Dec. 7, 2022

Do you know about dinosaurs? 🦖

Did you know? In this episode of Sleep Tight Science we are going to start learning about our dinosaurs With the help of Bernice and Papa Bear we are going to learn about dinosaurs teeth, their bodies and what they look like, as well as what some of them eat. Bernice is going to share some jokes she heard and we are going to see if we can find out some facts that even Bobby doesn’t know. Let’s listen and see what she finds out. 

Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark

❤️👂🔬

---

📢 Have an interesting science topic you would like investigated? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.

👉 First time listening to Sleep Tight Science? Please follow us or listen on Spotify.

❤️ We would love to hear from you, reach out to us via email.

 ---

About Sleep Tight Science

Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show for the whole family that answers the questions kids have about science. Have an interesting science topic you would like featured? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science.

00:00:23
Speaker 2: Did you know long before the age of dinosaurs, monster dragonflies cruised through the air. What some were the size of seagulls?

00:00:35
Speaker 1: Wow?

00:00:46
Speaker 2: Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers the questions you have about science. In this episode, we will we are to learn all about dinosaurs and try to answer some of the questions you our listeners have submitted about these fascinating creatures. We will learn about them by following along with a story of a little bear named Bernice, who if you listen to sleep Tight Stories you might already be familiar with. Bernice has many interests, including science, and Papa Bear and other friends will help her learn. Before we continue with our story, let's start learning about dinosaurs. Before we start talking about these massive animals that roamed the Earth, we must understand a little bit about the Earth and life itself. The Earth is around four point six billion years old. I know this from dating the oldest rocks. For almost the first one billion years, the Earth was lifeless. How life began is not clear, but the process required water, acids, and other chemicals. The first living molecules developed into simple, single celled life forms floating in the oceans. The oldest evidence of life forms are bacteria and algae fossils found in rocks that are three point eight billion years old. From these simple beginnings, life branched out in many directions. The two main branches were plants and animals. In case you forgot, molecules are super super small. Anytime two atoms joined together, they make a molecule.

00:03:06
Speaker 1: All the stuff.

00:03:07
Speaker 2: Around you is made up of molecules. This includes you. You are made up of trillions of different types of molecules. So the evolution of huge, massive dinosaurs and all life itself started out super small. All plants and animals have developed through a process of gradual change known as evolution. The kinds of plants and animals alive today have evolved from much earlier types which are now extinct. Did you know that the closest living relatives of Tyrannosaurus wrecks are birds such as chickens and ostriches. Plants and animals died out because the conditions where they lived changed. They were replaced by other species that could better adapt to these changes. But what about dinosaurs. Well, dinosaurs ruled the earth for over one hundred and sixty million years, there were more than five hundred species, yet they all died out, and today fossils are all that remain of these remarkable animals. Living things are constantly evolving through adaptation. They can adapt because every individual life form is slightly different, even from members of their own species. This means that when conditions change, some life forms may be better at surviving than others. Did you know that the word dinosaur comes from the Greek word meaning terrible lizard. Some of them were the largest and scariest creatures that ever walked on land. Some dinosaurs were smaller than a chicken. Others weighed as much as one hundred tons, more than ten times as much as the largest elephants. Dinosaurs did not have any hair, their skin had a bumpy or pebbly surface. Some scientists believe that dinosaurs were gray or green in color. These colors would have helped the dinosaurs blend in with their surroundings, but others think they may have had many bright colors. Fossils have shown that many species of dinosaurs had feathers. Dinosaurs are often depicted or shown without feathers, but scientists believe that feathers were common in dinosaurs. Most, if not all, dinosaurs laid eggs. Some dinosaurs built large nests to keep their babies together. Young dinosaurs grew very fast. Many reached full size in seven or eight years, and large dinosaurs might have lived almost one hundred years. Let's stop here and listen to Bernice and Papa Bear discuss her questions about dinosaurs. Rare, Bernie said, as she jumped into the kitchen, trying to scare Papa Bear. WHOA you scared me, little dinosaur, Papa Bear said, smiling and pretending to be scared. I'm a scary alosaurus and I've come to eat all your cookies, Bernice said, walking around the kitchen like she thought a dinosaur might walk. Would my scary dinosaur like some cookies. This alosaurus would love some cookies, Papa Bernice said, as she put her backpack down beside the kitchen table and took a seat. What kind of cookies are we having today, Papa Well, I made some super special dinosaur cookies. Some are shaped like a tea rex, some are shaped like eggs, and one I tried to make look like a stegosaurus, but it didn't turn out well, Papa Bear said, as he put a plate of cookies on the table with a glass of milk. They certainly taste delicious, Bernice said, with her mouth full. I'm glad you are enjoying them. Papa Bear said, with a smile, how was school today? School was good today, and I have lots to share with you. What was good about school, Papa Bear said, as he sat down to have some cookies and milk. We learned a bit about dinosaurs and science class, and the teacher congratulated Bobby on becoming a better student. Really, that's nice. How is Bobby becoming a better student? He used to get super excited whenever we talked about dinosaurs or poop and stuff that he liked to talk about, and he would just keep talking and never raise his hand and stuff. Now he waits his turn and shares with others what he knows. That sounds great, little Bear, It's still kind of a challenge for him. When the teacher was talking about dinosaurs, you could tell he wanted to interrupt because he was almost jumping up and down in his chair. That Bobby, what else did you want to share with me, little bear? I learned some jokes today during the break do you want to hear them, of course, just let me finish this cookie. I don't want to make a mess if I laugh with a cookie in my mouth, Papa Bear said, finishing his last bite. Okay, here is the first one. What do you call a dinosaur that crashes its car? I don't know, Papa Bear said, starting to laugh. A Tyrannosaurus wrecks. Bernice said, giggling. That's a good one, Papa Bear said, laughing. Here's another, Papa, What do you call a dinosaur that doesn't take a bath? I think I know this one, Papa Bear said, A stinklesaurus. That's another good one, Little Bear. Do you have any more? I have one more, Papa, but you are going to have to think really hard for this one. What is in the middle of dinosaurs? Hmmm, I don't know what is in the middle of dinosaurs? Little Bear? The letter s Bernice said, laughing. Those are great jokes, little Bear, Papa Bear said, laughing. Do you still want to learn some things about dinosaurs before we have dinner? Yes, Papa, that's one of the reasons why I rushed home so fast today. What was the other reason, Papa Bear asked, Cookies and to spend time with you, of course, Papa Bernice said, giggling. Okay, let me go get the books I found at the library, and you can get any other things you might want to share, and we will learn together.

