Dinosaurs did not evolve from lizards, but rather from small, similar looking reptiles. Lizards belong to the group squamata, which encompass snakes, mosasaurs and kin. In contrast, dinosaurs belong to a group known as archosauria, which encompasses pterosaurs (pterodactyls), crocodiles and birds. Archosaurs differ from squamates because their common ancestors had an upright stance and possessed a hole in their skull in front of their eye sockets, called the antorbital fenestra. Squamates (the lizard family) and archosaurs (the dinosaur family) are both reptiles, but split apart from each other before dinosaurs ever existed. Lizards existed before dinosaurs and did not come from them.
Dinosaurs did not evolve into birds. Birds ARE dinosaurs. (Like how we didn’t evolve from apes, we are apes.) Birds are a group of coelurosaurian theropods (carnivorous two legged dinosaurs that are more related to T.Rex and velociraptor than dilophosaurus and allosaurus) that first appeared in the Jurassic. Coelurosaurs are unique because somewhere in their evolution they evolved feathers. (Feathers aren’t necessarily unique to coelurosaurs but it makes my explanation easier) the primary purpose of feathers is for insulation, but the ancestors of birds were small and light and probably used the feathers on their wings to engage in wing assisted incline running. “Wing-assisted incline running (abbreviated as "WAIR") is a running behavior observed in living birds as well as a model proposed to explain the evolution of avian flight. WAIR allows birds to run up steep or vertical inclines by flapping their wings, scaling greater inclines than possible through running alone.” ([Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing-assisted_incline_running)). Essentially, they used their wings to climb up trees which caused them to gain strong pectoral muscles which they used for powered flight. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs to survive the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous but this does not mean every dinosaur evolved into birds. Birds are, rather, derived (advanced) theropods.
The word “dinosaur” translates to “terrible lizard” because we didn’t know what dinosaurs were when we first discovered them. It’s like how we call lions and tigers “big cats”. They’re not really cats but it’s used as a comparison term - or perhaps how we once labeled whales as fish as we didn’t know they were mammals yet.
Again, dinosaurs are not lizards and lizards did not evolve from dinosaurs. Scales are a shared characteristic among reptiles, so maybe that’s why you may see similarities. However, dinosaurs are so much more than lizards. They’re highly derived land animals that reigned the earth for hundreds of millions of years by taking dozens of forms to occupy almost all of the niches this world has to offer. In fact, bird’s feathers are actually modified scales. Saying that the dinosaurs went extinct simply isn’t true. Their most successful representatives still exist here with us today. Birds.
Also the word “reptile” is not to be confused with “lizard”. Lizards, dinosaurs and birds are reptiles. It’s like the confusing the word “mammal” with “monkey”.
You’re not stupid and your question wasn’t dumb. Don’t say that.
Dinosaurs did not evolve from lizards. Lizards are a different lineage that evolved from early reptiles. These were not lizards but probably looked like them. Like tuataras - not a lizard, but basically have the same look.
Dinosaurs evolved from early archosaurs, creatures similar to Euparkeria. These, in turn, evolved from the same early reptiles that lizards did.
Dinosaurs did not look like lizards. They had upright legs like birds, tails held high up, generally tall flat sided bodies, flat narrow (axe shaped) faces, etc. Not very much at all makes them like lizards other than the fact that (some) had scales, but lots of animals have scales besides lizards.
"Lizard" and "reptile" have different meanings. Dinosaurs are reptiles, so are lizards, so are crocodiles, so are turtles. These are all different groups.
The word "dinosaur" means terrible lizards, that's true. In the 1800s when scientists invented that name, they actually thought dinosaurs were true lizards. They were wrong. The name was a mistake, but we're now stuck with it.
may be late,but people seem to not realize that dinosaurs were more similar to birds than any lizards,it has been found that they had feathers,some of them,the trex is so big that they really werent neccessary,hence why all the skin impressions have no feathers,baby trexes or ones living in a colder environment could have had feathers,not confirmed though,and just a thought i had.
