﻿92 EVOLUTION IN THE PAST 



Herbivorous dinosaurs, footed like birds, were also in 

 existence (Camptosaurus). These, like the Triassic carnivor- 

 ous forms, were very short in the " arms," and effected 

 locomotion in kangaroo fashion. They were models of 

 activity in comparison with Diplodocus and Stegosaurus ; 

 and as they were not provided with armour, they probably 

 took to flight, when threatened with serious danger. 



Herbivorous dinosaurs must have had to keep a cautious 

 look-out against their carnivorous relations, lurking in large 

 numbers among the cycads and gingko trees. Ceratosaurus 

 may be taken as a type of the flesh-eating dinosaurs. This 

 animal stood some eight feet in height, and progressed, like 

 some of the herbivorous forms, in bipedal fashion. His head 

 was large for a dinosaur ; and he was doubtless better brained 

 than his victims. He had, moreover, a weapon in the form 

 of a horn on his snout. His greater brain power, nasal 

 implement, and greater ability to move quickly from place 

 to place, must have given him great advantages over such a 

 creature as Stegosaurus. No wonder the latter required 

 strong armour, if he was to keep a place in creation. Megalo- 

 saurus was an allied carnivorous form with powerful jaws 

 furnished with saw-like teeth. It has only quite recently 

 become known that this animal possessed, like Ceratosaurus, 

 a horn on the snout. 



Remains of an interesting dinosaur of small dimensions 

 have been found in central Europe (Compsognathus). This 

 creature was in existence in late Jurassic times ; and was 

 similar in shape to Ceratosaurus. Her height — the remains 

 are probably those of a female — was about two feet when 

 standing erect ; and to judge by her hollow limb-bones and 

 vertebrae, she was possessed of considerable agility. Birds 

 were making their appearance at this time ; and she and her 

 like were probably in the habit of chasing these incipient 

 aeronauts. Indeed by eliminating the feebler flyers, they 

 may have expedited the evolution of more powerfully winged 

 birds. 



It is a question if any of the dinosaurs brought forth 

 their young alive. It certainly detracts from the dignity 

 of the huge dinosaurs to suppose that they were layers of 



