STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

 1. Define the word dinosaur and identify the differences between dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.

 2. Apply fundamental paleontological principles to the study of dinosaurs.

 3. Describe important discoveries in the history of dinosaur paleontology.

 4. Describe the Colorado paleoenvironment during the periods of the Mesozoic.

 5. Classify common Colorado dinosaurs by major groups.

 6. Identify the circumstances that led to the success and ultimate extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I. Defining dinosaurs

 a. Anatomical definitions

 b. Classification: similarities to and differences from other animals

 II. The science of paleontology

 a. Basics of evolution — change over time

 b. Geologic time and the Age of the Dinosaurs

 c. Fossilization

 i. Body fossils

 ii. Trace fossils

 d. Sedimentology and paleoenvironments

 e. Paleoecology

 III. The history of dinosaur paleontology

 a. Early discoveries

 b. Paleontology in the American West

 c. Recent discoveries

 d. Well-known discovery sites in Colorado

 IV. The Dinosaurs of Colorado

 a. Colorado’s environment during the Mesozoic

 i. The Triassic

 ii. The Jurassic

 iii. The Cretaceous

 b. Common dinosaur fossils from Colorado

 i. Sauropods

 ii. Theropods

 iii. Thyreophorans

 iv. Ceratopsians

 v. Ornithopods

 V. The success and extinction of the dinosaurs

 a. Success

 i. “Good luck” (fortunate circumstances)

 ii. “Good genes” (beneficial adaptations)

 b. Extinction

 i. Possible extinction ‘events’

 ii. Survival and extinction in other organisms

 iii. The “K-T” boundary in Colorado

 VI. Current topics in dinosaur paleontology