Dinosaurs fascinate people of all ages and are icons of our natural history. In this course, you’ll learn about the diversity of dinosaur species; the fossils that reveal the dinosaurs’ world; dinosaurs’ remarkable lifestyles; cutting-edge methods in paleontology; and the other amazing animals that lived alongside the dinosaurs. These lectures offer you a breathtaking view of the panorama of life on our planet.
Rediscovering the Age of Dinosaurs
Journey to Jurassic times.
Rated 2 out of
5
by
gfaust5 from
Not very scientific
Enthusiasm is good, borderline zealotry is not. It is not 'the truth' that birds are dinosaurs. It is an opinion of a one-time event a/k/a natural history; even real scientists such as physicists don't claim that the Big Bang theory is 'the truth'. This lecturer assembles the evidence in support of the bird dinosaur theory, but the case still seems largely speculative. It's definitely NOT of sufficient quality (if anything is) to qualify as 'the truth'r55ney
Date published: 2024-10-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Tech Writer from
Just the Right Level
Dr. Rogers's presentation is at just the right level; I certainly didn't feel "talked down to." Actually, I found the whole thing wonderfully comprehensive - a great overview of the dinosauria. And it caught Dr. Rogers's delight and enthusiasm for the subject - which, at least to me, is half the battle in presenting technical material. If the instructor doesn't share something of their own fascination with the subject, how will students ever become interested? Fortunately, that's not a concern here, and I only hope she does more Great Courses in the future.
Date published: 2024-09-23
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Didge from
Fascinating
I usually go for courses on Art and History, but thought I would give this course on dinosaurs a go. I’m glad I did, although some of the science lost me. The graphics were superb, ranging from pictures, animations, film, photos and diagrams.
The professor conveyed information well, it was only obvious that she was reading because of some of the camera angles.
I learnt a lot from this course.
Date published: 2024-05-07
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Hank from Alaska from
Great Summary of Current State of Dino Knowledge
I'm a retired geologist but didn't study vertebrate paleontology very much. I feel like this course gave me a great summary of current dinosaur study. I liked how she integrated earth history into the dinosaur discussion. The instructor was very passionate about the subject and made me look forward to the next lesson.
Date published: 2024-04-05
Rated 5 out of
5
by
janny221 from
dinosaurs
I love watching this and found it very informative.
Date published: 2024-03-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Garyst from
Wonderful Review of Fascinating Topic
Like so many others, I've always been fascinated by dinosaurs and their relatives. Dr. Curry Rogers does an excellent job of presenting this course. She is very knowledgeable, professional, and has a presentation style that makes this course easy for almost all ages. I highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the past critters that ruled the earth and their modern day counterparts.
Date published: 2024-02-05
Rated 5 out of
5
by
WillyD from
Great course - very informative
Thank you very much for this great course.on dinosaurs.. I live in Utah and we have several interesting dinosaur sites. You have given me new information to consider about dinosaurs. You have brought them alive.
Date published: 2023-12-06
Rated 3 out of
5
by
rpmars from
One more example of the 'New Wave' of Great Course
I don't know about you, but as a devotee of GC for nearly 30 years, the recent changes in production values and content are disheartening. As for production, the constant shifting of camera angle is distracting, and the absence of the presenter looking directly into the viewers' eyes,' is alienating. I wonder if this a by-product of using directors weaned on Tik Tok and YouTube as pseudo-means of human-to-human connection. And the content seems to be dumbing down, from what were once college levels courses, assuming the generally educated viewer has some background, a solid vocabulary, and sufficient cognitive ability to wrestle with ideas and theories, to a delivery and a sophistication suited more for story hour at the local library or cruise ship. This is not only true of this course, but a multitude of courses recently published, and frankly, I am backpedaling to older content.
Date published: 2023-11-27
Overview
About
Kristi Curry Rogers is a dinosaur paleontologist and a Professor of Biology and Geology at Macalester College. She earned her PhD in Anatomical Sciences from Stony Brook University. She conducted a detailed study of sauropod dinosaurs inhabiting the island of Madagascar, which resulted in the discovery and naming of two new sauropod dinosaur genera, Rapetosaurus and Vahiny. She has published more than 45 research papers and coauthored the book The Sauropods: Evolution and Paleobiology.
Trailer
01: Our Enduring Fascination with Dinosaurs
Take account of the deep presence of dinosaurs in our cultural imagination, both within modern societies and those of Indigenous peoples around the world. Trace Professor Curry Rogers’ background and path to becoming a dinosaur paleontologist. Then, learn about the work of paleontologists, both in the field and in museums, and consider what dinosaurs reveal about the Earth’s history.
