We can tell a lot about dinosaurs from their bones.

Their bones tell us many things about them.  What they were likely to eat, if they attacked other dinosaurs or if they defended themselves against attack. Their bones tell us if they walked on all fours, or if they stood on two. The bones could also tell us the size of the dinosaur.  Sometimes, the complete dinosaur skeleton was found, and others just parts of the dinosaur.

Their bones were sometimes hollow, making the skeleton lighter. 

Why do we now find dinosaur bones after so much time?

The dinosaur bones are sometimes found near river beds.  When the dinosaur dies, it body gets covered in sand.  After time, the flesh and blood rot away, leaving just the bones behind.  As more and more sand covers the dinosaur, the dinosaur bones become as hard as rock and are buried deep underground. Over time the sand blows away and the dinosaur bones are exposed, allowing others to see the bones.  Sometimes they are uncovered in mining or they can sometimes be found at building or construction sites.

What else do they find?

There is also other fossils that can be found that tell us more about the dinosaurs and what they did.

• Fossil Footprints or tracks
• Fossil Dinosaur droppings called coprolites (ewwwwhhhhh - that is dinosaur poo!!!!!!!!!)
• Fossil Eggshells
• Fossil Nests
• Claw marks or gnawing teeth

You may even find one yourself.   You can visit museums to see dinosaur bones in real life and get a feel of their size.

This information can be found, and much more in "The Ultimate Book of Dinosaurs" by Paul Dowswell