Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
Some dinosaurs have funny and unusual names. For example, the Bambiraptor lived about 72 million years ago. It was named after Bambi, the baby deer from the famous Disney film.
Another strange name is Irritator. This dinosaur belonged to a group called spinosaurids. It got its name because it annoyed the palaeontologists who studied it.
It all started when they received the dinosaur’s bones. They noticed the previous collectors had clumsily attempted to patch and reconstruct the skull. However, those collectors had used highly unsuitable materials.
Before any actual scientific research could begin, the palaeontologists had to spend a lot of time sorting out the mess. This irritating restoration process ultimately inspired the dinosaur’s name.
What other funny dinosaur names have you heard?
Naming a new species
Materials
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notebook or paper
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pencil
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a device with the internet
Instructions
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Imagine you are a palaeontologist who has been asked to name this brand-new dinosaur fossil (pictured above). Look at the fossil and write down three distinct physical features.
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Go to the AMNH Dinosaur Names Guide and read the section on “Common Roots Found in Dinosaur Names”.
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Choose two roots from the guide that match the fossil. For example, if it has giant claws (cheirus) and looks like a lizard (sauros), a possible name could be Cheirusaurus.
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Write down three different name combinations. Pick the one that sounds the most like a real dinosaur. Then, think of a funny nickname for the dinosaur and what it means!
Palaeontologist’s report
Instructions
Now that your species has an official name, it is time to publish your findings by writing a report about your dinosaur. Include the following pieces of information:
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Official scientific name
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Nickname and what it means
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Time period when it lived
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Diet
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Two main physical traits and how it used them to survive
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A drawing of what you think it could have looked like
