Field Museum

Today's Dinos

Make note of structural similarities and differences as you explore the feet structures of the three organisms featured in this slideshow: Alligator, Deinonychus, and Penguin. 

Feet

Use these images and reconstructions to make observations about these three animals' skin or body coverings. 

Skin / Body Cover

Fill in the Venn diagram using the information you collected during your investigation of the three animals throughout the past five activities!

Plotting Similarities and Differences

Use this chart to keep track of your observations as you explore the slideshows in this resource kit.

Document your Observations

Use these images and reconstructions to make observations about these three animals'  tails and hip structure. 

Tail and Hips

Use these images to observe and document similarities and differences in the skull structure of these three animals. 

Skulls

A phylogenetic tree is a diagram depicting the evolutionary relationships between different species. Organisms connected by vertexes appearing higher up on this phylogenetic tree are more closely related. 

Constructing a Phylogeny

These three animals all use eggs for reproduction. Document your observations about the similarities and differences between these animals' eggs. 

Eggs

Explore the similarities and differences between dinosaurs and their closest modern relatives.

 - PDF version of the activities in this resource kit. 

Read more about the relationship between Birds and Dinosaurs

Life Science

Science

Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) photographed by Christopher Michel

penguinjumping.png

Photo of Jumping Penguin

deinonychus_illustration.png

Deinonychus Illustration

American Alligators live throughout wetland ecosystems in the Southern  United States. They are apex predators, feeding on fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. 

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Today's Dinos

Skin / Body Cover

Penguin