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38 Articles

THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING DINOSAURS

DID YOU KNOW?MYA is short for ‘million years ago.’ So if you see 56 MAY it means 56 million years ago Tyrannosaurus rex (‘Tyrant lizard king’) Carnivore Cretaceous period, 67-66 MYA Found in: Western North America Lived in: Forests with swamps and rivers Fact The largest T-rex skulls ever to be found are 1 .5m across, and some of the T-rex teeth were up to 30cm long Dino skill Tyrannosaurus rex T-rex may have had the most vicious bite of any animal to have lived, many times stronger than lions and sharks and capable of crunching bone and ripping apart its prey. Killer rating: 5/5 Speed: 3/5 Defence: 3/5 Stegosaurus (‘Roof lizard’) Herbivore Late Jurassic period, 150 MYA Found in: Europe and Eastern North America Lived in: Forests and vegetated plains Fact Stegosaurus’s distinctive back plates may have been a type of air conditioning. Air cooled the blood running through the plates Dino…

THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING DINOSAURS

A to Z of the dinosaurs

Dinosaurs have long sparked our imagination. From the Ancient Greeks’ perception of their remains as evidence of a time when giants ruled Earth, right through to modern man’s pursuit of their resurrection – be that in films like Jurassic Park or in laboratories via advanced DNA cloning techniques – dinosaurs remain a tantalisingly alien part of our world’s history. They may no longer roam the land like they did millions of years ago, but thanks to their genetic legacy and preserved remains they still remain a very real presence today. From the fossils lying trapped in the ground through to the descendants flying above our heads, dinosaurs have unique tales to tell. We take a closer look at this ancient world through an A-Z encyclopedia of all things dinosaur. You’ll learn not just…

A to Z of the dinosaurs

What was a dinosaur?

DID YOU KNOW?It’s thought that only 10% of dinosaur species have been found so far Dinosaurs dominated the Earth for over 160 million years, often as the apex predators of their particular environments. Although fossilised dinosaur remains have been discovered throughout human history (early discoveries probably being the origins of mythical creatures such as dragons and hydras), dinosaurs were only described scientifically in the early nineteenth century. It was British palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen who coined the taxon Dinosauria in 1842. The word dinosaur means “terrible lizard”, but the term is somewhat misleading, as dinosaurs are not lizards but are part of a separate group of reptiles altogether. Dinosaurs are a diverse group that began life on the super-continent of Pangaea. As continental shift progressed and Pangaea broke up into smaller…

What was a dinosaur?

How did the dinosaurs’ world evolve?

Evolution of the dinosaur world DID YOU KNOW?Lots of dinosaurs couldn’t survive the 60°C heat of the Triassic period The ultra-dry climates of the Permian era, and the subsequent destruction of the ancient coal swamps that were home to a great many Carboniferous plants, meant that the Mesozoic (or ‘middle life’) era signalled something of a recovery period in Earth’s history. Comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, the Mesozoic era was less dry but was still swathed in high global temperatures, and the now-empty ecosystems on the land were soon taken over by evolving mammals and dinosaurs. Meanwhile, beneath the oceans, new corals appeared and various sea urchins began to diversify and thrive, having been almost driven to the point of extinction at the end of the Permian era. Some estimates put…

How did the dinosaurs’ world evolve?

Where did dinosaurs live?

Dinosaur habitats DID YOU KNOW?The extinction event that killed the dinosaurs is one of five major events to have changed the Earth Triassic desert 250 to 200 million years ago Dinosaurs first appeared during the Triassic period. Earth was hot, dry and covered in deserts Throughout the Mesozoic era, which comprised the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, much was changing on and in the Earth’s lands and seas. The Triassic period was a time of recovery after the devastation, in terms of the fauna and flora, that brought to a close the Permian period. The high global temperatures and the empty ecosystems on the land meant that dinosaurs and mammals evolved during the Triassic period, while the oceans saw sea urchins begin to diversify, having been driven almost to the point of extinction at the end…

Where did dinosaurs live?

