Definitions adapted from:

• archosaur- a group of reptiles that includes dinosaurs and crocodilians
  
  
• carnivores- animals that eat flesh or meat
  
  
• clutch- a nest of eggs
  
  
• Cenozoic Era- 65 million years ago to present; era associated with the development of, and domination by, mammals
  
  
• crocodilian - a group of reptiles that includes alligators and caimans, gavials, and crocodiles
  
  
• ectotherm- a cold-blooded animal; an animal that has a body temperature that approximates the surrounding environment
  
  
• egg tooth- a hard spike on the tip of the jaw of a baby alligator
• endotherm- a warm-blooded animal; an animal that has a internally regulated body
  temperature
  
  
• estivation- to pass the summer in a resting state
  
  
• femur- a bone of the leg situated between the pelvis and knee in human beings, or a functionally similar bone in the leg or hind limb of a vertebrate animal; It is the largest and strongest bone in the body (also called thighbone).
  
  
• fibula- the outer and narrower of two bones of the human lower leg, extending from the knee to the ankle, or the corresponding bone in the hind leg of an animal
  
  
• fossil- the remains of a living thing, or direct evidence of its presence, preserved in rocks; usually only hard parts such as bones, teeth, and shells are preserved by burial or chemical change.
  
  
• hatchlings- baby animals that have just hatched from eggs
  
  
• hibernate- to pass the winter in a resting state
  
  
• herbivore- plant-eating animal
  
  
• humerus- the long bone of the arm or forelimb, extending from the shoulder to the elbow
  
  
• index fossils- a fossil that provides precise correlation because it has recognizable unique features; a fossil that has a wide distribution and present in the geologic record for only a limited time.
  
  
• invertebrate- an animal that has no backbone; the vast majority of animals are invertebrates.
  
  
• Jurassic Period- second period of the Mesozoic Era; time period during which Pangea began to drift apart. "Jurassic" comes from fossil-bearing limestone rocks found in Europe's Jura Mountains
  
  
• mammals- animals with backbones that have hair, give live birth, and feed their young milk
  
  
• Mesozoic Era - 248-65 million years ago; geologic time period during which dinosaurs lived; composed of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods
  
  
• metacarpals- any of the five bones between the fingers and the wrist
  
  
• metatarsals- any of the five bones between the toes and the ankle
  
  
• nocturnal- active at night
  
  
• ornithischians- "bird-hipped" dinosaurs with a hip structure in which the two lower bones on each side lie parallel; all ornithischians were plant eaters
  
  
• paleontologist- a scientist who studies fossils and organisms in ancient times by determining their lifestyles and relationship to other organisms
  
  
• Paleozoic Era- 540-248 million years ago
  
  
• pelvic girdle- plate-shaped bones for limb attachment
  
  
• phalanges- bone of a finger or toe
  
  
• predators- animals that hunt other animals for food
  
  
• prey- an animal captured for food
  
  
• protosuchian- the earliest ancestor of the crocodilians
  
  
• radius- one of two forearm bones; the other is the ulna
  
  
• reptile- a class of animals that includes crocodilians as well as turtles, snakes, and lizards
  
  
• saurischians- "lizard-hipped" dinosaurs with a hip structure in which the two lower bones on each side point in opposite directions
  
  
• scapula- either of two large, flat, triangular bones forming the back part of the shoulder (also called shoulder blade).
  
  
• skeleton- the internal structure composed of bone and cartilage that protects and supports the soft organs, tissues, and other parts of a vertebrate organism
  
  
• skull- the bony framework of the head of vertebrates that contains the brain, jaws, and teeth
  
  
• tarsal bones- any of the seven small bones of the human ankle
  
  
• tibia- the inner and larger of the two bones of the lower human leg, extending from the knee to the ankle, or a corresponding bone in other vertebrates (also called shinbone).
  
  
• Triassic Period- first period of the Mesozoic Era; time period when dinosaurs first evolved; "Triassic" comes from Latin, "trias" describing three particular rock layers in Germany
  
  
• ulna- bone extending from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb in human beings, or the corresponding bone in other vertebrates
  
  
• vertebrae- bones that form the backbone vertebrate; an animal with a backbone
  
  
• wetlands- land areas with lots of moisture