19 min
02: Finding the First Dinosaur Bones
Track the story of how explanations for ancient fossils were first grounded in science. Beginning in the 17th century, follow the events that led to the “fossil fever” of the early 1800s, and the work of early British fossil collectors. Learn also about the naming of dinosaurs, and the first artistic portrayals of them, which were integral to both scientific and public knowledge of these amazing creatures.
30 min
03: The Extinction That Launched the Dinosaurs
Look into the origins of the dinosaurs, and the ecological conditions that allowed them to flourish. Study the context of the Mesozoic Era, in which the dinosaurs emerged. Learn about the mass extinction during this era that critically affected the dinosaurs’ evolutionary path. Take note of biological adaptations that may explain how the dinosaurs survived and diversified so successfully.
27 min
04: The Saurischia: Sharp Teeth, Long Necks
Take a first look at how paleontologists categorize dinosaurs. Focusing on the major Saurischia group, identify the dinosaurs of the subgroup Theropoda, including carnivorous predators such as Tyrannosaurus rex and feathered dinosaurs. Continue with subgroups Prosauropoda, a diverse group of herbivores, and Sauropoda, containing the giant, long-necked herbivores such as the iconic Apatosaurus.
33 min
05: The Ornithischia: Armor, Thick Heads, Horns
Complete your tour of dinosaur groups with the species of Ornithischia, a large family of herbivores that feature striking anatomy. Get to know the subgroups of Ankylosauria, with their armor and tail clubs; Stegosauria, known for dorsal plates and spikes; Ceratopsia, sporting eye and nose horns, and frills; Pachycephalosauria, the bone-headed dinosaurs; and Ornithopoda, the duck-billed species.
27 min
06: How Rocks Reveal Dinosaur Secrets
Contemplate geological time, the span of hundreds of millions of years that contextualizes the Age of the Dinosaurs. Learn about the types of rock strata that contain the fossil record, and the preserved environments, from deserts to lake, river, and marine ecosystems, where fossils are found. Grasp how scientists analyze and date fossil finds with relation to the geological record.
23 min
07: How Bones Become Fossils
Consider the rare and complex circumstances that are necessary for the creation of fossils. Begin with an understanding of the two categories of fossils: body fossils and trace fossils. Consider the five modes by which organic materials become fossilized. Then, study key parameters, from ecological to climatic, that are necessary in the lengthy journey that allows a dead dinosaur to become a fossil.
25 min
08: A Dinosaur Mystery in Madagascar
Travel with Professor Curry Rogers to the island of Madagascar, an ecosystem that has yielded dazzling dinosaur remains. Learn about her ongoing work there, involving the discovery of new species of titanosaur, the largest of the dinosaurs, and rare evidence of dinosaur cannibalism. Look into what may explain huge bonebeds on Madagascar that indicate repeated mass deaths of dinosaurs.
27 min
09: Tracing the Dinosaur Evolutionary Tree
Investigate natural selection—how organisms evolve as they adapt to their environment. Also, study convergent evolution, where different species independently evolve similar features. Learn how scientists discern which organisms evolved from which, and which groups are most closely related. From this, grasp why birds, in fact, are dinosaurs, and why ancient swimming and flying reptiles are not.
26 min
10: What Did T. rex Taste Like?
Follow events in recent decades that have revolutionized dinosaur paleontology, overturning the earlier conception of dinosaurs as slow-moving and cold-blooded. Study fieldwork revealing active, agile, and fleet-footed dinosaurs, and shedding light on their deep evolutionary connection with birds. Review fascinating discoveries of feathered dinosaurs, and other evidence linking these groups.
24 min
11: Dinosaurs in Your Backyard
Trace the evolutionary path of birds within the Age of Dinosaurs. Take stock of the amazing diversity of ancient birds and bird types in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Then, look into the key physiological components in the evolution of powered flight, from smaller and lighter body types to forebrain expansion and musculature, and examine the question of how flight began.
21 min
12: Marine Monsters of the Mesozoic
Here, encounter the fearsome swimming reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs, yet were not themselves dinosaurs. Note how these creatures descended from former terrestrial animals, evolving unique specializations for marine life. Learn about the three main groups of ancient marine reptiles, the plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, and ichthyosaurs, and look into whether any actual dinosaurs swam.
