Dinosaurs

You can go to many museums today and look at the dinosaur bones on display.  The Field Museum of Chicago has a very good dinosaur display.  Here are a few pictures I took, when I visited:

Something I find interesting is the discovery of dinosaurs with feathers:

Dr. Sereno is a famous paleontologist from Illinois that has found some interesting remainders of dinosaurs.  He also has tried to put together websites and programs for children to study dinosaurs as well as other areas in the science fields.  His program is called Project Exploration.

http://www.projectexploration.org/

However, are dinosaurs really extinct?  It is said that there are still a few dinosaurs left in the Congo in Africa.  The natives call it Mokele-mbembe and it said to resemble a sauropod.  There are other names for other possible living dinosaurs.  According to wikipedia:

Reports of living dinosaurs come from many different locations, all over the world. Cryptids that are said to resemble dinosaurs have been seen in Africa, Australia, and Europe, as well as North America and South America.

• Emela-ntouka, allegedly a living ceratopsian.
• Kasai rex, allegedly a living theropod.
• Mbielu-Mbielu-Mbielu, claimed to be a living stegosaur.
• Mokele-mbembe, claimed to be a living sauropod.
• Muhuru, allegedly a living ankylosaur.
• Nguma-monene, allegedly a living Spinosaurus.
• Ngoubou, allegedly a living Styracosaurus.
• Burrunjor, allegedly a living Allosaurus
• Sirrush
• Arica Monster, allegedly a living dromaeosaurid.
• There are also reports from Papua New Guinea of a creature similar to Burrunjor

The mysterious Loch Ness Monster and Ogopogo are also examples of the possibility of surviving water serpents of old. 

In my first book, The Library Kids Mystery of the Blue Mounds, the children use the Library to learn about dinosaurs.  They also learn a lesson about being being responsible from two baby dinosaurs.  All I can say is call me Dr. Sereno, maybe I can use the powers of the Library to help you find the living dinosaurs in Africa.  But you have to let them be free and not tell people where they live.  :)


By Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com)


Sources:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleontology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Sereno

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Exploration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_dinosaur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogopogo