It is, of course, 66m years since a great extinction wiped out three-quarters of the animals on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs. The first fossil was described in scientific literature around two centuries ago, and Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur, or terrible lizard, soon afterwards. The scientific “dinosaur renaissance” of the 60s renewed public interest. The very term dinosaur has become a slur describing someone out-of-date, irrelevant and unable to adapt. Dinosaur discoveries are an inspiring glimpse of the broadest temporal horizons, allowing us to contemplate the rich, complex and ever-changing nature of life on Earth.

Source: The Guardian August 28, 2020 17:15 UTC