Vertebrate paleontology has also become global, with major new discoveries in previously unexploited regions, including South America, Madagascar, Antarctica, and most significantly the discovery of amazingly well-preserved feathered dinosaurs in China, which have further solidified the link between dinosaurs and their living descendants, the 9,000+ species of modern birds ( ). The on-going dinosaur renaissance ( '4HistoryDinoSt.htm) started in the 1970s, and was triggered in part by John Ostrom's discovery of Deinonychus: an active, vicious predator which may have been warm-blooded (homeothermic), in marked contrast to prevailing image of dinosaurs as sluggish, cold-blooded reptiles. The term is also used informally to describe any prehistoric reptile, like the pelycosaur Dimetrodon, the winged pterosaurs, and the aquatic ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs.
They have been featured in bestselling books and blockbuster films like Jurassic Park, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media. Dinosaurs have become a part of world culture, and have remained consistently popular, especially among children. Since the first dinosaur was recognized in the 19th century, their mounted skeletons have become a major attraction at museums around the world.
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