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Different types of dinosaurs and their names. Unusual dinosaurs. Basic classification of dinosaurs

home Dinosaur species of this group lived in the late Jurassic period on the territory of modern North America

about 150 million years ago. Paleontologists consider Diplodocus one of the most easily identifiable dinosaurs. Moreover, this species is the largest of all dinosaurs known from complete skeletons found. Diplodocus were herbivores, and their huge size was a deterrent to the predatory lizards of those times - ceratosaurs and allosaurs.

Allosaurus - the threat of diplodocus! Within the framework of this article, we will not be able to consider all types of dinosaurs with names, so we will turn only to the most prominent and famous representatives of these legendary giants. One of them is Allosaurus. This is a representative of the genus predatory dinosaurs

from the theropod group. Like Diplodocus, Allosaurus existed in the Jurassic period about 155 million years ago. These creatures moved on hind legs and had very small forelimbs. On average, these lizards reached a length of 9 meters and a height of 4 meters. Allosaurs were considered large bipedal predators of the time. The remains of these insidious creatures were found on the territory of modern Southern Europe, East Africa

and North America.

Ichthyosaurs - legendary fish lizards Represent an extinct order of large marine reptiles , reaching a length of 20 meters. Outwardly, these lizards resembled modern fish and dolphins. Their distinctive feature was their large eyes, protected by a bone ring. In general, on a short distance

ichthyosaurs could easily be mistaken for fish or dolphins.

The origin of these creatures is still in question. Some paleontologists believe that they come from diapsids. This version is supported only by guesswork: apparently, the shoot of ichthyosaurs somehow branched off from the main stem of diapsids even before this subclass divided into archosaurs and lepidosaurs. However, the ancestors of these fish lizards are still unknown. Ichthyosaurs became extinct about 90 million years ago.

Dinosaurs take to the skies

All Triassic pterosaurs belong to the group of rhamphorhynchus: these creatures had huge heads, toothed mouths, long and narrow wings, and a long and thin tail. The size of these "leather birds" varied. Pterosaurs - as they were called - were basically the size of both seagulls and hawks. Of course, there were 5-meter giants among them. Pterosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago.

Tyrannosaurs are the most famous dinosaur species

The list of ancient lizards would be incomplete if we did not mention the most majestic dinosaur of all times and eras - the tyrannosaurus. This insidious and dangerous creature fully lives up to its name. This creature represents a genus from the group of coelurosaurs and the suborder of theropods. Includes one single species - Tyrannosaurus rex (with Latin language"rex" is a king). Tyrannosaurs, like Allosaurus, were bipedal predators with massive skulls and sharp teeth. The limbs of the tyrannosaurus were a complete physiological contradiction: massive hind legs and tiny hook-shaped front legs.

Tyrannosaurus is largest species within their own family, as well as one of the largest terrestrial predatory lizards in the entire history of our planet. The remains of this animal were found in the west of modern North America. According to scientists, they lived about 65 million years ago, that is, it was during their century that the death of the entire dynasty of ancient lizards occurred. It was the tyrannosaurs that crowned the entire great era of dinosaurs, which ended during the Cretaceous period.

Feathered Legacy

It is no secret to many people that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. Paleontologists saw in the external and internal structure Birds and dinosaurs have a lot in common. It should be remembered that birds are the descendants of land lizards - dinosaurs, and not flying lizards - pterosaurs! Currently, two subclasses of ancient reptiles are “hanging in the air”, since their ancestors and exact origins have not been established by paleontologists. The first subclass is ichthyosaurs, and the second is turtles. If we have already dealt with ichthyosaurs above, then with turtles nothing is clear at all!

Are turtles amphibians?

Therefore, it is clear that, when considering a topic such as “Species of Dinosaurs,” one cannot fail to mention these animals. The origin of the turtle subclass is still shrouded in mystery. True, some zoologists still believe that they originated from anapsids. However, they are opposed by other scientists who are sure that turtles are the descendants of some ancient amphibians. And they are not at all dependent on other reptiles. If this theory is confirmed, then a big breakthrough will occur in the science of zoology: it may happen that turtles will not have the slightest relation to reptiles at all, because then they will become... amphibians!

