Dinosaur Facts

Dinosaur Fact #1: What is a Dinosaur? When scientists talk of dinosaurs, they mean a special kind of creature that lived on land during the Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous period. But a lot of people say "dinosaur" when they mean any prehistoric creature, such as sea creatures or pteradactyls.

Dinosaur Facts #2: What are the Ages of Dinosaurs? They are Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.You can learn more about those on the dinosaur history page.

Dinosaur Fact #3: The Smartest Dinosaur was ... The Troodon! Scientists measure smartness by figuring out how big an animal compared to its body. This is called "encephalization quotient." Troodon wins! Even so, they think he was only about as smart as a modern possum. But for a dinosaur, that was pretty smart! For more on smart dinosaurs see this article.

Dinosaur Fact #4: The Dumbest Dinosaur was ... Thestegosaurus! It had a brain as big as a walnut in a body weighing nearly two tons! "Dumb" isn't a nice word, even if it is a dinosaur fact. Let's just call Stegosaurus "less smart than a Troodon"!

Dinosaur Fact #5: The Fastest Dinosaur was ... Coelophysis and other Ornithomimosaurs. Scientists think these dinosaurs ran up to 30 miles per hour for short distances!

Dinosaur Facts #6: The Biggest Dinosaurs were: Saurpods. Seismosaurus was 165 feet long (it's tail helped!). Arentinosaurus was the heaviest at 100 tons. The Brachiosaurus was 39 feet high (which helped it reach branches in trees). Giganotosaurus was the largest hunting dinosaur, at 46 feet long and up to 8 tons!

Dinosaurs Fact #7: The Smallest Dinosaur was the Saltopus. It was only 3 feet long, and weighed about five pounds.

Dinosaurs Fact #8: What Killed the Dinosaurs (Dinosaurs Cause for Extinction): No one really knows! Scientists have several theories:

• Meteor hits the earth!
• Lots of volcanic eruptions!
• Climate Changes (over a long period of time)

Dinosaur Facts #9: Are Dinosaurs Reptiles or Birds? Scientists now believe that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded like birds, and not cold-blooded like reptiles. Scientists also believe that today's birds are actually dinosaurs, and that birds are reptiles?! Confused? Here's a site that discusses it.

Dinosaur Fact #10: Dinosaurs Lived on Land! Many prehistoric sea creatures lived at the same time as dinosaurs. However, they were not dinosaurs! Kronosaurus was the largest of all the sea reptiles. It grew to be almost 42 feet long.

Dinosaur Fact #11: Dinosaurs First Appeared: In the Triassic period, around 200 million years ago. A group of reptiles from the late Permian Period (archosaurs) became the best hunters on land. They developed special features in their skulls and how they walked (having an upright body with their legs under their body), which made them dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Facts #12: What do Dinosaur eggs look like? Dinosaur eggs are many shapes and sizes. Some are up to 16" long or more. But bigger eggs didn't always mean bigger dinosaurs. Some very large dinosaurs had small eggs. The first dinosaur egg fossils were found in France in 1869. Many dinosaur eggs found still have their original shells.

Dinosaur Facts #13: Why did Dinosaurs Look So Weird?Dinosaurs were around for millions of years. During that time they changed to suit their environment and conditions. Horns, plates, thorns, spines, long necks, claws, each of these served a purpose for that dinosaur. If you think about it, dinosoaurs were around for a little more than 200 million years. Human beings have been around for about 120,000. Think how weird WE might look in another million years or so!

 Dinosaur Fact #1: What is a Dinosaur? When scientists talk of dinosaurs, they mean a special kind of creature that lived on land during the Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous period. But a lot of people say "dinosaur" when they mean any prehistoric creature, such as sea creatures or pteradactyls.

Dinosaur Facts #2: What are the Ages of Dinosaurs? They are Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.You can learn more about those on the dinosaur history page.

Dinosaur Fact #3: The Smartest Dinosaur was ... The Troodon! Scientists measure smartness by figuring out how big an animal compared to its body. This is called "encephalization quotient." Troodon wins! Even so, they think he was only about as smart as a modern possum. But for a dinosaur, that was pretty smart! For more on smart dinosaurs see this article.

Dinosaur Fact #4: The Dumbest Dinosaur was ... Thestegosaurus! It had a brain as big as a walnut in a body weighing nearly two tons! "Dumb" isn't a nice word, even if it is a dinosaur fact. Let's just call Stegosaurus "less smart than a Troodon"!

Dinosaur Fact #5: The Fastest Dinosaur was ... Coelophysis and other Ornithomimosaurs. Scientists think these dinosaurs ran up to 30 miles per hour for short distances!