24 min
13: Weirdest Wonders on Wings
Enter the amazing world of ancient flying reptiles, the first vertebrates to fly. Examine the unique wing structure of the pterosaurs, as contrasted with those of birds and bats. Get to know the two distinctive groups of pterosaurs, the small and graceful rhamphorhynchids, and the massive pterodactyls. Review leading scientific thinking on how these incredible animals launched into the air.
24 min
14: The Non-Dinosaurs in the Age of Dinosaurs
The ecosystems in which the dinosaurs flourished were populated by many other astonishing creatures. Meet Professor Curry Rogers in Madagascar to uncover fascinating examples, such as a terrestrial, armored, plant-eating crocodile. Continue with giant, carnivorous frogs; a suction-feeding frog/turtle; bizarre Cretaceous mammals; ancient birds with teeth; and a tiny, feathered dinosaur.
28 min
15: Dissecting a T. rex
Explore exciting new methods in dinosaur paleontology, as used to study the famous T. rex. Among these, see how CT scans are used to reconstruct dinosaurs’ sensory capacities, and how geochemical analysis reveals details of their diets, migration patterns, and body temperature. Learn how scientists answer questions such as how fast T. rex could run, and how many T. rex existed at any given time.
23 min
16: How Did Dinosaurs Get So Big?
Dig deeply into dinosaur bones, and what they reveal about the immense size of some species. Look at how early paleontologists made sense of giant sauropods, and how they must have moved. Investigate the physiology of bone growth and how bone histology aids in pinpointing dinosaur growth rates, showing that huge sauropods grew 50 times faster than modern reptiles, a pattern similar to whales.
26 min
17: Were Dinosaurs Warm-Blooded?
Paleontologists are now debating the traditional assumption that dinosaurs were cold-blooded. Learn the basics of thermoregulation in vertebrates. Then, consider the range of evidence, relating to body type and size, heart function, locomotion, brain capacity, and body temperature, that points to the possibility that dinosaurs were metabolically closer to birds and mammals than to modern reptiles.
23 min
18: The Eaters and the Eaten in the Dinosaur Age
The fossil record reveals fascinating details about dinosaurs’ lifestyles, diets, and feeding strategies. See what dinosaur teeth and jaw structures tell us about how they ate and how they digested food, as in herbivores’ scissor-like dental formations and beaks. Note also what fossilized dinosaur droppings show about their diets, and how dinosaurs themselves could be prey for other animals.
27 min
19: The Tough Lives of Allosaurus and T. rex
Throughout life, dinosaurs were vulnerable to many kinds of injury and disease, from combat injuries and predation to parasites and bacterial infections. Examine evidence from a large find of skeletons of the predator Allosaurus, showing traumatic injuries and infections, all of which also indicate healing. In T. rex, note pathologies that would have made breathing, eating, and walking painful.
21 min
20: Reimagining Everything about Dinosaurs
Uncover the behavioral uses of dinosaurs’ strange anatomical features, using a variety of investigative methods. Learn how frills, bony projections, and horns may have had multiple uses, for protection and defense, as well as display and mating rituals. Consider whether dinosaurs’ feathers may have played a role in mating, and the likelihood that some species vocalized loudly with their mates.
28 min
21: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies
Study the eggs of living animals, and grasp what dinosaur egg structure, porosity, and pigments can tell us about nesting conditions and where they laid their eggs. Examine dinosaur nesting behavior and how they tended unhatched eggs and cared for their young. Review Professor Curry Roger’s work on the early life of giant sauropods, showing hatchling size, growth rates, and indicating youthful agility.
31 min
22: How Dinosaurs Conquered the Cold
Learn about climatic conditions at the poles during the Mesozoic Era, a relatively warmer period during which many dinosaur species lived in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Look at evidence indicating that these dinosaurs are unlikely to have migrated during winter months. Take account of a variety of physical specializations that may have aided dinosaurs in adapting to cold and darkness.
21 min
23: The Extinction That Ended the Dinosaurs
Trace the history of extinction events across geological time, episodes of major climate change that wiped out vast numbers of animal and plant species. Then, investigate the extinction of the dinosaurs and other organisms in the late Cretaceous Period, and the environmental disturbances that caused it. Visualize the extent of the devastation and how surviving life forms were able to begin anew.
30 min
24: Dinosaur Resurrection
Conclude with a look at current work on the genetics of dinosaurs. Learn about chemical analysis of dinosaur fossils indicating traces of proteins and DNA, and studies investigating whether or not these are original soft tissues of dinosaurs. See how scientists are examining extinct DNA found in modern bird genomes, to unravel the evolutionary transitions that led from dinosaurs to birds.
25 min
