditions for habitation were formed, dinosaurs immediately adapted to them. Because of this feature, new species began to appear: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores. Giants appeared and there were small individuals. Some of the creatures grew wings and began to fly.

Secrets of the era of dinosaurs

Where the dinosaurs came from remains a mystery, as does their death. Another mystery - did these creatures live in the same era with people, or did they become extinct before the appearance of humanity? According to scientists, the eras of people and giants were different, although archaeological finds in the form of rock paintings suggest otherwise. The tales and legends of the peoples of the world, which speak about ancient lizards and people, remain doubtful.

In the sixties of the twentieth century in Peru were found burials of the pre-Coin period. The stones depicted people and dinosaurs that coexisted closely. This discovery contradicts the official theory of evolution. The stones found showed a sauropod with thorns. The fact that this creature has thorns, scientists learned only in the nineties. In addition to the found drawings on stones, the Bible speaks about the existence of people and dinosaurs in the same era, albeit indirectly. And scientists also found footprints of a person next to the footprints of a dinosaur. And all this remains a mystery, since according to the accepted version, people and dinosaurs lived with a difference of millions of years, but judging by the findings, this is not so.

Dinosaurs someone's ancestors

If giants appeared from ancient reptiles, then who descended from dinosaurs, what are the inhabitants of the planet?

Modern animals have some similarities with the ancient inhabitants of the Earth, but only a small part are considered their descendants. During the Jurassic period, Archeopteryx lived, which became the progenitor of birds. Scientists have found many similar features of birds with this type of dinosaur: the presence of scales, the structure of the limbs, the method of reproduction. Deinonychus, compsognathus and strutiomimus are considered direct ancestors of birds, although this cannot be said in appearance.

Ancestors of mammals

After the dinosaurs disappeared, mammals began to develop. Initially, they were nocturnal, settled, and constantly evolved. Modern mammals originated from them. For example, once upon a time there lived didedelphodons who had bags. They are similar to modern possums. Ancient erythrotherium had the ability to climb trees. This creature is considered the ancestor of monkeys.

Dinosaur species

All known species of dinosaurs are divided into two large orders: ornithischia and lizardvaceous. These units have their own classifications. So, groups of aquatic, flying, herbivorous, carnivorous dinosaurs and some others are distinguished. Where did dinosaurs come from and why were they divided into groups?

Since scientists began to find the remains of aquatic representatives, the question arose, how are dinosaurs of this group born? Those that move on land, fly, usually lay eggs, and the reproduction of aquatic occurs either by the emergence of a creature on land to lay eggs, as modern turtles do, or there were other methods of reproduction.

Among aquatic inhabitants, the most unusual are:

1. Pliosaurus. He is considered a predator, he ate everything he saw. This creature had no enemies, which is why it attacked first.
2. Ichthyosaur. The first remains of these creatures were found on the territory of Russia, but most of all were found in Germany. These lizards lived in packs, so they could easily repulse enemies, and it was easier for them to get food.
3. Mosasaurus. The remains of these saurians have been found all over the planet, even in cold Antarctica. It is believed that monitor lizards originated from this species. Mosasaurus lived in water, moved in a serpentine manner, like conger eels.
4. Elasmosaurus. It is considered an unusual predator that could hunt from any distance. This dinosaur easily caught any prey, even the fastest.
5. Shonizaurus. Among aquatic reptiles, this creature is considered the largest. It ate squid, molluscs, and some species of octopus.

These are far from all the representatives of the aquatic world that inhabited the planet millions of years ago.

The flying species include pterosaur, archeopteryx, pterodactyl, ornitocheirus. Some of them reached the size of a small plane.

The most popular carnivorous dinosaurs are Tyrannosaurus, Megalosaurus, Spinosaurus, Tarbosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Velociraptor.

Herbivores are Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Brontosaurus, Triceratops, Iguanodon.

Why extinct

Scientists still can't say for sure where the dinosaurs came from, but an even bigger mystery is why they became extinct. This happened about 60 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period. Simultaneously with the giants, marine reptiles, flying representatives, some species of mollusks, and algae died out. According to scientists, about 20% of terrestrial vertebrates and about 15% of marine life died during that period. The most common theory for this phenomenon is a meteorite fall in the Yucatan region of the Mexican peninsula.

There are other versions of the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs, including high volcanic activity. About 6 million years ago, there was a violent eruption with a gigantic outpouring of magma.

Other scientists suggest that the extinction was caused by the extermination of egg-laying, young by the first predatory mammals. The possibility of extinction due to a sharp drop in the level of the World Ocean, changes in the Earth's magnetic field is not excluded.