00:11:49
Speaker 1: Thank you, Papa.

00:12:06
Speaker 2: Papa Bear returned to the kitchen with an armful of books. He sat down and opened his notebook where he had written some notes. Before you ask some questions, little Bear, I thought I would start with some facts about dinosaurs that you could share with Bobby or your whole science class. Okay, Papa, all right. Some of the biggest plant eaters had to eat as much as a ton of food a day. That's like eating a school bus sized amount of food every single day. That's a lot of salad, Papa, ha ha ha, it certainly is. But that also means that these same plant eaters would produce up to a ton of poop every day. That stinks, Papa, it sure does. But that's not all I found out, Papa said. There was a dinosaur called the Argentinosaurus, which could have weighed about seventy four tons. That's more than thirteen elephants. This long necked plant eating dinosaur probably pooped as much as fifteen leaders of poop at one time. That would be enough to fill more than seventy two liter bottles. That's awesome, Papa, Bobby is going to love this. The dinosaur with the most teeth was the Hadrosaur. It could have over one thousand teeth, and it continually grew new ones. That's a lot of flossing and brushing, Papa. I would never have time to sleep at night if I had that many teeth. You would need a lot of toothpaste, too, Papa Bear said, Can I ask you a question?

00:14:12
Speaker 1: Papa?

00:14:13
Speaker 2: Of course, little Bear, asking questions is how we learn. I just hope I can answer it. Papa Bear said, with a smile. How many teeth did the t rex have? Let me see, little bear, Papa Bear replied, looking through the books he had on the table, the Tyrannosaurus Rex had about sixty teeth, which were shaped like bananas. The largest Tyrannosaurus tooth found was about thirty centimeters or twelve inches long. Its jaw had to be about one hundred and twenty one centimeters or four feet long to fit all sixty teeth. Bana Toothosaurus Bernice said with her mouth wide open, pretending she was a dinosaur. The front teeth of a Tyrannosaurus were pointed and grew close together so they could be used for pulling or gripping. The side teeth are thought to have been better suited to tearing flesh. Their teeth have saw like ridges to allow for the shredding of their food. When their teeth wore or fell out, the tyrannosaurus could regrow them, but scientists think it took about two years for them to grow back in. This might be why their teeth needed to be strong and durable. I have one more thing to share about the Tyrannosaurus, which Bobby will like, little bear. Do you want want to hear it? Of course, Papa. The largest caprolite, a fancy word for fossilized poop, is called Burnham, named after palaeontologist Burnum Brown. It came from a Tyrannosaurus and is over two feet long and twenty pounds or sixty seven centimeters and nearly ten kilograms. Because poop decays quickly, it's challenging to find dinosaur poop. Whoa Bernice said, laughing, that's big poop. Okay, I found another joke for you, Papa. Do you want to hear it, sure, little bear, what do you call a dinosaur who is a noisy sleeper? I don't know what do you call a dinosaur who is a noisy sleeper? A tyrannosnoris bernice said, laughing, or maybe a berniceo snorous. Papa Bear replied, do you have any other questions.