The dinosaurs’ neighbours

Prehistoric mammals DID YOU KNOW?Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs, such as the platypus and echidnas Mammals are characterised in many different ways, such as the possession of hair and mammary glands that produce milk for their offspring. While it is the formidable dinosaurs that people associate most with the Mesozoic era, mammals also lived and evolved during this era. For example, during the early Cretaceous period, egg-laying mammals, such as the Teinolophos, existed. Little is actually known about this mammal as only a few partial lower-jaw bones have ever been discovered. Certain characteristics of these jaw bones indicated that the Teinolophos was indeed a monotreme – an egg-laying mammal. The platypus and the echidna are the only remaining monotremes. They are found only in Australia, where the Teinolophos lived around 120…

The dinosaurs’ neighbours

What’s inside a dinosaur egg

DID YOU KNOW?Some dinosaurs were able to lay more than 30 eggs at a time What came first – the dinosaur or the egg? We’re not entirely sure, but what we do know is that these great reptiles laid eggs just like chickens do. Inside the shell of a hen’s egg, chicks are able to grow before they’re ready to hatch. That’s just how the dinosaurs were born. We know that baby dinosaurs were made this way because we have found lots of evidence. Fossilised dinosaur eggs have been found at over 200 places across the world. They tell a story about how the dinosaur made its nest, laid its eggs and how baby dinosaurs were born. A crew of palaeontologists exploring Mongolia in 1923 were the first to scientifically recognise fossilised dinosaur…

What’s inside a dinosaur egg

World’s biggest dinosaurs

DID YOU KNOW?The biggest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, including dinosaurs, is the blue whale How were they supported? We examine the anatomy of a sauropod, to see how these huge creatures were able to keep upright It’s somewhat frightening to imagine what it must have been like to wander around the plains of Africa and Argentina 100 million years ago. Whereas today you’d be hard-pressed to encounter a beast any bigger than yourself, back then you’d be running for your life as bus-sized creatures roamed free, some remaining largely peaceful and distant, others full of aggression. The biggest land-based animal alive today is the African bush elephant, with the largest weighing a measly 13.5 tons and measuring 10.6m (34.8ft) long and 4.2m (13.8ft) high. Argentinosaurus, the current official record-holder for…

World’s biggest dinosaurs

Dinosaur identification

How It Works: Can you describe your current role within the world of palaeontology? Mike Benton: I work in a 50:50 teaching and research position – I teach undergraduates, both geologists and keen palaeontologists, and especially I teach Masters and PhD students. Every year, some 20-25 new Masters students and four-five new PhD students come from all parts of the world to work with us, and I really enjoy working with them to help them develop their careers. In research, I work on several topics by myself, on others with my students, and on others with collaborators around the world. Could you briefly summarise the key methods and techniques used in the identification of prehistoric creatures? Palaeontologists identify fossils based on the existing knowledge of living and extinct forms. The fossils are often…

Dinosaur identification

How did dinosaurs defend themselves?

Herbivorous dinosaurs developed built-in weapons to defend against carnivores. This gave them a better chance of surviving a fight against predators. It also gave them a better chance at defending vulnerable young against predation. Some dinosaurs had sharp claws on their hands, like Iguanodons, which could have been used as a tool and as a weapon. Dinosaurs like Triceratops had horns as long as a human arm that pointed forwards so that the Triceratops could take on its enemy head on. Both these defences could have been used to stab attacking predators. Other dinosaurs used their tails as weapons. The Ankylosaurus had a heavy, bony hammer at the end of its tail. They could use this to smash into an attacking dinosaur and they were strong enough to crush skulls and…

How did dinosaurs defend themselves?

What was the cleverest dinosaur?

Dinosaurs were not a brainy bunch, but the Troodon was unusually smart. Its brain was much larger than other dinosaurs and it was ferocious predator. They were clever enough to hunt in packs so they could catch much larger prey. There was no escape from a Troodon. The bird-like dinosaur was very good at running, with its long legs and curved claws that would deliver the killer blow to prey. It is thought that a Troodon’s teeth were as sharp as knives and that their big eyes gave them great night vision, so they weren’t limited to hunting in daylight.…

What was the cleverest dinosaur?

