Discovering Dinosaurs

Discovering Dinosaurs Written by Kira Fried Focus Question What are fossils and how have they helped us learn about dinosaurs?

探索恐龙 作者：基拉·弗里德 焦点问题 什么是化石？它们如何帮助我们了解恐龙？

Finding Fossils How do we know dinosaurs lived on Earth? Scientists discover fossils in rocks all over the world. Studying fossils helps them learn about dinosaurs. They study what dinosaurs looked like, where they lived, and what they ate.

寻找化石 我们怎么知道恐龙曾在地球上生存过？ 科学家在世界各地的岩石中都发现了化石。 研究化石能帮助他们了解恐龙。 他们研究恐龙的长相、栖息地和食物种类。

Fossils are the remains of plants or animals from long ago that have turned to stone. Scientists have found many different types of dinosaur fossils, including bones, footprints, teeth, nests, and eggs.

化石是远古时期的植物或动物遗骸变成的石头。 科学家已经发现了很多种不同的恐龙化石， 包括骨骼、脚印、牙齿、巢穴和蛋。

These scientists are excavating, or carefully digging, fossils out of the ground. After recording information about the fossils, the scientists will wrap them to keep them safe. Then the scientists will take them to a museum. Scientists will study the fossils. They'll examine the shape and color of the fossils. They'll also consider where the fossils were discovered and how deep underground they were discovered.

这些科学家正在发掘，也就是小心地把化石从地里挖出来。 记录完化石的相关信息后， 科学家会把它们包裹起来保护好。 之后科学家会把它们送到博物馆。 科学家会研究这些化石， 检查它们的形状和颜色。 他们还会考究化石的发现地点和地下埋藏深度。

Scientists can sometimes fit bone fossils together to form a complete skeleton. Most dinosaurs had hundreds of bones, so it is difficult to find all of them. Scientists use other dinosaur skeletons to help them piece together the fossils and understand the missing bones.

科学家有时能把骨骼化石拼接成一副完整的骨架。 大多数恐龙有几百块骨头，所以很难找到全部的化石。 科学家会参考其他恐龙的骨架来拼接化石，还原缺失的骨头。

Learning from Fossils Although dinosaurs are extinct, the skeletons of other animals help scientists understand dinosaur skeletons. Some dinosaur bones may be bigger than those of animals alive today. However, many are still shaped the same.

从化石中学习 虽然恐龙已经灭绝了， 其他动物的骨架能帮助科学家了解恐龙的骨架。 有些恐龙的骨头可能比现存动物的骨头要大。 不过很多骨头的形状还是一样的。