Scientists from the University of Reading put forward a different theory, according to which dinosaurs were already extinct even before the meteorite fell. In their opinion, the extinction caused the appearance of other species. Scientists have estimated the extinction of several thousand dinosaur species. As a result of the work carried out, it was possible to find out that the rate of appearance of new species and the rate of extinction of old ones are interrelated. And about 80 million years ago, some of the species of giants became extinct, instead of them new creatures appeared inhabiting the planet.

Dinosaurs (from the Greek dinosauria, deinos - "terrible" and saurus - "lizard") lived in the Mesozoic era, which is divided into three periods: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Throughout the history of studying the remains of ancient lizards, paleontologists have managed to identify and describe over 500 different species of these reptiles.

Where and in what territories the ancient lizards lived, see the infographics AiF.ru.

When did the first dinosaurs appear?

The first dinosaurs - archosaurs - appeared 230 million years ago. Typical representatives of the Triassic period were Placerias, Plateosaurus, Celophysis, Cynodont, and Peteinosaurus. What dinosaurs lived on the territory of Russia from the Triassic to the Cretaceous periods,

During the Jurassic period, when a temperate climate was established on Earth, flying lizards (Archeopteryx, pterodactyl, pterosaur), as well as large carnivorous dinosaurs (Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, Anurognathus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and others) appeared. The remains of some of them are paleontologists.

During the last period of the Mesozoic era, giant lizards lived on Earth, many of them reaching 5-8 meters in height and 20 meters in length. Typical Cretaceous reptiles: Velociraptor, Seismosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Iguanodon and Kulazuchus.

What dinosaurs lived on the territory of Russia in the Mesozoic era,

How many years did dinosaurs live?

Paleontologists believe that the lifespan of small species ranged from one to two decades, while large dinosaurs could live from 200 to 300 years.

Who inhabited the Tula region 300 million years ago,

Why are dinosaurs extinct?

The changes that took place on Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period led to the gradual extinction of all types of dinosaurs. Possible reasons for the disappearance may include the following:

• an asteroid that fell to Earth;
• dramatic warming and climate change;
• strong earthquake or volcanic eruption;
• an increase in the number of mammals that ate the food familiar to dinosaurs.

What sea animals lived on the territory of Russia in ancient times,

When was dinosaur bones first discovered?

The first dinosaur skeleton was described in the 1820s by the British paleontologist William Buckland.

When was the last time a dinosaur was discovered in Russia?

The last significant discovery was made in 2014. During the mining of shale, an almost intact ichthyosaur skeleton was found.

About 65 million years ago, a huge meteorite about 10 kilometers in diameter fell to Earth in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern Gulf of Mexico. It brought tsunamis, fires, earthquakes and other cataclysms, and dense dust covered the sky, gradually cooling the planet almost to its core. As a result, 70% of all living beings died. First of all, the rulers of the planet - the dinosaurs - suffered. However, by that time, many other species had already appeared on Earth that were able to adapt to new conditions, and some even survived to this day.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches appeared even before dinosaurs: the oldest fossilized insect, 9 centimeters long, is dated 300 million years ago. In the days of the dinosaurs, according to scientists, cockroaches felt great: giant lizards provided them with food. When scientists examined the remains of a 120 million-year-old cockroach trapped in amber, they found pieces of wood in its stomach that could have gotten there with dinosaur excrement. But even after their death, the cockroaches found themselves in a changing world.

Devil frogs

With a length of 41 centimeters, it was, perhaps, the largest frog that has ever lived on Earth, which is why it got this name. She lived 65 - 70 million years ago, right in the middle of the Cretaceous, in Madagascar. The devil frog had such a huge mouth and stomach that it didn't even have to hunt: it just sat down and waited for the prey to pass by. She ate smaller frogs, lizards and mice, and possibly baby dinosaurs.

Sea turtles

The first sea turtles appeared over 245 million years ago. Many scientists believe that they were terrestrial creatures that evolved into marine life during the Cretaceous. In those days, turtles were much larger than they are today and with longer necks.

Lizards

Although “dinosaur” means “terrible lizard,” it's just a pretty image. Dinosaurs have nothing to do with reptiles, they are different groups. But lizards were contemporaries of dinosaurs, and most of them also became extinct after the fall of the meteorite. However, a large group of lizards, 40% of which lived in North America, managed to survive. It took about 10 million years after the Cretaceous for the lizards to regain their lost ground.

Crabs

Although crabs first emerged during the Jurassic, many species emerged in the Cretaceous, including the huge Megaxantho zogue crab with a curved claw on the movable toe of its right pincer. While this crab broke shells with its right claw, the smaller left claw dug into the prey inside. Although M. zogue became extinct along with the dinosaurs, its traits were adopted by crabs that appeared during the Cenozoic era - and they are still found today.