Diplodocus is one of the most famous dinosaurs. It belonged to the group known as the sauropodomorphs and was around in the Late Jurassic period – specifically the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian eras roughly 154-150 million years ago. It reached sizes of up to 25 metres (82 feet) in length and was found in what is now North America. There were four species of Diplodocus, with the largest of these being Seismosaurus, which translates to ‘ground shaker’. Diplodocus was part of the diplodocid family, sharing the same characteristic of having 15 neck vertebrae, short forelimbs compared to the rest of its body and a whip-like tail. Its giant neck made up a large proportion of its body, but there is still some contention as to whether it held its neck vertically or…

Triceratops is a genus of herbivorous dinosaur that comprises two validated species – Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prorsus, both of which roamed Earth during the Late Cretaceous period (68-65 Ma) before being eradicated in the K-T mass-extinction event that wiped out all dinosaurs. Triceratops were large, rhinoceros-like animals that weighed many tonnes – a fully grown adult would be expected to weigh in the region of seven tonnes. They were heavily armoured with reinforced bone horns, which could exceed 70 centimetres (28 inches) and a solid bone frill, and hugely powerful thanks to their sturdy frame. These traits, combined, made both species of Triceratops a fearsome foe to potential predators, capable of puncturing flesh and shattering bone with their sharp horns when charging. In terms of anatomy (for a comprehensive rundown, see…

Velociraptors have been ingrained in public consciousness since the 1993 movie Jurassic Park showcased them as the most fearsome of apex predators. Smart, lethal and bloodthirsty, the Velociraptors of the film arguably stole the show. However, the movie was famed for its indulgence of artistic licence, with palaeontologists bemoaning the lack of historical accuracy. So what were these dinosaurs really like? Velociraptor, of which there are two verified species – V mongoliensis and V osmolskae, was a genus of dromaeosaurid (“running lizard”) theropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous period, about 75-71 million years ago. They were two metres (6.6 feet) long, just under a metre (three feet) high, feathered and bipedal, running on two of their three toes per foot. Velociraptors were native to modernday central Asia most notably…

Slash or subdue?

DID YOU KNOW?Modern-day hawks and eagles attack their prey in a similar way to Velociraptors The majority of non-avian theropod dinosaurs are characterised by razor-sharp serrated teeth and talon-like recurved claws, the Velociraptor being no exception. Armed with a bounty of claws on both its hands and feet, the Velociraptor at first glance seems to be the perfect killing machine, capable of rapidly chasing down prey before shredding their flesh with one of their knife-like tools. Well, that was at least the commonly accepted theory among palaeontologists until late in 2011, before a new study by a team of international dinosaur experts suggested an entirely different use for them. The study suggested that far from their claws – specifically the Velociraptor’s much-touted ‘killing claws’ – being used to shred and slice prey…

Slash or subdue?

DID YOU KNOW?Some palaeontologists have suggested Stegosaurus’s plates were used for regulating body temperature Stegosaurus anatomy Understand the biological structure of this distinctive dino from the inside out Maybe the most iconic genus of dinosaurs ever excavated, the Stegosaurus was a herbivorous titan, capable of consuming huge quantities of low-level foliage while protecting itself from predators with its vast armoured frame and potentially lethal spiked tail. The first example of Stegosaurus – from which its family name, Stegosauridae, derived – was unearthed in 1877 and since then four confirmed species of the dinosaur have been officially identified. Each species demonstrates a similar structure and feature set, with each animal epitomising a large quadruped, sporting a series of diamond-shaped plates along its back. These large creatures were over eight metres (26 feet) long and were…

