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Dinosaurs have not lived on Earth for millions of years. But related
animals that look like dinosaurs are found on Earth today.
Lizards, such as iguanas, look like dinosaurs. But when you look closer,
you find many differences in their structures. Lizards have bent legs that
sprawl to their sides. Dinosaurs, such as
Stegosaurus
, had straight legs and
walked with their legs underneath them.
The animals living today that are more closely related to dinosaurs are
birds. Similarities between dinosaurs and birds, include hollow bones, a long
S-shaped curved neck, an eggshell structure, and many skeletal structures.
Birds are sometimes referred to as living dinosaurs. Modern birds, such
as the emu, may have evolved from small meat-eating dinosaurs.
An iguana
An artist’s drawing of a
Stegosaurus
dinosaur
An emu
An artist’s drawing of
a bird-like dinosaur
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