ERTH 2401 - Midterm 2 Test
With Solution
What is a defining feature of Coelurosauria? - ANSWER - Enlarged brain
(double the size of similar theropods)
- narrow foot
- feathered bodies; includes all living birds.
- long slender tridactyl manus
- narrow metatarsals
What adaptations did some derived Coelurosauria (e.g., Ornithomimosaurs
and Maniraptorans) have? - ANSWER Smaller skulls, long necks, phyllodont
(leaf-shaped) teeth or toothless beaks, indicating a shift from carnivory.
When did the first Tyrannosauroidea appear, and where? - ANSWER First
appeared in the middle Jurassic in Asia; migrated to North America and
evolved into large tyrannosaurids.
Which clade is the T-rex part of? - ANSWER Tyrannosauroidea
Which evolved large body sizes and migrated from Asia to North America.
What are the specialized features of Tyrannosauridae? - ANSWER - Large
skulls
- strong bite
- forward-facing eyes
, - short forelimbs with two fingers (didactyl)
- thick teeth with deep roots
- strong neck muscle attachments
Why is the arctometatarsus (pinched metatarsus) an important adaptation in
tyrannosaurids? - ANSWER Provides greater speed and a longer stride by
compressing the third metatarsal, increasing stability.
Which theropod is considered the heaviest? - ANSWER T-rex, with a broader
torso and heavier build than Giganotosaurus.
Although they were around the same size ~13 m long
Where did Carcharodontosaurids (theropod) dominate, and when? - ANSWER
Southern Hemisphere in the Early to Late Cretaceous.
What was unique about Sinosauropteryx in the Compsognathidae family? -
ANSWER First definitive evidence of feathers in non-avian dinosaurs,
discovered in 1997 in China.
What traits did early Avialae, such as Archaeopteryx, display? - ANSWER Had
both feathers and a furcula (wishbone), which marked it as a bird but also
With Solution
What is a defining feature of Coelurosauria? - ANSWER - Enlarged brain
(double the size of similar theropods)
- narrow foot
- feathered bodies; includes all living birds.
- long slender tridactyl manus
- narrow metatarsals
What adaptations did some derived Coelurosauria (e.g., Ornithomimosaurs
and Maniraptorans) have? - ANSWER Smaller skulls, long necks, phyllodont
(leaf-shaped) teeth or toothless beaks, indicating a shift from carnivory.
When did the first Tyrannosauroidea appear, and where? - ANSWER First
appeared in the middle Jurassic in Asia; migrated to North America and
evolved into large tyrannosaurids.
Which clade is the T-rex part of? - ANSWER Tyrannosauroidea
Which evolved large body sizes and migrated from Asia to North America.
What are the specialized features of Tyrannosauridae? - ANSWER - Large
skulls
- strong bite
- forward-facing eyes
, - short forelimbs with two fingers (didactyl)
- thick teeth with deep roots
- strong neck muscle attachments
Why is the arctometatarsus (pinched metatarsus) an important adaptation in
tyrannosaurids? - ANSWER Provides greater speed and a longer stride by
compressing the third metatarsal, increasing stability.
Which theropod is considered the heaviest? - ANSWER T-rex, with a broader
torso and heavier build than Giganotosaurus.
Although they were around the same size ~13 m long
Where did Carcharodontosaurids (theropod) dominate, and when? - ANSWER
Southern Hemisphere in the Early to Late Cretaceous.
What was unique about Sinosauropteryx in the Compsognathidae family? -
ANSWER First definitive evidence of feathers in non-avian dinosaurs,
discovered in 1997 in China.
What traits did early Avialae, such as Archaeopteryx, display? - ANSWER Had
both feathers and a furcula (wishbone), which marked it as a bird but also
