Dinosaurs and fossil birds tour

The pterosaurs are a distinct evolutionary line of archosaurs (“reigning reptiles”), close to but not belonging to the dinosaurs, and thus only distantly related to modern birds.

Before the arrival of humans, probably between 1250 and 1300 A.D., there were no mammals of any kind on the archipelago of New Zealand, except for two species of bats.

Triceratops was a late representative of the horn-bearing dinosaurs (Ceratopsia), a subgroup of the exclusively herbivorous avian dinosaurs (Ornithischia).

The horned dinosaurs (Ceratopsia) evolved rapidly, especially in North America during the Late Cretaceous, where they were one of the most important groups of herbivorous dinosaurs.

Allosaurus was one of the largest predatory dinosaurs (theropods) of the late Jurassic period; the genus could reach lengths of up to 10 m, the skull cast exhibited here represents an animal about 7-8 m long.

Prestosuchus is also a representative of the archosaurs (“ruling reptiles”) and belongs to the evolutionary line that leads to today’s crocodiles.

Crocodiles are an ancient group of reptiles that have been around since the Triassic period. In the Mesozoic Era they were very diverse and occurred in numerous habitats.

Ichthyosaurs were the most widely adapted group of reptiles to life in water.

Ichthyosaurs are a secondary aquatic group of reptiles. They were so extensively adapted to life in the water that they could no longer go to land to lay their eggs.

During the Triassic period (about 252 to 201 million years ago), an important group of reptiles evolved very rapidly, the so-called archosaurs (“ruling reptiles”).