Dinosaurs Today

Everything we know about dinosaurs comes from studying fossils. Fossils are animals and plants preserved in rock.

A dinosaur became a fossil if it was buried in mud before its body rotted away. Over millions of years, the mud turned into rock and the bones turned into fossils.

Dinosaur fossils are rare. Most dinosaurs did not become fossils.

The study of fossils is called palaeontology (pay-lee-on-toll-a-jee). It tells us what dinosaurs may have looked like.

Some fossils are picked up off the ground. Others are dug out of rock. Dirt and soft rock are cleaned from a fossil with a pick, paintbrush and warm water.

The fossil is labelled. The place where it was found is written down.

Then it is carefully wrapped and taken away to be studied.

Many fossils are single bones. Some are skeletons with pieces missing. People work out the missing bones by matching them with other fossils.

Some of the best skeletons are found in museums.

Read the text and answer the following questions. RESET

1 How have we been able to find out so much about dinosaurs?

2 What are the two ways that fossils are collected?

3 What are the two main tools needed for cleaning fossils?

4 Where can you go to see dinosaur skeletons?

Read the text. Click and choose the correct option.

1 In order to become a fossil, a dinosaur had to be buried in mud before its body
rotted away.

2 Fossils are made very quickly.

3 The best meaning for preserved is .

a. found

b. visible

c. saved

d. photographed

4 are made over millions of years.

5 The mud turns into and the bones
turn into .