Dinosaur Facts #6: The Biggest Dinosaurs were: Saurpods. Seismosaurus was 165 feet long (it's tail helped!). Arentinosaurus was the heaviest at 100 tons. The Brachiosaurus was 39 feet high (which helped it reach branches in trees). Giganotosaurus was the largest hunting dinosaur, at 46 feet long and up to 8 tons!

Dinosaurs Fact #7: The Smallest Dinosaur was the Saltopus. It was only 3 feet long, and weighed about five pounds.

Dinosaurs Fact #8: What Killed the Dinosaurs (Dinosaurs Cause for Extinction): No one really knows! Scientists have several theories:

• Meteor hits the earth!
• Lots of volcanic eruptions!
• Climate Changes (over a long period of time)

Dinosaur Facts #9: Are Dinosaurs Reptiles or Birds? Scientists now believe that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded like birds, and not cold-blooded like reptiles. Scientists also believe that today's birds are actually dinosaurs, and that birds are reptiles?! Confused? Here's a site that discusses it.

Dinosaur Fact #10: Dinosaurs Lived on Land! Many prehistoric sea creatures lived at the same time as dinosaurs. However, they were not dinosaurs! Kronosaurus was the largest of all the sea reptiles. It grew to be almost 42 feet long.

Dinosaur Fact #11: Dinosaurs First Appeared: In the Triassic period, around 200 million years ago. A group of reptiles from the late Permian Period (archosaurs) became the best hunters on land. They developed special features in their skulls and how they walked (having an upright body with their legs under their body), which made them dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Facts #12: What do Dinosaur eggs look like? Dinosaur eggs are many shapes and sizes. Some are up to 16" long or more. But bigger eggs didn't always mean bigger dinosaurs. Some very large dinosaurs had small eggs. The first dinosaur egg fossils were found in France in 1869. Many dinosaur eggs found still have their original shells.

Dinosaur Facts #13: Why did Dinosaurs Look So Weird?Dinosaurs were around for millions of years. During that time they changed to suit their environment and conditions. Horns, plates, thorns, spines, long necks, claws, each of these served a purpose for that dinosaur. If you think about it, dinosoaurs were around for a little more than 200 million years. Human beings have been around for about 120,000. Think how weird WE might look in another million years or so!

Practically every child in the world, at some point, has been enthused with dinosaurs. Actually, probably most adults are intrigued by the dinosaur facts that have shown up over the years, also. Dinosaurs were a great part of our world history, and even though we may never fully understand them, or why they are now extinct, the fact remains that walking with dinosaurs must have been an amazing feat. We all in some way would like to know more about the mystery that is dinosaurs. Dinosaur information have sprung up from time to time giving us some clue as to the life that these amazing creatures led and the tremendous size of some of them. Dinosaur pictures, although clearly recreated, have given us some insight to their size and shape, but it still seems that we know so little about what they were really like. Of course, we know a few facts about them from the many movies, television specials, and news broadcasts covering the latest dig for dinosaurs, but how much do we really know? We know that the most common Jurassic dinosaurs were the Camarasaurus. And we know that walking with dinosaurs is something that, if we are perfectly honest with ourselves, we have all dreamed about at some point. Children, of course, think that a dinosaur is the most awesome creature in the world. Dinosaurs for kids are plentiful. Stuffed animals, movies, action figures, all represent to children to amazing creatures that dinosaurs were. As we get older, we don’t lose the awe that dinosaurs inspire in us. As new dinosaur facts are presented we are all glued to the television or newspaper just trying to comprehend the magnitude of the era in which dinosaurs ruled the world. And it seems that the more we know, the more we want to know. We will forever be enthralled in the process of learning about dinosaurs. The sad thing is, we may never fully know what walking with dinosaurs would be like. We can watch the movies and learning specials, but to have actually walked in their world is a feeling that seems out of reach. However, the more we learn about these amazing creatures, the more we can strive to place ourselves in their world. One day, it may be possible to get a feel of what living and walking with dinosaurs really was. Until then, we can still dream. ″Did you know... Dinosaurs lived and evolved for over 185 million years until they became extinct. The cause has not been proven yet, but many believe that an asteroid Over 9 miles wide hit the earth In the Gulf of Mexico. Giganotosaurus is the largest carnivorous dinosaur discovered. Fossils were discovered with a Protoceratops & velociraptor that appeared to have been fighting when they were quickly killed. The claw of the raptor was in the others' stomach as well. Nigersaurus may have been responsible for dinosaur extinction! There is no evidence that suggests that the dilophosaurus spit venomous mucus.