Although the word
dinosaur means "terrible lizard", the name is somewhat misleading, as dinosaurs are not
lizards. Instead, they represent a separate group of
reptiles that, like many extinct forms, did not exhibit characteristics traditionally seen as reptilian, such as a
sprawling limb posture or
ectothermy.
:
Dinosaurs are
archosaurs, like modern
crocodilians. Within the archosaur group, dinosaurs are differentiated most noticeably by their gait. Dinosaur legs extend directly beneath the body, whereas the legs of lizards and crocodilians sprawl out to either side.
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