00:17:12
Speaker 1: Little bear?

00:17:14
Speaker 2: Sure? Do were dinosaurs smart?

00:17:17
Speaker 1: Papa?

00:17:19
Speaker 2: I think that is going to be a hard one to answer, little bear. Dinosaurs were a huge group of animals that lived over a long period of time, and of course no one could test a dinosaur's intelligence since we weren't even around when the dinosaurs were. Still, scientists can make reasonable estimates based on the ratio of body size to brain size. Looking at his book, Papa Bear continued, dinosaurs have traditionally been depicted or shown as having small brains and therefore not being very smart animals. Generally, dinosaur's brains were much smaller than the brains of mammals possessing heads of comparable or about the same size. But an animal only has to be smart enough to prosper or do well in its environment and avoid being eaten.

00:18:31
Speaker 1: It says here that the.

00:18:32
Speaker 2: Carnivores had larger brains, likely because of their need for better smell vision and muscular coordination their tools for hunting. The smartest dinosaur was probably the trudin. It had a brain the size of a bird today. It also had grasping hands and stereoscopic vs. I guess if we could make a time machine, Papa, we could go back in time and give dinosaurs a test like I have in school and see if they are as smart as Bobby and I. Wouldn't that be fun going back in time to see the dinosaurs, Papa Bear said, Would you share your cookies with them? Papa Bernice said, laughing, if a tyrannosaurus asked for a cookie, would I have a choice? Laughed Papa Bear. We don't have to use a time machine or give math tests, though, Little Bear. This book says there is a rough system of estimating dinosaurs intelligence called the encephalization quotient or EQ. A dinosaur's EQ is the ratio of its brain weight relative to the brain weight of a typical animal of cin similar body weight. Most dinosaurs have an EQ similar to modern reptiles. Herbivores such as the large sauropods, armored anklosaurs, and stegosaurs are at the lowest end of the scale. Why don't you ask one more question before we stop for the day, Papa Bear said, okay, Papa, but I have one more thing to share. What's the best way to talk to a dinosaur? I don't know what's the best way to talk to a dinosaur long distance, laughed Bernice. Okay, I have one last question. What is your favorite dinosaur?

00:20:48
Speaker 1: Papa.

00:20:49
Speaker 2: Bobby's is the Tyrannosaurus, of course, but I'd like to know what yours is. Hmm, Papa Bear said, thinking a bit before he ended. I think my favorite might be the Ornithylmyma because it was supposed to be a super fast runner. It was bipedal and looked a bit like an ostrich and I read it could run as fast as seventy kilometers an hour or forty five miles per hour. This was because it had to outrun those dinosaurs that might want to eat it. It was also a herbivore, which I like because I wouldn't want to eat other dinosaurs. How about you, little bear, what's your favorite dinosaur? It's funny, Papa, because my favorite is similar to yours. My favorite is the hipsilophodon. It's the size of a dog. Papa could run really fast and only eight plants like horsetails and ferns. I guess we are a family of runners, little Bear. Papa said, Mama Bear loves to go and run every day. How about we stop our little class right here and we can finish preparing dinner before Mama Bear gets home. Okay, Papa, Yes, I love you. I love you too, little Bear. In this episode, we learned about how plants and animals evolved and then dinosaurs came to be. We looked at some of the different types of dinosaurs and learned some interesting facts about them, like how many teeth the t rex has. We talked about what dinosaurs might have looked like and how much they ate. We also learned some fun dinosaur jokes. This episode was made with questions from Xander and Finley. Thank you to Dylan, Alice Kelly from Dallas, Texas, Sophia and Kira and Kyle. We hope to have a chance to use your ideas in future episodes. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitscience dot com.