Marmots

Long before the catastrophe led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, mammals had already begun to gradually settle on an ever-changing planet. One of them was Vintana sertichi, a furry big man who lived in Madagascar. Judging by the skull discovered in 2010, this marmot was larger than most mammals of its time, weighing up to 9 kg. V. sertichi originally lived in the supercontinent of Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere. Then the mainland split into Africa, Antarctica, South America, Madagascar, India, Arabia and Australia.

Rodents

The rodent Rugosodon eurasiaticus was extremely common during the Cretaceous and became extinct about 35 million years ago. The oldest known fossil of R. eurasiaticus is 160 million years old. It is believed that this rodent paved the way for other mammals that could jump, dig tunnels and climb trees, and were about the size of a mouse or a beaver. These rodent-like mammals first appeared in the Jurassic period, but managed to live for over a million years.

In 1969, a note appeared in the Tisul newspaper that an excavator from the village. Rust, while working with a ladle, turned out a sarcophagus from the ground, in which a girl of extraordinary beauty lay in some kind of liquid. When they began to load the coffin on the plane, the liquid was pumped out a little. Immediately, the sleeping beauty began to darken. They returned the liquid - the princess turned pink again. If you believe this legend, then even before the dinosaurs, people lived on the Kuzbass land. After all, the Tisul princess, as the girl was nicknamed then, was set to age 800 million years!

Yuri Svetlakov

Yuri Svetlakov, former presenter of the TV program "Step beyond the horizon", author of the books "Mysterious Siberia", "Forbidden" Step beyond the horizon "," Predicting catastrophes "is sure: there is always a place for the amazing in our life, and miracles are where people believe in them ...

Where is the spaceship?

Most scientists believe that the rock paintings of the "Tomsk Pisanitsa" were created by the ancient inhabitants of our region in the VI - II millennium BC. In one of the programs “A Step Beyond the Horizon,” archaeologist Anatoly Martynov noted that it is impossible to specifically read these images, because this art is closely related to the worldview of ancient people. Deciphering can only be based on mythology. For example, the image of a flying deer is traditionally associated with the sun, humanoid beings - with ancestor spirits, boats - with the ferry of the souls of the dead to the other world.

However, at the same time, the Kemerovo teacher Yuri Barinov expressed his version of the origin of the famous rock paintings. He believed that under the drawings of the Tomsk petroglyphs there are even more ancient sculptures with images of human faces! And most likely they do not belong to the inhabitants of the Earth. The teacher assumed that it was here that the alien ship crashed. “When we were filming this film, early in the morning in the slanting rays of the sun, under a rock painting of a mask, I saw images of astronauts. It all depends on our imagination and our understanding of the world. If you look at life out of the ordinary, then you will be convinced: everything is not so simple! “- says Yuri Yakovlevich. Who knows, maybe the inhabitants of another planet are really buried in our area ?!

What force will move mountains?

In the depths of the Siberian taiga of Gornaya Shoria, you can find huge stone structures - megaliths. The approximate age of these buildings is about 100 thousand years. Surprisingly, fragments of stone walls made of granite blocks weighing 1-2 thousand tons are stacked on a mountain about a thousand meters high! Researchers believe that these structures are older than the Egyptian pyramids. Of course, it is unlikely that a person would be able to deliver such a whopper to the top of the mountain. Yuri Yakovlevich is inclined to believe that these are still natural formations, but no one cancels the amazing! Perhaps the ancient priests had the energy of the voice. And, coming together, they could make the stone mountains move.

Princess Mystery

But the most beautiful Kuzbass legend is the legend of the Tisul princess. If you believe in it, it turns out that the history of mankind is much older than it is commonly believed. In the book "Mysterious Siberia" Yuri Svetlakov cites materials from the researcher Oleg Gusev, one of whose readers suggested that Darwin's semi-monkeys were just an unsuccessful result of the then laboratory experiments! Also cited is the story of an unnamed KGB colonel, who claims that in early September 1969, during blasting operations, a two-meter marble chest was discovered at the mine, which turned out to be a coffin with a pinkish-blue liquid. In it "slept" a tall (about 180 cm) slender and very beautiful woman with large wide-open blue eyes, thick dark blond hair with a reddish tint. The princess was dressed in a snow-white lace transparent dress. At the head of the bed was a small box that looked more like a walkie-talkie. According to legend, the woman was buried millions of years before the appearance of the dinosaurs! Initially, the coffin stood in a wooden crypt in the middle of the forest, but over time it collapsed and became part of the coal seam.