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Prior Knowledge Of Elementary School Students About Dinosaurs *
Dinosaurs (Superorder Dinosauria) were a hugely successful group - they existed on the Earth for 165 million years (230-65 million year ago) - and for most of that time they were the largest, the most abundant, and the most widespread land animals.
Based on fossil and biological evidence, most scientists accept that birds are a specialised sub-group of theropod dinosaurs. The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period (150-200 Ma).
This work aimed to study the prior knowledge of elementary school students (Adult Education) about dinosaurs, in the State School “Zolito de Jesus Nunes”, located in the city of Macapa (north of Brazil).
The questionnaire was applied to all subjects, thus totaling 23 questionnaires.
The results showed that the dinosaurs are seen by students as: very large animals (56.5%), reproduced by eggs (30.4%), bad animals (82.6%) and extinguished animals by a collision between Earth and an asteroid (43%). The dinosaurs most cited were: Tyrannosaurus rex (47.8%), Pterodactylus sp. (8.7%) and Brachiosaurus sp. (4.3%). The Dinosaurs more designed by students were the sauropods - considered good by feeding on greens - (47.8%).
Thus, we conclude that the surveyed students know little about dinosaurs; some information about dinosaurs is distorted or exaggerated; students have a preference for herbivorous dinosaurs. Interventions in science education can increase this knowledge about dinosaurs, which account for much of the historical heritage of life on Earth.
* Trabalho enviado ao XXVIII Congresso Brasileiro de Zoologia.
 
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CURIOSIDADE!!!
Ainda falando sobre "etnopaleozoologia", embora no imaginário popular os pterossauros (acima) sejam considerados dinossauros, não o são, cientificamente falando. Os répteis voadores, extintos há 66 milhões de anos, pertencem à Ordem Pterosauria, enquanto que os verdadeiros dinossauros estão distribuídos em duas ordens (Saurischia e Ornithischia) da Superordem Dinosauria. O pterossauro da ilustração pertence a espécie Cearadactylus sp., cujos fósseis foram encontrados onde hoje é o Ceará. Nestas regiões, muitas pessoas ainda acreditam na existência de pterossauros.
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David Figueiredo |
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Publicado em 16/12/2009 às 23h56
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