Can You Outrun A Dinosaur?

How can we figure out how fast a dinosaur could run?

• We can look at fossilized leg bones.

• We can know by looking at fossilized skulls.

• We can look at fossilized footprints.

Just by looking at a footprint, what can scientists know?

• They can tell what an animal ate.

• They can tell if they walked on 2 legs or 4.

• They can tell the height of the dinosaur.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Are fossil dinosaur bones or fossil dinosaur prints more common?

• You are much more likely to find a dinosaur bone than a dinosaur footprint.

• You are much more likely to find a dinosaur footprint than a dinosaur bone.

• You are equally likely to find both. One is not more common than the other.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

How is it possible that we have fossilized footprints?

• Dinosaurs walked on glaciers and they froze that way.

• Dinosaurs walked on concrete and left their prints.

• Dinosaurs walked in mud and the prints left behind fossilized.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What can we tell by looking at a dinosaur’s fossilized leg bone (not a footprint)?

• How big the dinosaur was.

• How fast it could run.

• We can tell how big it is and how fast it could run.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Suppose you found fossilized footprints that were the same type and size. How could you tell which animal

was going the fastest?

• The footprints that are closer together mean the animal was traveling faster.

• The footprints that are deeper in the ground mean the animal was traveling faster.

• The footprints that are spread out mean the animal was traveling faster.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

If you found huge dinosaur footprints that were very close together, what could you determine?

• You could figure out that the dinosaur was sick or not feeling well.

• You could figure out that the dinosaur was running very fast.

• You could figure out that the dinosaur was walking slowly.

To know if you could run faster than a dinosaur, what do you need to do first?

• You need to be sure the dinosaur’s leg length is close to your leg length.

• You need to be sure the dinosaur’s foot size is close to your foot size.

• You need to be sure the dinosaur’s height is close to your height.