Westonzoyland Primary School ‘Achieving, Learning and Growing Together’
Science
Like today’s crime-scene investigators, paleontologists study trackways—fossilized footprints— for clues about how dinosaurs behaved. For example, did they travel in herds, like elephants? Did some hunt alone? Did they migrate long distances in search of food? Trackways often hold the key.
Look at the picture. Let’s say you are a paleontologist who has just come across these awesome clues, frozen in place from the days when non-avian dinosaurs roamed the Earth. What can you figure out about those long-ago creatures by studying their trackways? Look carefully at the different animals’ tracks and colour them in if you can. Then try to answer the following questions.
- How many different kinds of animals were here?
- Did the animal that left the red tracks walk on two or four legs? Was it walking or running?
- Did the animal that left the yellow tracks travel alone?
- Which dinosaur walked across the area first?
- How many individual animals were here?
- If these animals were all here at the same time, can you make some guesses as to why?