Tyrannosaurus rex

DID YOU KNOW?Tyrannosaurus rex was totally wiped out in the Cretaceous-Palaeogene extinction event Tyrannosaurus rex was a species of Theropoda dinosaur in the Late Cretaceous period. Like other tyrannosaurids – such as Tarbosaurus and Gorgosaurus – the T-rex was a bipedal carnivore and apex predator and scavenger, preying on smaller dinosaurs directly or out-muscling them for their kills. Typical prey included hadrosaurs and ceratopsians. Tyrannosaurus rex’s name translates as “tyrant lizard king” – something that was historically attributed due to its immense size. Indeed, the Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the largest species ever excavated by palaeontologists, with specimens averaging over 12 metres (40 feet) in length and four metres (13 feet) in height, but it wasn’t the biggest carnivorous dino. It was incredibly heavy with fully grown adults weighing up…

Tyrannosaurus rex

T-rex mythbuster

Due to a variety of films depicting the T-rex in their own unique way, an accurate view of the species has been clouded. For example, despite being a prominent star of all the Jurassic Park films, Tyrannosaurus rex did not exist in the Jurassic period (199-145 MYA). In fact, it lived millions of years later during the Late Cretaceous (100-65.5 MYA). Further, for decades T-rex has been depicted as having green scaly skin. However, recent evidence suggests its skin colour was varied and, during the early years of its life, it probably sported insulative feathers. The T-rex has also been commonly lauded as the biggest carnivorous dinosaur of them all. This isn’t strictly true, with palaeontological evidence suggesting the species Spinosaurus outsized it by over three metres (9.9 feet) in…

T-rex mythbuster

The giant Brachiosaurus

Brachiosaurus was a genus of sauropod dinosaur that roamed the Earth during the Late Jurassic period (circa 155-140 million years ago). They are characterised, like many sauropods of the time, by their huge necks and comparatively tiny skulls and brains. Currently only one species has been officially confirmed – B altithorax – though others have been suggested. Interestingly, like other sauropods, these creatures – despite weighing an estimated 60 tons and measuring up to 30 metres (98 feet) long – were actually colossal vegetarians, with their diet comprising solely foliage. Their evolution of such a long neck (see ‘The high life’ boxout for more details) seems to be intrinsically linked to their diet, with the elevated head position enabling them to access leaves unavailable to shorter species. This dominion over a food source…

The giant Brachiosaurus

Each vertebra in the neck of Brachiosaurus was approximately one metre (3.3 feet) in length, which is absolutely colossal compared with the largest animals around today. Combined, these vertebrae formed an extensive, snake-like neck that enabled the Brachiosaurus to reach up into tall trees and other plants with ease to feed on foliage – of which it needed vast quantities to survive. Importantly, despite the long neck giving Brachiosaurus a keen browsing advantage when compared with other smaller dinosaurs, as a payoff it would have needed a near-vertical neck posture most of the time in order to prevent injury. Unlike the popular 20th-century view that Brachiosaurus would raise and lower its head to access different tiers of foliage, it is now generally thought that only the immediate level around its head height…

DID YOU KNOW?Interestingly the earliest specimens of ankylosaurs we have found did not possess a tail club Ankylosaurus was one of the largest ankylosaurs, a genus of armoured dinosaurs that lived throughout North America between 75 and 65.5 million years ago. Famous for both its brutal tail-mounted club and its immense bone plate armour, the Ankylosaurus was a defensive titan, capable of fending off rivals many times its size. Ankylosaurus’s focus on defence was born out of its herbivorous nature, with its entire body geared towards the consumption of foliage. From its low-slung body, rows of leaf-shaped cropping teeth, short front legs, wide feet and cavernous stomach, the Ankylosaurus was the consummate browser, devouring vegetation whole with little shredding or chewing. Indeed, studies have indicated that the skull and jaw of the…

Meet the real Brontosaurus

DID YOU KNOW?Apatosaurus skeleton fragments have been found in Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma and Utah Around four times heavier than an African elephant, five times longer than your car and almost six times the height of a full-grown human, Apatosaurus was one of the largest dinosaurs of the Jurassic era and one of most gigantic to ever walk the Earth. As is typical with large dinosaurs of this period, Apatosaurus (once mistakenly known as Brontosaurus) was a herbivore, consuming vast quantities of foliage and grasses over the lands that now form modern-day North America. Interestingly, despite its size, its name is derived from the Greek ‘apate’ and ‘saurus’, which translate as ‘deception lizard’ – a name bestowed by its original discoverer, American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. Prior to the 1970s, Apatosaurus, along with many…

