Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs (Greek δεινόσαυρος, deinosauros) is the dominant vertebrate animals of terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years old, from Old Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous period (about 65 million years ago), when many of them became extinct in the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Ten thousands of bird species alive today have been classified as dinosaurs.

The discovery of a primitive bird Archaeopteryx was the first time in 1861 hinted close kinship between dinosaurs and birds. Besides the existence of fossilized feather impressions, Archaeopteryx was very similar to a small predator dinosaur Compsognathus. Since then research has identified the theropod dinosaurs are most likely as a direct ancestor of birds, most paleontologists now think of birds as the only surviving dinosaurs, and some suggest that dinosaurs and birds should be grouped in a biology class. [1] In addition to birds, crocodiles other close relatives of dinosaurs that survived until now .. Such as dinosaurs and birds, alligators also a member of Archosauria, a group of reptiles that first appeared in the Permian period is very old and dominating in the middle Triassic period.

During the first half of the 20th century, many communities of scientists believe dinosaurs as cold-blooded animals are dumb and slow. However, many studies conducted since the 1970s (called renaissance of dinosaurs) have supported the view that dinosaurs were active animals with a high metabolism and adaptation to diverse social interactions. The resulting changes in scientific understanding of dinosaurs gradually filtered into popular consciousness.

Since the first dinosaur fossil identified in the early nineteenth century, are assembled into the framework of dinosaurs show that major ones in museums around the world. Dinosaurs became popular world culture and continues. They became a topic in the best-selling books and films (most known for Jurassic Park), and new discoveries regularly disclosed in the media

The term "dinosaur" (UK, dinosaur) proposed in 1842 by Sir Richard Owen and came from the Greek δεινός (deinos) "terrible, strong, great" + σαῦρος (sauros) "lizard". The term dinosaur is sometimes used informally to describe other prehistoric reptiles like pelycosaurus Dimetrodon, the winged pterosaurs, and ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and Mosasaurus, although none of these animals which is a dinosaur.

Etymology
Taxon dinosaur was formally named in 1842 by a British paleontologist Richard Owen, who menggunakanna to refer to "tribe or sub-order of reptiles Sauria" which became known in Britain and around the world. The term is derived from the ancient Greek word δεινός (deinos which means "terrible", "strong", or "great") and σαύρα (Saura which means "lizard" or "reptile"). Although the taxonomic name is often interpreted as a reference to the teeth, claws, and other terrible features of dinosaurs, Owen is only intended to warn about the size and keangungan them. In everyday English "dinosaur" is sometimes used to describe objects or old fogy or fail, even though the dinosaurs 160 million years in power and his descendants, birds, a large number and diverse in the world.