A biome is a large area of land or water that has a certain climate and specific types of plants and animals living in it. Biomes are like nature’s neighborhoods, each with its own set of characteristics.
bi·ome
/BYE-ohm/
noun
Biomes can be found on land (terrestrial biomes) or in water (aquatic biomes). Each biome has its own unique mix of weather, plants, and animals that are adapted to live there. For example, a desert biome is hot and dry with cacti and lizards, while a rainforest biome is warm and wet with tall trees and colorful birds.
During the time of the dinosaurs, Earth had many different biomes, just like it does today. Understanding these ancient biomes helps scientists figure out what life was like for dinosaurs and how they adapted to different environments.
Think of a forest near where you live. Now think of a desert you’ve seen in a movie. These are two different biomes. The forest might be cool and filled with trees, while the desert is hot and sandy. Dinosaurs lived in many different biomes too!
Did you know that some dinosaurs lived in biomes we don’t have anymore? There used to be warm, shallow seas covering parts of what is now dry land. Some marine reptiles (not dinosaurs, but their contemporaries) lived in these sea biomes!
What are some examples of biomes that existed during the time of dinosaurs? During the dinosaur era, there were many biomes similar to those we have today. There were forests, deserts, grasslands, and wetlands. There were also some biomes that don’t exist anymore, like the warm shallow seas that covered parts of the continents.
How do scientists know what ancient biomes were like? Scientists study fossils of plants and animals to understand ancient biomes. They also look at the types of rocks and minerals formed during that time. By combining this information, they can reconstruct what the environment was like millions of years ago.
Did dinosaurs live in all types of biomes? Dinosaurs were very adaptable and lived in many different biomes. We’ve found dinosaur fossils in ancient forest, desert, and coastal biomes. However, dinosaurs didn’t live in the oceans (those were home to other marine reptiles), and they didn’t live on ice sheets because Earth was much warmer during their time.
