Table 1: The times of first appearance (FAD) and last appearance (LAD) for some groups of dinosaurs. Use this chart to answer the questions below.
Group
Earliest Geologic Period
Earliest Geologic Age
FAD (Ma)
Latest Geologic Period
Latest Geologic Age
LAD (Ma)
Stegosauria
Jurassic
Callovian
166
Cretaceous
Coniacian
86
Ornithopoda
Jurassic
Sinemurian
199
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Ankylosauria
Jurassic
Callovian
166
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Ceratopsia Jurassic
Tithonian
152
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Pachycephalosauria
Jurassic
Tithonian
152
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Sauropoda Triassic
Carnian
237
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Theropoda Triassic
Landianian
242
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Utahraptor
(genus)
Cretaceous
Hautervian
130
Cretaceous
Barremian
125
Tyrannosaurus
(genus)
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
68
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Triceratops
(genus)
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
68
Cretaceous
Maastrichtian
66
Iguanodon
(genus)
Cretaceous
Barremian
126
Cretaceous
Aptian
122
1.
If you found a deposit containing specimens of BOTH Stegosauria and Ornithopoda, what is the potential age range (maximum and minimum age in millions of years, Ma) of that deposit?
86-166 Ma
2.
If you found a deposit containing specimens of Pachycephalosauria AND Sauropoda, what is the oldest
possible age (in millions of years) of that deposit?
66-152 Ma 3.
If you found both Utahraptor
and Iguanodon
in the same deposit, what is the potential age range (maximum and minimum age, in millions of years) of that deposit?
125-126 Ma
4.
In a popular film, Utahraptor
and Tyrannosaurus
have a scene together. Would this have been possible in the real world? Provide your evidence and explain your reasoning. No it would not have been possible. The Utahraptor had a FAD-LAD of 130 to 125 where the Tyrannosaurus had a FAD-LAD of 68 to 66. They were not alive in the same year. 5.
In an even older popular animated film, Triceratops
co-stars with a sauropod.
Would this have been
possible in the real world? Provide your evidence and explain your reasoning. They could have, for 2 million (68 Ma to 66 Ma) years the Triceratops and Sauropod existed at the same time.
6.
Why might we use genera in biostratigraphy rather than broader taxonomic groups?
Using genera allows for a more specific time frame than if a broader taxonomic group was used. 7.
Did all non-avian dinosaur groups go extinct at the Maastrichtian? Which went extinct before the Maastrichtian?
Not all non-avian dinosaur groups went extinct at the Maastrichtian. Stegosauria, Utahraptor, and Iguanodon went extinct before the Maastrichtian.
