A penguin may not seem similar to a Tyrannosaurus rex , however when we look carefully at traits like leg bones, back bones, and skull forms, we find many similarities. In this resource kit, you will investigate the similarities between living and extinct organisms and explore which species today are dinosaurs’ closest living relatives. You will examine three focal animals, and use your observations to construct a tree to depict the relatedness between these three animals.

As you explore the collections images throughout this resource kit, consider the following question:

Why do you think studying body features is important to understanding relationship between animals?

Standards for Today's Dinos