Paleontology Glossary

essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.

Anatomy & Morphology

15 terms

Terms related to dinosaur body structure, skeletal features, and physical characteristics.

The bones of the limbs and their supporting girdles (pectoral and pelvic). Differences in appendicular …

The central supporting column of the body, comprising the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum. …

A group of organisms consisting of a common ancestor and all its descendants. Dinosauria, Theropoda, …

A bony projection on the top of the skull, often used for display, species recognition, …

Protective bony or keratinous elements embedded in or growing from the skin. Ankylosaurs are the …

An opening or window in the skull. Dinosaur skulls typically have multiple fenestrae that reduce …

Belly ribs found in theropods and some other archosaurs. These thin bony elements helped support …

The bony base beneath a horn, composed of bone rather than keratin. In ceratopsians like …

A pelvic configuration in which the pubis points backward, characteristic of ornithischian dinosaurs and also …

Bony deposits forming scales, plates, or other structures in the skin. Found in ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, …

The presence of air-filled cavities in bones, connected to the respiratory system. Found in theropods …

All skeletal elements behind and below the skull. Postcranial anatomy includes the vertebral column, limbs, …

A small unpaired bone at the tip of the lower jaw, unique to ornithischian dinosaurs. …

Located above the eye socket. Supraorbital ridges or horns are prominent in many theropods and …

The spiked tail arrangement of stegosaurid dinosaurs. The term was coined from a Far Side …