Meet the real Brontosaurus

Marine reptiles

Pliosaurs These marine reptiles were built to hunt deep Pliosaurs were large carnivorous marine reptiles that mainly inhabited the waters around Europe in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Their diet consisted of fish, sea-based dinosaurs and other marine reptiles. The two most well known varieties of pliosaur are the Kronosaurus and the Liopleurodon. The Kronosaurus was known to have stalked the seas around Australia and South America in the late Cretaceous period and measured up to nine meters (30ft) in length. Liopleurodons measured a colossal 12 meters (39ft) in length. Resembling a whale, it was a highly manoeuvrable creature that was capable of swimming at all depths. Plesiosaurs These powerful reptiles were every inch the aquatic version of a dinosaur Plesiosaurs were part of marine ecology from the late Triassic period to the end of the…

Marine reptiles

Plesiosaurus was an unusual long-necked marine reptile that lived in the Early Jurassic period (circa 199-175 million years ago). This member of the sauropterygian superorder measured in at approximately 4.5 metres (15 feet) in length, sported a muscular and stocky body, a long and narrow neck, plus a short, stubby tail. Four large flipper-like limbs that attached in pairs to the torso allowed the creature to propel itself through the water at great speed, while a small head packed with rows of sharp, curved teeth ensured that once it got hold of its dinner there was no getting away. Despite the reptile’s underwater dominance, the Plesiosaurus could not in fact breathe underwater like fish so had to surface to draw in air. Due to its size, however, it could spend a…

DID YOU KNOW?The name ‘Pterosaur’ comes from the Greek words ‘Pteron’ (wing) and ‘Sauros’ (lizard) These flying reptiles lived alongside dinosaurs in a variety of environments across the Earth from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period (225 to 65 million years ago). They ranged in size from just a few centimetres to more than 12 metres (one inch-39 feet), mostly feeding on fish while some scavenged dead animals and ate insects inland. The wing of the pterosaur was unique, a large membrane suspended from a hugely expanded fourth finger. Pterosaurs are largely regarded as the first vertebrates to achieve sustainable powered flight, although the largest relied mainly on the wind and gliding to stay in the air. There is much contention among palaeontologists as to whether these flying…

DID YOU KNOW?Quetzalcoatlus was named after the ancient Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent Not a great deal is actually known about this pterosaur that dates back to the late Cretaceous period, as only fragments have ever been discovered. However, evidence suggests that the Quetzalcoatlus possibly boasted a wingspan of up to 12m – making it the largest flying vertebrate of all time. But, despite its colossal size, its weight has been suggested could have been as low as 190lbs, but certainly no more than 550lbs. This was perhaps down to a complex system of air sacs situated inside many of the creature’s bones that kept its weight down so as to be able to stay airborne for longer. The Quetzalcoatlus’s long, narrow wings made it an excellent glider, and while initial…

10 deadliest dinosaurs

DID YOU KNOW?Watch out for your crown, T-rex: on average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every six weeks “ T-rex’s phenomenal bite was stronger than that of any land animal that ever lived” Tyrannosaurus rex (“tie-RAN-a-SOREuss rex”) needs no introduction; its reputation as the ultimate carnivore and most badass dinosaur ever to roam the Earth precedes it. Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex for short) literally means “tyrant lizard king”, and there can be no doubt that it lived up to its name. Standing at over five metres (16.4 feet) tall and 12 metres (39.4 feet) long, and weighing a staggering seven tonnes (15,400 pounds), the T-rex was once thought to have been the largest terrestrial carnivore in history, but subsequent discoveries of fellow titans Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus and Spinosaurus challenged this. The T-rex walked on…

10 deadliest dinosaurs

The death of the dinosaurs

“The common factors in mass extinctions include large-scale lava flow and volcanic gases” DID YOU KNOW?The Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction is also commonly referred to as the K-Textinction The death of the dinosaurs Loads of theories surround the death of the dinosaurs, we get to the bottom of it It is believed that there have been at least five mass extinctions in the last 540 million years, the most famous being the one that signalled the end of the Cretaceous period around 65.5 million years ago and effectively wiped out the dinosaurs. Palaeontologists initially believed that this mass extinction event was caused by climate and geological changes. This theory changed in the 1980s when scientists Luis and Walter Alvarez discovered a layer of iridium in the geological record that corresponds with the time that the dinosaurs…

The death of the dinosaurs

What are fossils?

