Paleontology Glossary
essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.
Locomotion & Biomechanics
20 termsTerms related to how dinosaurs moved, their posture, and the mechanical principles underlying locomotion.
Bipedal
Moving habitually on two legs. All theropods were bipedal, as were most early ornithischians. Bipedalism โฆ
Cursorial
Adapted for fast running. Cursorial adaptations include elongated metatarsals, a narrow foot, and reduced digit โฆ
Digitigrade
Walking on the toes with the heel raised off the ground. Theropods were digitigrade, giving โฆ
Facultative Quadruped
An animal capable of moving on either two or four legs. Some hadrosaurs and iguanodontians โฆ
Furcula
The wishbone, formed by the fusion of the clavicles. Present in many theropods including T. โฆ
Graviportal
A locomotor style adapted for carrying great body mass rather than speed, characterized by columnar โฆ
Hallux
The innermost (first) digit of the foot, the equivalent of the human big toe. In โฆ
Kinetic Skull
A skull in which the bones can move relative to each other, increasing gape or โฆ
Obligate Biped
An animal that can only move on two legs due to anatomical constraints. T. rex โฆ
Opisthocoelous
Vertebrae with a convex front and concave rear articulation surface. Opisthocoelous cervical vertebrae in sauropods โฆ
Plantigrade
Walking with the entire sole of the foot on the ground. Some sauropods had semi-plantigrade โฆ
Pneumatic Bone
Bone containing air-filled chambers connected to the respiratory system via diverticula. Extensively developed in sauropod โฆ
Procoelous
Vertebrae with a concave front and convex rear articulation surface. Procoelous vertebrae are common in โฆ
Pubic Boot
An expanded, foot-like process at the distal end of the pubis in some theropods. The โฆ
Pygostyle
A fused structure of tail vertebrae at the end of the tail in birds and โฆ
Quadrupedal
Moving on four legs. Large sauropods, ceratopsians, and ankylosaurs were obligate quadrupeds. Quadrupedal stance distributes โฆ
Sacral Vertebrae
The vertebrae fused into the sacrum, connecting the spine to the pelvic girdle. Large theropods โฆ
Semilunate Carpal
A half-moon-shaped wrist bone found in maniraptoran theropods and birds. The semilunate carpal enabled the โฆ
Thecodont Dentition
Teeth set in deep sockets in the jawbone, the condition found in all dinosaurs and โฆ
Ungual
The terminal claw bone of a digit. Unguals are highly variable among dinosaurs โ the โฆ