जीवाश्म विज्ञान शब्दकोश
essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.
Reproduction & Growth
15 termsTerms related to how dinosaurs reproduced, laid eggs, raised young, and grew from hatchling to adult.
Histology
The microscopic study of tissue structure. Bone histology is a primary tool for estimating dinosaur …
Medullary Bone
A temporary bone tissue forming inside long bones of female birds during egg-laying. Medullary bone …
Neoteny
The retention of juvenile features into adulthood. Some small theropods show neotenic features — large …
Allometry
Non-proportional growth where different body parts grow at different rates. The disproportionately large skull of …
Clutch Size
The number of eggs laid in a single nesting event. Dinosaur clutch sizes range from …
Hadrosaur Nesting Ground
A communal nesting site used repeatedly by hadrosaurs across multiple breeding seasons. The Egg Mountain …
Ontogeny
The developmental history of an individual organism from embryo to adult. Ontogenetic studies reveal that …
Brooding
Sitting on eggs to incubate them. Oviraptorosaurs like Oviraptor and Citipati are known from specimens …
Eggshell Microstructure
The crystallographic and structural properties of the eggshell, visible under a microscope. Eggshell microstructure distinguishes …
Fibrolamellar Bone
A rapidly deposited bone tissue with a fibrous matrix containing many vascular canals. Its presence …
Growth Ring
A line of arrested growth (LAG) in bone cross-sections, analogous to tree rings. Counting growth …
Juvenile Morphology
The body proportions and structural features characteristic of young dinosaurs. Juveniles typically had proportionally larger …
Senescent
Relating to an old individual showing signs of aging. Senescent dinosaurs sometimes show bone pathologies, …
Sexual Dimorphism
Differences in size or morphology between males and females of the same species. Identifying sexual …
Subadult
A growth stage between juvenile and fully mature adult. Many dinosaur features — the nasal …