- Fact 2 - Dinosaurs existed between
about 230 million and 65 million years ago
- Fact 3 - The "age of dinosaurs"
(the Mesozoic Era) included three consecutive geologic time
periods (the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods).
- Fact 4 - There is evidence that a
meteorite impact was at least the partial cause for the
extinction of Dinosaurs
- Fact 5 - After the dinosaurs died
out, nearly 65 million years passed before people appeared on
Earth
- Fact 6 - Over 700 different species
of dinosaurs have been identified and named
- Fact 7 - Dinosaurs lived on all of
the continents
- Fact 8 - Most Dinosaurs ate plants
but others hunted other dinosaurs or scavenged dead animals
- Fact 9 - Dinosaurs are believed to
be brightly colored as modern snakes or birds
- Fact 10 - The most ferocious
dinosaur was the Tyrannosaurus rex
- Fact 11 - The longest dinosaur was
Seismosaurus, which measured over 40 metres
- Fact 12 - The tallest dinosaur was
the Sauroposeidon growing to 18.5 metres tall
- Fact 13 - The largest flying
dinosaur was the Quetzalocoatlus which had a wingspan of up to
13 metres
- Fact 14 - The heaviest dinosaur was
Brachiosaurus
- Fact 15 - The smallest dinosaur was
the Lesothosaurus, which was only the size of a chicken
- Fact 16 - The word "dinosaur",
meaning terrible lizard, was given in 1842 by the English
paleontologist Richard Owen. Dino derives from the Greek word 'deinos'
meaning "terrible, powerful, wondrous" + 'Saur' derives from the
Greek word 'sauros' meaning "lizard"
- Fact 17 - Many Paleontologists
believe that birds are the descendants of theropod dinosaurs
- Fact 18 - Some dinosaurs were
bipeds, some were quadrupeds and others could walk just as
easily on two or four legs
- Fact 19 - Rev William Buckland, a
professor of geology, was the first person to describe a
dinosaur in a scientific journal
- Fact 20 - Extinct - EX (Status: Extinct) -
These animals are no longer in existence.
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