A Guide to the Dinosaurs of Colorado
On Dinosaur Classification
On Scientific Names
The Basics of Taxonomy
An Introduction to Cladistcs
Taxonomy of the Dinosaurs of Colorado
Cladogram of the Dinosaurs of Colorado
About the Dinosaurs of Colorado
Geological
Time Chart
On Dinosaur Classification
Classifying dinosaurs into some kind of orderly scheme is an almost hopeless task, and one which in all likelihood will never be completed. Fossilization occurs very rarely in nature, and doubtlessly many tens of thousands of species of dinosaurs were never fossilized in the first place. Of the tens of thousands of others that were preserved, only a small sample have so far been discovered by scientists. When fossil bones are exposed on the ground, they erode away very quickly, and unless a trained paleontologist encounters them within a year or two they are lost forever. With as few paleontologists as there are working in the field, and so much of the Earth's surface to cover, it is only by the luckiest of chances that any dinosaur bones are discovered at all.When dinosaur bones are discovered, they are almost never complete. Discovering a complete, articulated dinosaur skeleton is a rare event indeed, and a cause for much rejoicing. Yet from these few paltry remains, scientists are expected to not only identify each species of dinosaur, but to determine its relationship to other dinosaur species. Is there any question, then, why so many dinosaur bones remain unidentified in museum basements, or why dinosaur classification remains an inexact science?
Dinosaur classification is constantly changing, as new material is discovered and old material is reexamined and reevaluated. New insights are constantly being found, and paleontologists often disagree on the significance of one or another piece of information. The classification systems presented on these pages represent some of the best thinking as of the end of 2002. Take them with a grain of salt; they are sure to change.
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