DID YOU KNOW?Fossils are useful in targeting mineral fuels, indicating the stratigraphic position of coal streams Types of fossilisation Dependent on climate and ground conditions, deceased animals can be fossilised in many ways The origin of life on Earth is irrevocably trapped in deep time. The epic, fluid and countless beginnings, evolutions and extinctions are immeasurable to humankind; our chronology is fractured, the picture is incomplete. For while the diversity of life on Earth today is awe-inspiring, with animals living within the most extreme environments imaginable – environments we as humans brave every day in a effort to chart and understand where life begins and ends – it is but only a fraction of the total life Earth has seen inhabit it over geological time. Driven by the harsh realities of an ever-changing…

What are fossils?

A crucial tool for palaeontologists, carbon dating allows ancient fossils to be accurately dated Carbon dating is a method of radioactive dating used by palaeontologists that utilises the radioactive isotope carbon-14 to determine the time since it died and was fossilised. When an organism dies it stops replacing carbon-14, which is present in every carbonaceous organism on Earth, leaving the existing carbon-14 to decay. Carbon-14 has a half-life (the time it takes a decaying object to decrease in radioactivity by 50 per cent) of 5,730 years, so by measuring the decayed levels of carbon-14 in a fossil, its time of death can be extrapolated and its geological age determined.…

Finding fossils

Ever since Mary Anning first began piecing together the fossils of Jurassic beasts in the early nineteenth century, scientists have been learning more and more about the dinosaurs that ruled the world millions of years ago. Buried deep beneath the ground for aeons, the remains of countless extinct creatures are waiting to be unearthed by palaeontologists, who can gradually unlock their secrets. Dinosaurs and other prehistoric fossils have been discovered around the world for thousands of years, with reports of ‘dragon bones’ found in China more likely indicating some of the earliest dino finds. However, it wasn’t until the brilliant scientists of the Enlightenment in the late-18th and early-19th centuries that it became clear just how old these ancient skeletons really were. Before long, fossil hunting became an obsession for naturalists…

Finding fossils

How fossils form

1 After death, a dinosaur’s remains would often just rot and erode away completely, leaving not even a skeleton behind. However, in the right conditions, where the remains are kept safe from weather and hungry scavengers, the process of fossilisation can begin. 2 Over a long period of time, shifting sands, soil and sediment entirely cover the skeleton, encasing it in the ground. Any remaining soft tissue such as skin and organs, decays away entirely, leaving only the creature’s bones. At this stage the remains are only partly fossilised. 3 As rising sea levels and shifting materials leave the skeleton further underground, the earth around the skeleton hardens under immense pressure. Eventually the bones entirely dissolve, leaving their shape behind in a natural mould, or cavity under the ground. 4 Over time, mineral…

How fossils form

Digging for dinosaurs

Bulldozers, hammers, chisels, drills and even dynamite – you’d be forgiven for thinking these were part of a construction-site inventory. In fact, they are the basic tools a palaeontologist will use to uncover the mysteries of the past. From removing tons of topsoil with diggers and other heavy machinery, to carefully clearing away clinging dust and debris with delicate brushes, the process of excavating a dinosaur skeleton can take many years. The largest dino fossil Even in this ancient time when giants ruled the Earth, sky and sea, Dreadnoughtus schrani truly was a behemoth of a creature. Standing over two-storeys tall and weighing as much 60 tonnes, the remains of this beast were found by a team in Patagonia, Argentina, and have been dated back over 77 million years. A member of…

