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Evolution of the Dinosaurs

Introduction

What does the term dinosaur mean?

Dinosaur comes from the term dinosauria, which is a combination of the Greek words deinos and sauros. It means “terrible reptiles” or “terrible lizards.” The term was invented by the well-known British anatomist Sir Richard Owen (1804–1892). He coined the term in 1842 to describe the 175-million-year-old fossil remains of two groups of giant reptiles that corresponded to no known living creatures. In 1854, Owen prepared one of the first dinosaur exhibits for display at the Crystal Palace in London, England.



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