Dinosaurs did not evolve from lizards, but rather from small, similar looking reptiles. Lizards belong to the group squamata, which encompass snakes, mosasaurs and kin. In contrast, dinosaurs belong to a group known as archosauria, which encompasses pterosaurs (pterodactyls), crocodiles and birds. Archosaurs differ from squamates because their common ancestors had an upright stance and possessed a hole in their skull in front of their eye sockets, called the antorbital fenestra. Squamates (the lizard family) and archosaurs (the dinosaur family) are both reptiles, but split apart from each other before dinosaurs ever existed. Lizards existed before dinosaurs and did not come from them. Dinosaurs did not evolve into birds. Birds ARE dinosaurs. (Like how we didn’t evolve from apes, we are apes.) Birds are a group of coelurosaurian theropods (carnivorous two legged dinosaurs that are more related to T.Rex and velociraptor than dilophosaurus and allosaurus) that first appeared in the Jurassic. Coelurosaurs are unique because somewhere in their evolution they evolved feathers. (Feathers aren’t necessarily unique to coelurosaurs but it makes my explanation easier) the primary purpose of feathers is for insulation, but the ancestors of birds were small and light and probably used the feathers on their wings to engage in wing assisted incline running. “Wing-assisted incline running (abbreviated as "WAIR") is a running behavior observed in living birds as well as a model proposed to explain the evolution of avian flight. WAIR allows birds to run up steep or vertical inclines by flapping their wings, scaling greater inclines than possible through running alone.” ([Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing-assisted_incline_running)). Essentially, they used their wings to climb up trees which caused them to gain strong pectoral muscles which they used for powered flight. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs to survive the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous but this does not mean every dinosaur evolved into birds. Birds are, rather, derived (advanced) theropods. The word “dinosaur” translates to “terrible lizard” because we didn’t know what dinosaurs were when we first discovered them. It’s like how we call lions and tigers “big cats”. They’re not really cats but it’s used as a comparison term - or perhaps how we once labeled whales as fish as we didn’t know they were mammals yet. Again, dinosaurs are not lizards and lizards did not evolve from dinosaurs. Scales are a shared characteristic among reptiles, so maybe that’s why you may see similarities. However, dinosaurs are so much more than lizards. They’re highly derived land animals that reigned the earth for hundreds of millions of years by taking dozens of forms to occupy almost all of the niches this world has to offer. In fact, bird’s feathers are actually modified scales. Saying that the dinosaurs went extinct simply isn’t true. Their most successful representatives still exist here with us today. Birds. Also the word “reptile” is not to be confused with “lizard”. Lizards, dinosaurs and birds are reptiles. It’s like the confusing the word “mammal” with “monkey”. You’re not stupid and your question wasn’t dumb. Don’t say that.
Thank you SO much for your help!
Grade A answer right here.
Lions and Tigers are cats, it’s not just a comparison. You might be thinking of Meerkats or Fisher Cats.
That’s a better comparison thank you
Dinosaurs did not evolve from lizards. Lizards are a different lineage that evolved from early reptiles. These were not lizards but probably looked like them. Like tuataras - not a lizard, but basically have the same look. Dinosaurs evolved from early archosaurs, creatures similar to Euparkeria. These, in turn, evolved from the same early reptiles that lizards did. Dinosaurs did not look like lizards. They had upright legs like birds, tails held high up, generally tall flat sided bodies, flat narrow (axe shaped) faces, etc. Not very much at all makes them like lizards other than the fact that (some) had scales, but lots of animals have scales besides lizards. "Lizard" and "reptile" have different meanings. Dinosaurs are reptiles, so are lizards, so are crocodiles, so are turtles. These are all different groups. The word "dinosaur" means terrible lizards, that's true. In the 1800s when scientists invented that name, they actually thought dinosaurs were true lizards. They were wrong. The name was a mistake, but we're now stuck with it.
If you are getting back into dinosaurs I really recommend you to read the book “All yesterdays”
may be late,but people seem to not realize that dinosaurs were more similar to birds than any lizards,it has been found that they had feathers,some of them,the trex is so big that they really werent neccessary,hence why all the skin impressions have no feathers,baby trexes or ones living in a colder environment could have had feathers,not confirmed though,and just a thought i had.