Digging for dinosaurs

101 GIGANTIC FACTS ABOUT DINOSAURS

01 The word ‘dinosaur’ means terrible lizard The word ‘dinosaur’ was first used in 1841 by biologist Sir Richard Owen. It is from the Greek word ‘deinos’, meaning terrible or great, and ‘sauros’, meaning lizard. 02 Dinosaurs were not lizards Despite being named ‘terrible lizards’, dinosaurs were anatomically very different from other reptiles and are not that closely related. 04 Cavemen never met the dinosaurs The reign of the dinosaurs came to an end 66 million years ago, but humans have only been around for 200,000 years. Our ancestors did not share a world with the dinosaurs, but they did encounter sabretoothed cats and woolly mammoths. 05 No one knows what colour dinosaurs really were The coloured pictures of dinosaurs seen in textbooks are guesswork based on what we know about animals today, but scientists have analysed…

101 GIGANTIC FACTS ABOUT DINOSAURS

10 Sauropods were huge herbivores The four-legged dinosaurs with long tails and necks are known as sauropods. The most common were Diplodocus and Camarasaurus. 11 Diplodocus had 15 vertebrae in its neck At least, we think it did – there are very few complete specimens. For comparison, a human has seven neck vertebrae. 12 Sauropods did not live in water Early ideas about how sauropods like Diplodocus lived portrayed them walking underwater like hippos. They had nostrils on the top of their heads, and scientists thought they would use their necks like snorkels. However, with large bodies, the crushing weight of water would have prevented them from breathing, and we now know they lived on land. 13 Titanosaurs laid the largest eggs The larger an egg is, the thicker its shell has to be. Even the monstrous…

Tyrannosaurus rex

35 You probably couldn’t outrun a Tyrannosaurus Computer simulations of T-rex running suggest that it had a top speed of around 29kmh (18mph). Not quite fast enough to catch up with a car, like in Jurassic Park, but quick enough to catch any human that’s not an athlete. 36 The largest T-rex fossil is called Sue Complete dinosaur fossils are incredibly rare, but there is one T-rex specimen that stands out from the rest. Sue is over 12.8m (40ft) long and stands over 3.9m (13ft) high. She is on display at the Chicago Field Museum and is the most complete specimen ever recovered. 37 Stegosaurus never met Tyrannosaurus Despite being depicted together, these two would never have been in the same place at the same time. Stegosaurus lived during the Jurassic period and went extinct…

Tyrannosaurus rex

49 The meat-eating dinosaurs walked on two feet All the carnivorous dinosaurs were theropods (although not all theropods were carnivores) and walked upright on their two hind legs. They typically had hollow bones, three main fingers on each hand and foot, and sharp, curved teeth and claws used for hunting and eating. 50 Dinosaurs either had lizard hips or bird hips Dinosaurs can be divided into two major groups based on their hipbones. The Ornithischia, or ‘bird-hipped’ dinosaurs had a pubic bone that pointed toward the tail, and the Saurischia, ‘lizard-hipped’ dinosaurs pointed toward the head. Interestingly, birds evolved from lizard-hipped dinosaurs. 51 Most dinosaurs ate plants Dinosaurs are often portrayed as fearsome hunters, but the majority of species were herbivores. Even some of the ferocious-looking theropods actually ate plants and used their sharp claws…

Hunting dinosaurs

79 North America has excavated the most dinosaur fossils North America, Argentina and China have more than their fair share of dinosaur fossils. Areas with desert-type environments prevented the build-up of thick layers of plants, leaving the remains easier to find under sand and rock. 80 The first dinosaur fossil was found in England The first dinosaur to be scientifically documented was Megalosaurus, formally named by William Buckland in 1824. The fossils were found in a quarry in Oxford. 81 Fossilised dinosaur highways allow us to retrace ancient steps Enormous mudflats captured the imprints of dinosaur footprints, and some were preserved as fossils. Utah in the United States is particularly famous for its dinosaur trackways, which can be found on what used to be an ancient muddy floodplain. 82New dinosaurs are discovered every year There are hundreds…

Hunting dinosaurs

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