dinosaurs

Pterodactyls are not dinosaurs, they were flying reptiles .

To date, scientists have identified thousands of individual dinosaur species, which can be roughly assigned to 15 major families

Tyrannosaurs

Tyrannosaurs were the killing machines these huge, powerful carnivores were all legs, trunk and teeth, and they preyed relentlessly on smaller, herbivorous dinosaurs). The most famous tyrannosaur was Tyrannosaurus Rex

Sauropods

• Sauropods were the true giants of the dinosaur family, some species attaining lengths of over 100 feet and weights of over 100 tons. Most sauropods were characterized by their extremely long necks and tails and thick, squat bodies. For example Brachiosaurus.

Ceratopsians(Horned, frilled)

• Among the oddest-looking dinosaurs that ever lived, ceratopsians--"horned faces"--included such familiar dinosaurs as Triceratops and Pentaceratops, and were characterized by their huge, frilled, horned skulls. Most ceratopsians were comparable in size to modern cattle or elephants

Raptors

• Among the most feared dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, raptors were closely related to modern birds.They had curved claws on each of their feet; most of them were also covered with feathers. Among the most famous raptors were Velociraptor .

Ornithomimids(bird mimic)

• Ornithomimids didn't resemble flying birds, but landbound birds, like modern ostriches and emus. These two-legged dinosaurs were the speed demons hitting velocities of 50 miles per hour. They feasted on meat and vegetation with equal gusto.

Ornithopods

• Ornithopods--small- to medium-sized, mostly bipedal herbivores--were among the most common dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, roaming the plains and woodlands in vast herds.

Pacephalosaurs(bone-headed)

• The pachycephalosaurs like Stegoceras were small- to medium-sized, two-legged herbivores possessing unusually thick skulls which they used to battle each other for dominance in the herd.

Prosauropods

• During the late Triassic period, a strange, ungainly race of small-to-medium-sized herbivorous dinosaurs sprung up around the world,the prosauropods capable of walking on two as well as four legs and they had vegetarian diets with small servings of meat.

Stegosaurus(Spiked,plated dinosaur)

• Stegosaurus was a large plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period . What made this herbivore especially striking were the double rows of large, bony plates jutting out of its back. No one is quite sure why Stegosaurus had these plates.

Therizinosaurs

• Therizinosaurs had an unusually goofy appearance, sporting feathers, pot bellies, gangly limbs, and unusually long, scythe-like claws on their long front hands, herbivores and sometimes omnivores.

Theropods• Theropods--the bipedal,

mostly carnivorous dinosaur The problem is, there For this reason, the way palaeontologists classify theropods is in a state of constant flux.

Sauropods

• By the beginning of the Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago, gigantic, herbivorous dinosaurs like Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus were on the decline. However, this didn't mean that sauropods as a whole were destined for early extinction; an offshoot of these huge, four-footed plant-eaters, known as titanosaurs, continued to prosper right up to the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago.

Ankylosaurs(Armoured dinosaurs)

• Ankylosaurs were among the last dinosaurs standing, 65 million years ago, these gentle herbivores complete with armour plating, sharp spikes and heavy clubs, evolved their armament mainly to ward off predators, though it's possible that males fought each other for dominance in the herd.

Dino-Birds

• Small, feathered theropods that possessed a mixture of dinosaur-like and bird-like features. Preserved feathered dinosaurs like Sinornithosaurus have recently been unearthed in China,

Hadrosaurs(Duck-billed dinosaurs)

• Among the last--and most populous--dinosaurs to roam the earth, hadrosaurs (commonly known as duck-billed dinosaurs) were large, oddly shaped, plant eaters with tough beaks on their snouts for shredding vegetation and (sometimes) distinctive head crests. Most hadrosaurs are believed to have lived in herds.

Dinosaur Facts

A person who studies dinosaurs is called a palaeontologist.

The first dinosaur to be formally named was the Megalosaurus, back in 1824.

The most recent dinosaur to be found in 2009 fossilised is called a Hesperonychus.

The word dinosaur comes from the Greek language and means ‘terrible lizard’. The word was coined by English palaeontologist Richard Owen in 1842 and was meant to refer to Dinosaurs impressive size rather than their scary appearance.

Dinosaur facts continuedDinosaurs ruled the Earth for over 160 million years, from the Triassic period around 230 million years ago through the Jurassic period and until the end of the Cretaceous period around 65 million years ago.

How did dinosaurs become extinct?

• The most popular theory is the Asteroid Theory, a large asteroid or comet collided with Earth about 65 million years ago. Such a large collision would throw so much dust into the air that sunlight would not be able to shine and plants and animals would die. The dramatic changes in climate from this huge collision were too much for the dinosaurs. They were unable to survive.

Quiz time

What was the first dinosaur discovered in1824 ?

a) T Rexb) Megalasaurusc) Brachiosaurus

• Where did Sir Richard Owen go to school ?a) Ripley St Thomas b) Lancaster Royal Grammar SchoolC) QES

What was the most recent dinosaur to be discovered called?a) Triceratopsb) Hesperonychusc) Ankylosaurus

• How many horns does a Triceratops have?a) 3b) 2c) 5

What does the word dinosaur mean?a) Terrible lizardb) Giant lizardc) Terrible reptile