The
dodo bird inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where it lived
undisturbed for so long that it lost its need and ability to fly. It lived and
nested on the ground and ate fruits that had fallen from trees.The
Gray Dodo was a flightless bird. Its plumage was generally gray, being darker
on the upperparts and lighter on the throat and abdomen and the tail feathers
were off-white. It had a green or black beak, whitish eyes, and the bare parts
of its face were ash-colored. Its feet and legs were yellow. It was just over
3 feet long and made its crude nests upon the ground and laid a single white egg.
Some speculate that the bird weighed nearly 50 pounds and was clumsy and slow-moving.
However, some feel that the Dodo was more muscular and agile. There has also been
debate over the years concerning the classification of the Dodo. Through time
it has been classified as a relative of the Ostrich, Swan, and the Turkey. However,
in the mid 19th Century, Professor Reinhardt of Copenhagen suggested that the
Dodo was in the family of the Pigeon which is what is commonly agreed upon today
as the correct classification. Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs
first appeared about 225 million years ago
Over 225 million years ago a creature
about the size of a chicken darted through the forests of what is now South America.
This creature ran on two strong legs and had sharp claws on its hands and feet.
It had a long snout filled with small, sharp teeth. It was quick, agile, smart,
and a very effective hunter. This was the first dinosaur. It lived in a world
full of larger, slower and dumber animals and within about 30 million years dinosaurs
became the dominant land creatures in every corner of the changing Earth. Dinosaurs
reigned for more than 160 million years. In that time, the largest, fastest and
most ferocious creatures ever to walk on land lived and died. What
you will find in the Dinopedia
Many different kinds of dinosaurs appeared
and disappeared throughout the age of the dinosaurs. Some families of dinosaurs
lasted tens of millions of years, others quickly died out in an evolutionary dead
end. Some very strange creatures became a part of the dinosaur family. You can
find them here at the Jurassic Park Institute, along with lots of other information
about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth. You will also be able to
find explanations to help you understand how all this information is collected
and classified.
Much of the information you
will find here at the Jurassic Park Institute is based on what happened during
a period of geologic time called the Mesozoic Era, which is when the dinosaurs
lived. It is difficult to understand how long life has been on Earth and how little
time humans have been a part of life on our planet. Modern humans, those people
who look just like us, have been around only about 100 thousand years. Dinosaurs
lived on the Earth more than 1,600 times longer. Enjoy your journey through lands
long forgotten and welcome to Jurassic Park Institute!
Click here
for more information
