The origin and evolution of dinosaurs

Dinosaurs originated in the late Triassic period about 230 million years ago, probably evolving from some lizard-like reptiles. The earliest dinosaurs were very primitive, with small bodies and simple muscle structures, ranging from only tens of centimeters to several meters.

As time went on, dinosaurs began to undergo large-scale evolutionary differentiation. Among them, theropod dinosaurs and ornithischian dinosaurs became the two main evolutionary branches.

Among theropod dinosaurs, some species with large bodies, strong attack power and fast speed appeared, such as Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. These species have well-developed muscles and strong limbs, and can run at amazing speeds to chase prey.

Ornithischian dinosaurs evolved long necks, long tails and limbs facing down, making them the largest herbivorous animals on earth, such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus. In addition, there are some smaller species among the ornithischian dinosaurs, such as Archaeopteryx, which are among the earliest known birds.

The evolution of dinosaurs is very complicated, and there are still many unknown mysteries. However, from the perspective of fossil records and modern biology, the evolution of dinosaurs has brought us many surprises and inspirations, and also provided important references for our study of the origin and evolution of life.

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