Smithsonian Museum Reflection Continued..

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After viewing the synapsids, I visited the dinosaur section. Following a mass extinction at the end of the Permian period, a number of new species rose to prominence the most famous of which are the dinosaurs.  This section contained the ancient birds exhibit. According to this exhibit, scientists hypothesize that birds evolved form theropods, diminutive, carnivorous dinosaurs.  I took a detour upstairs to learn about pterosaurs, a contemporary of dinosaurs despite its status as a flying reptile. I went back into the dinosaur exhibit where I saw life-sized replicas of an Allosaurus and Stegosaurus. The display demonstrated that while the carnivorous Allosaurus was built to be faster, the Stegosaurus had natural protection in the form of the multiple bony plates lining its back. Just down the hall was the replica of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, showcasing its oral features. In contrast to the Allosaurus the Tyrannosaurus Rex possessed large and heterodontric teeth, suggesting a different mastication process.