THE PREHISTORIC AGE
Reptiles dominated the earth for nearly 50 million years. Dinosaurs ranged in length from the 2 foot Compsognathus to the nearly 90 foot Diplodocus, and in weight up to the 75 ton Brachiosaurus.
It is not known why dinosaurs died out. Most theories claim that changes in geography, climate and sea level were responsible, and one recent theory suggests that an asteroid impact caused the changes that led to their extinction.
What is left of the dinosaurs are fossils - the remains or imprint of an animal or plant preserved from prehistoric times by natural methods and found mainly in sedimentary rock. Entire animals of the late Pleistocene period have been found, notably in Siberia. In California, the LA BREA tar pits have yielded many skeletons.
Wherever caves were available, prehistoric nomadic hunters and gatherers incorporated them into the yearly cycle of seasonal camps. Most of their activities took place around campfires and at the mouth of the cave.
Artifacts have been found in caves in France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain. A variety of stone and bone points discovered in excavated caves documents the importance of spears until the bow and arrow appeared.
Other common tools included stone scrapers for working hides and wood, burins for engraving and knives for butchering and cutting. Among the caves that have yielded relics of early humans are the Cro-magnon and Vallonnet in France.
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Links to Dinosaur and Fossil Sites |
Dinosaurs in New Mexico New Mexico Museum of Natural History
Virtual Tour of the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution
Fossil Parks - National Park Service
Royal Tyrrell Museum - The World's Most Extensive Collection of Dinosaur Fossils
American Museum of Natural History
World's First Dinosaur Skeleton
Museum of Paleontology UC, Berkley
SUE - The Largest, Most Complete, Best Preserved T-REX
Russian Acadamy of Sciences - Paleontological Institute
The Paleonet Pages
Natural History Museum, London, UK
Introduction to Ichnology (Trace Fossils)
PaleoWorld
Fossil Collections of the World
The Paleontological Association
The Paleontology Society
Discoveries from China
Fossil Hominids
Stone Age Man
Cave Art of Chauvet
Hominid Evolution - Hunterian Museum Guided Tour
Neanderthal Museum
Institute of Human Origins - Lucy
