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Dinosaur names (or, more specifically, their scientific names) are derived from Latin root words and can mean any number of things:

  • A behavior it may have had, (e.g. Tyrannosaurus rex, from Tyrannus-"Tyrant", Sauros-"lizard/ reptile", and Rex-"King")
  • A special feature in the fossils, (e.g. Deinonychus antirrhopus, from Deinos-"Terrible", -Ochus- "claw", and antirrhopus-"Counterbalancing")
  • Where it was found (e.g. Edmontosaurus regalis, from Edmonton (a province in Canada), Sauros- "lizard/reptile", and regalis-"royal")
  • The Person who discovered it (e.g. Othnielia rex, from Othniel Charles Marsh, and rex-"king")

This method of naming is actually derived from the scientific classification of animals living today. In most zoos, the markers near an animal's exhibit includes the animal's Popular name followed by its latin name. (For example: African Lion-Panthera leo) In the case of the dinosaurs, they were only discovered after this system came into use, meaning that common names haven't necessarily become as common as their scientific names, so the latter became more popular.

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