Dinosaurs
Triceratops
1/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: Up to 9 m
Weight: Up to 12 tons
How do you say it?
try-SAIR-uh-tops
Discovery:
When: 1877
Where: Colorado
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Where: Colorado
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Fun Facts
Triceratops’ distinctive frill and horns were likely used for both defense and display.Triceratops was extremely common at the end of the Cretaceous Period
Triceratops individuals may have had as many as 800 teeth at any one time, and thousands
over their lifetimes.
Ankylosaurus
2/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Cretaceous
Length: Up to 9 meters
Weight: Up to 6,000 kg
How do you say it?
an-KY-low-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1908
Where: Montana
By Who: Barnum Brown
Where: Montana
By Who: Barnum Brown
Fun Facts:
A healthy adult Ankylosaurus probably had few predators, if any, despite living alongside thebiggest predator in North America – Tyrannosaurus rex.
Their defensive strategy likely consisted of staying as close to the ground as possible to
avoid being flipped over, and wielding a formidable tail club.
Its leaf or spade-shaped teeth were probably useful for stripping leaves from plants, but not
for chewing.
T-Rex
3/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: Up to 12.8 m
Weight: Up to 6.8 tons
How do you say it?
tye-RAN-uh-SAWR-us recks
Discovery:
When: 1905
Where: Wyoming
By Who: Barnum Brown
Where: Wyoming
By Who: Barnum Brown
Fun Facts
Paleontologist Mary Schweitzer and her colleagues have discovered soft tissues andproteins preserved in T. rex remains.
T. rex was one of the largest land carnivores that ever lived.
Although not quite the largest carnivorous dinosaur, T. rex certainly had the biggest teeth of
any carnivore, measuring 30 cm (12 in) in length.
T. rex reached maturity at 16 or 18 years old, and for a few years before that, gained over
600 kg (1,300 lb) each year.
Stegosaurus
4/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Jurassic
Length: Up to 12 m
Weight: Up to 4.5 tons
How do you say it?
STEG-uh-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1879
Where: Colorado
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Where: Colorado
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Fun Facts
Stegosaurus’ tail spikes were likely used for defense.Stegosaurus’ plates may have been used for display or thermoregulation, or some
combination of the two. It is unlikely they were used for defense.
Despite its enormous size, Stegosaurus’ brain was approximately the same size as a
dog’s.
Argentinosaurus
5/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Cretaceous
Length: Up to 30 m
Weight: Up to 88 tons
How do you say it?
AHR-gen-TEEN-oh-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1993
Where: Neuquén Province, Argentina
By Who: José Bonaparte and Rodolfo Coria
Where: Neuquén Province, Argentina
By Who: José Bonaparte and Rodolfo Coria
Fun Facts
Argentinosaurus is presently considered to be the second longest, and the secondmost massive dinosaur and mammal to ever live on dry land in earth’s history.
Do you know the largest animal ever known to live on Earth?
Baryonyx
6/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Early Cretaceous
Length: Up to 8.5 m
Height: Up to 1,700 kg
How do you say it?
bare-ee-ON-iks
Discovery:
When: 1986
Where: England
By Who: Alan J. Charig and Angela C. Milner
Where: England
By Who: Alan J. Charig and Angela C. Milner
Fun Facts
Baryonyx had 96 teeth – that’s twice as many as Tyrannosaurus rex!Baryonyx had very crocodile-like jaws (long and slender) and teeth (finely serrated), leading
paleontologists to assume they were primarily piscivorous, or fish eaters, just like crocodiles.
Compsognathus
7/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Jurassic
Length: Up to 1.25 m
Weight: Up to 3.5 kg
How do you say it?
comp-sog-NAY-thus
Discovery:
When: 1859
Where: Germany
By Who: Johann A Wagner
Where: Germany
By Who: Johann A Wagner
Fun Facts
Compsognthatus had a long tail, which likely was used for balance during locomotion, and large eyes, which aided in hunting.The original Compsognathus fossil specimen was discovered in the Solnhofen Limestone - the same geologic unit that preserved the famous Archaeopteryx.
In 1868, Thomas H. Huxley found the Compsognathus to be closely related to Archaeopteryx, and therefore birds.
Despite its size, Compsognathus may have been the top land predator throughout the islands which at the time, formed the European continent.
Dilophosaurus
8/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Early Jurassic
Length: Up to 6 m
Weight: Up to 0.5 tons
How do you say it?
die-LOAF-oh-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1942
Where: Arizona
By Who: Sam Welles
Where: Arizona
By Who: Sam Welles
Fun Facts
Dilophosaurus is the only dinosaur in Jurassic Park portrayed to be much smaller than itactually is. It did not have a colorful flap of skin around its neck, and did not spit poison at its
victims, to the best of our knowledge.
Dilophosaurus had a notch between its front teeth on its upper jaw, and the rear teeth, much
like crocodiles do today. This may indicate that it ate fish like modern crocodiles do.
Perhaps this explains why they hung out around the edges of lakes so much?
Northern New Jersey is one of the best places in the world to find early dinosaur footprints.
One of the most common is called Eubrontes, which is believed to have been made by a
dinosaur like Dilophosaurus, as it walked along the muddy edges of lakes.
Dryptosaurus
9/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: 7.5 m
Weight: 3000 lbs
How do you say it?
