Introduction

 Shedding Light on the Dinosaurian "Dark-Ages"

Some of the best known dinosaurs include Stegosaurus, Allosaurus and Diplodocus, as well as Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus. Contrary to popular belief, these dinosaurs did not live at the same time, but were separated by millions of years. In fact, there is 87 million years separating Tyrannosaurus, who lived 65 million years ago (mya), and Stegosaurus who lived 152 mya. In contrast, there is only 65 million years separating us, today, from Tyrannosaurus.

Considering all the changes that have taken place in the Earth's climate, the surface of the earth and the animal life since the dinosaurs became extinct 65 mya, it is reasonable to assume that change also occurred during the time between Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. The geological record during that 87 million years is spotty, and the dinosaur record even more so. About 45 million years of that time is called the Early Cretaceous Epoch and it is this part of the time interval that our investigations begin………….