Dinosaur Dynasty

In any encounter with an unfamiliar beast, it's a good idea to go armed with the facts. Here's some background information to help you get to know Sue's Chinese friends.

Triassic Period: 248 to 206 million years ago

See fossils of some of the watertight eggs that allowed reptiles to spread across the land and learn what makes dinosaurs different from other reptiles.

Highlights of this section include:

Keichousaurus (KAY-cho-SAWR-us, literally, a "Keicho-area lizard") This marine reptile paddled around the water like a miniature seal with a very long neck. Fossil Eggs See two very different fossil nests, including the breadloaf-shaped eggs of a meat-eating theropod and the spherical eggs of a large, plant-eating sauropod.

Lufengosaurus (LOO-fung-oh-SAWR-us, or "Lufeng-region lizard") This plant-eater could stand on its strong hind legs and tail to feed on branches of coniferous trees, high above the reach of its competitors. This dinosaur, which actually lived at the start of the next geologic period, is characteristic of a group of dinosaurs that were common during the Triassic.

continue to Jurassic China >>