Ornithiscians II: Frilly, Crested, and Ready to Rock

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the Ornithiscians II lecture on dinosaurs.

Marginocephalia

A clade of dinosaurs characterized by a distinctive bony shelf at the back of the skull.

Pachycephalosauria

A group of dinosaurs known for their thick skulls, often interpreted as adaptations for head-butting.

Ceratopsia

A diverse group of horned dinosaurs characterized by their frills and facial horns.

Frill

A shelf of bone extending from the back of the skull in certain dinosaurs; possible functions include defense and display.

Dental battery

A structure in hadrosaurids where multiple teeth are closely packed together, allowing for efficient chewing of tough plant material.

Hadrosaur

A group of ornithopod dinosaurs known for their duck-billed appearance and cranial crests.

Cretaceous

The last period of the Mesozoic Era, known for the dominance of dinosaurs and the appearance of flowering plants.

Sexual dimorphism

The difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species, often seen in features like size or ornamentation.

Cranial crest

A projecting structure on the head of some dinosaurs, thought to play a role in species recognition and communication.

Ornithopod

A group of herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by their bird-like feet and diverse adaptations for feeding.