Etymology
The taxon Dinosauria was formally named in 1842 by English palaeontologist Richard Owen, who used it to refer to the "distinct tribe or sub-order of Saurian Reptiles" that were then being recognized in England and around the world.[2] The term is derived from the Greek words δεινός (deinos meaning "terrible", "powerful", or "wondrous") and σαύρα (saura meaning "lizard" or "reptile").[3] Though the taxonomic name has often been interpreted as a reference to dinosaurs' teeth, claws, and other fearsome characteristics, Owen intended it merely to evoke their size and majesty.[4]
In colloquial English "dinosaur" is sometimes used to describe an obsolete or unsuccessful thing or person,[5] despite the dinosaurs' 160 million year reign and the global abundance and diversity of their descendants, the birds. This usage became common while dinosaurs were regarded as cold-blooded and sluggish.
Modern definition


Triceratops skeleton at the American Museum of Natural......

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Title: Dinos
Approximate Word Count: 9533
Approximate Pages: 39 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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