DRIP-tuh-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1866
Where: Gloucester County, New Jersey
By Who: E.D. Cope
Where: Gloucester County, New Jersey
By Who: E.D. Cope
Fun Facts
Dryptosaurus was closely related to and lived at the same time as Tyrannosaurus rex.Dryptosaurus was the subject of one of the most famous, forward-thinking illustrations in the
history of the science.
Dryptosaurus was the world’s second nearly complete dinosaur skeleton, and the first of a
carnivorous dinosaur.
Dimetrodon
10/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Permian
Length: Up to 4 m
Weight: Up to 300 kg
How do you say it?
die-MET-roe-don
Discovery:
When: 1870's
Where: Texas
By Who: E.D. Cope
Where: Texas
By Who: E.D. Cope
Fun Facts
Dimetrodon is not only not a dinosaur, it’s actually more closely related to mammals,including you and I, than it is to dinosaurs!
The high “sail” on Dimetrodon’s back was presumably used for thermoregulation (regulating
body temperature).
Dimetrodon was likely the top land predator of its time.
Hadrosaurus
11/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: Up to 8 m
Weight: Up to 8 tons
How do you say it?
HAD-ruh-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1838
Where: Gloucester County, New Jersey
By Who: John Estaugh and Joseph Leidy
Where: Gloucester County, New Jersey
By Who: John Estaugh and Joseph Leidy
Fun Facts
Hadrosaurus foulkii was the first relatively complete dinosaur skeleton found anywhere inthe world.
H. foulkii is the Official State Dinosaur of New Jersey
H. foulkii was the first dinosaur skeleton to be mounted and placed on display, in 1868.
Apatosaurus
12/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Jurassic
Length: Up to 23 m
Weight: Up to 23 tons
How do you say it?
uh-PAT-us-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1877
Where: Colorado
By Who: Earl Douglass
Named by: O.C. Marsh
Where: Colorado
By Who: Earl Douglass
Named by: O.C. Marsh
Fun Facts
Apatosaurus is one of the largest land animals ever to walk on Earth.Everyone knows the dinosaur “Brontosaurus,” right? Actually, “Brontosaurus” doesn’t
exist, and hasn’t since 1903! Scientists discovered that “Brontosaurus” is actually the same
dinosaur as Apatosaurus, and since Apatosaurus was discovered first, the rules of science
say we have to use that name.
Apatosaurus may have grown very fast – reaching adult size in only 1 or 11 years!
“Gertie the Dinosaur,” an Apatosaurus, was the first ever cartoon character in 1914.
Pachycephalosaurus
13/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Cretaceous
Height: Up to 4.5 m
Weight: Up to 450 kg
How do you say it?
pak-ee-SEF-uh-low-SAWR-us
Discovery:
When: 1950s
Where: Montana
By Who: Ferdinand Hayden
Where: Montana
By Who: Ferdinand Hayden
Fun Facts
The skull of Pachycephalosaurus was up to 25 cm (10 in) thick.The thickness of Pachycephalosaurus’ skull lead paleontologists to believe that they may
have used them in battle by slamming head-first into each other, much the same way rams
do today. Other paleontologists think they may have used them to slam into the flanks of
their rivals.
Parasaurolophus
14/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: Up to 9.5 m
Weight: Up to 2.5 tons
How do you say it?
par-ah-sawr-OL-uh-fus
Discovery:
When: 1922
Where: Alberta, Canada
By Who?: William Parks
Where: Alberta, Canada
By Who?: William Parks
Fun Facts
Parasaurolophus’ crest was likely used for sexual selection, as well as for creating soundsfor communication.
Pteranodon
15/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Late Cretaceous
Length: Up to 7.25 m
Weight: Up to 93 kg
How do you say it?
terr-ANN-owe-don
Discovery:
When: 1870
Where: Kansas
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Where: Kansas
By Who: O.C. Marsh
Fun Facts
Paleontologists assume Pteranodon lived primarily on offshore rookeries, much like manysea-going birds do today.
Pteranodon likely flew much like modern albatrosses – primarily soaring, with occasional
periods of powered (flapping) flight.
Pteranodon crests are assumed to have been used primarily for sexual display.
Oryctodromeus
16/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Cretaceous
Length: Up to 2.1 m
Weight: Up to 32 kg
How do you say it?
oh-RICK-toe-DROE-mee-us
Discovery:
When: 2006
Where: Montana
By Who: David J. Varricchio, Anthony J. Martin, and Yoshihiro Katsura
Where: Montana
By Who: David J. Varricchio, Anthony J. Martin, and Yoshihiro Katsura
Fun Facts
Oryctodromeus was the first dinosaur to show evidence of digging and burrowing behaviorOryctodromeus had adaptations similar to other running and burrowing animals living today,
like rabbits, aardvarks, and hyenas.
Velociraptor
17/17
FAST FACTS
Period: Early Cretaceous
Length: Up to 2 m
Weight: Up to 15 kg
How do you say it?
veh-loss-ih-RAP-tor
Discovery:
When: 1924
Where: Gobi Desert
By Who: Henry Fairfield Osborn
Where: Gobi Desert
By Who: Henry Fairfield Osborn
Fun Facts
Velociraptor had sharp, curved claws on their second toes, which is common to all dromaeosaurids.Velociraptor probably exhibited predatory behavior, as well as scavenging behavior.
Velociraptor most likely had at least some feathers, and may have been covered in them.
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