Dinosaur Directory

As a small part of the Natural History Museum’s grand Web site, the Dinosaur Directory is a fine resource. Its scope is initially to cover well‐known dinosaurs, the main criterion for inclusion being based on whether the Natural History Museum holds a good image or reconstruction so that there must be enough known about the species to reconstruct its probable shape.

While the number of records on this directory is low, only 105, the amount of information contained for each record is substantial. There are four easy ways to search for dinosaurs. The first, alphabetically, is straightforward so long as you know what you are looking for. The second way to search is by country: the user is presented with a list, again straightforward. The third search method is based on selecting the time period of a particular species. The user can choose from the following time periods which are displayed graphically: Upper Triassic, Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, Upper Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous, Upper Cretaceous. The accompanying text advises that time periods should be selected in “millions of years ago”. The fourth search method is to select according to body shape. This is innovative and requires the user to click on one of many hyperlink graphics depicting silhouette‐type body shapes of dinosaurs.

Whichever search is employed the arrangement of the hit list is displayed clearly and in the form of a matrix. For example, a search for creatures from the Lower Cretaceous period returns a table containing brief records: these include continent, name (genus), clade, family and period. A full record is then obtained by choosing a creature name. The full record is brimming with information – most strikingly an illustration in black and white of what the creature may have looked like. A guide to pronunciation and the English meaning are provided. Physical features and measurements as well as diet are also included. On clicking the black and white illustration, a full‐colour picture is revealed. A note explains that all colours used are speculative as there is no way of knowing what colour or pattern a dinosaur may have had; therefore images are based on the colourings present in modern reptiles.

The Dinosaur Directory resource is appropriate to a range of audiences. It will be used as a quick reference tool for those working or studying in the area of natural history. In addition, it will appeal to children age ten and above; the site is not, however, structured as a learning programme. As more research reveals more species, this site will grow while its material can be relied on as coming from a highly reputable and unique source.