Why are dinosaurs called dinosaurs?

The word dinosaur (Dinosaur) comes from Greek, which means "terrible lizard" (in the mid-19th century, British scholars named it after the Greek dino (terrible) and saur (lizard)). Because of this, people are convinced that dinosaurs are huge and terrifying animals. When people first discovered dinosaur fossils, they were huge dinosaur fossils, so they took the name "dinosaur". Later, smaller and docile species were discovered one after another.

The oldest reptile fossils can be traced back to the "Pennsylvanian Period" of the Paleozoic Era (310 million years ago - 275 million years ago). Tracing back to its origin, it must have evolved from amphibians. Amphibian eggs need to be in water to develop. Reptiles evolved egg shells that prevent moisture from escaping. This major reform allowed reptiles to live without water.

By the Mesozoic Era, which lasted from 225 million years ago to 65 million years ago, reptiles became the rulers of the earth, so the Mesozoic Era is also called the Age of Reptiles. Large reptilian dinosaurs appeared in the early Mesozoic Era. The herbivorous Diplodocus and Brontosaurus are the largest land animals. Tyrannosaurus rex is a carnivorous dinosaur. There are also ichthyosaurs living in the sea and pterosaurs living in the air.

Reptiles have flourished on the earth for about 150 million years. Among the animals of this era, the most well-known ones are dinosaurs. When people mention dinosaurs, a huge and ferocious animal will appear in front of their eyes. In fact, there are also small and docile dinosaurs among dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs are vertebrate reptiles that were born in land swamps in the Mesozoic Era. They have long necks and tails. The hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs and have a tail, which can stand upright like a Kong aroo. Among them, there are several species that are good at eating meat and several species that are good at eating herbivores. They are huge in size and can be considered the largest among terrestrial animals. In the lower species, their physiques are similar to those of the most ancient crocodiles and rhinoceles, while in the higher species they are slightly similar to birds.

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