Dinosaurs, which translated from Greek means terrible (terrible) lizards (lizards), are a superorder of above-ground vertebrates that existed and led an active lifestyle throughout Mesozoic era. Dinosaurs are considered the first vertebrates to settle throughout the planet, while their ancestors, amphibians, were forced to live only near bodies of water, to which they were attached due to the specific nature of reproduction. Finds of the first representatives of dinosaurs date back to 225 million BC. e. Over the history of its existence, which lasted for 160 million years, this superorder multiplied enormously, giving rise to a huge number of varieties. Scientists estimate that the number of dinosaur genera at the time of their peak prosperity could reach 3,400, although so far, as of 2006, only 500 of them have been confidently described. Each genus had an indefinite number of species. As of 2008, 1,047 species of these ancient vertebrates had been described. And on this moment, as a result of new archaeological discoveries, this number is increasing.

At the border of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, a certain global shock occurred, which served mass extinction of dinosaurs, after which only pitiful units remained of the reptiles that had dominated throughout the Mesozoic.

Classification of dinosaurs using the pelvic bone method

Dinosaurs can be classified in different ways. It is convenient for some, due to the specifics of their work and literary works, to sort ancient vertebrates Cretaceous period according to size, to some according to their habitat, since at that time there were aquatic reptiles, land reptiles and aeronautics. Some people prefer to divide dinosaurs into bipeds and quadrupeds. But the main generally accepted form of classification is dinosaur classification using the pelvic bone method, proposed back in 1887 by the famous English paleontologist G. Seeley.

Rice. 1 - Classification of dinosaurs

Despite the fact that the ancestors of all dinosaurs without exception are considered to be a group of ancient reptiles archosaurs, at the beginning of the Triassic, their development took different paths. It was from this time that it happened division of reptiles based on the structure of the pelvis on the:

Lizard-pelvic;
ornithischians.

But this does not mean at all that all lizards originated from lizards, and birds came from ornithischians. These are conventional names, associated only with the fact that in lizards the pubic bones of the pelvis were primarily directed forward, in the manner of modern crocodiles, while in ornithischians they were directed backwards, in the manner of birds.

It would be difficult to determine which group this or that dinosaur belongs to. These groups differ much more clearly in the structure of their jaws. Lizards had jaws with rows of teeth arranged strictly along the edges in one row, reaching to the tip of the muzzle. All teeth had a conical or chisel shape and were each located in its own separate cell. Ornithischians had lower jaws ending in the anterior part with a predentary bone. Often there were no teeth in the front part and the upper jaw. Often, the front part of ornithischian dinosaurs simply looked like a massive, horny turtle beak.

Lizard-hipped dinosaurs

Lizard-hipped dinosaurs(Fig. 2) were divided into:

Theropods- appeared at the boundary of the Cretaceous and Jurassic and are the largest representatives of predatory carnivorous reptiles that existed until the end of the Cretaceous period and the worldwide cataclysm that caused mass extinction species.
Sauropodomorphs- also originated in the Late Triassic, some of which were the most gigantic creatures in the entire history of the Earth. All of them were herbivores and were, in turn, divided into two more subgroups, namely, prosauropods who lived in the Late Triassic - Early Jurassic and the later and more developed sauropods that replaced them closer to the middle of the Jurassic.

Rice. 2 - Lizard-hipped dinosaur

Theropods were mostly bipedal predators, but there were also omnivores, such as therizinosaurus or ornithomimids. Some of the theropods, such as Spinosaurus, reached 15 meters in height. These predatory representatives of lizards had three advantages over other dinosaurs, which were:

extreme agility and speed of movement;
unusually developed vision;
freedom of the front legs, since they ran on two unusually developed hind legs, and thus could freely perform any other functions with their front legs.

Giant growth often had for theropods harmful consequences. For example, a tyrannosaurus, catching up with its prey, had to be very careful when running, since with its impressive dimensions (one of its hind limbs reached a height of 4 meters), any wrong step, any bump or uneven ground could cause a fall, which often led to tangible and sometimes fatal injuries. In its turn, theropods are classified on the:

coelurosaurs, small and nimble bird-like dinosaurs such as ornithomimes and velociraptors;
carnosaurs, large predators, examples of which were the aforementioned Tyrannosaurus and Allosaurus.

Sauropodomorphs had a sacral brain that was 20 times larger than the brain. Despite their enormous weight and size, they became frequent victims of predatory dinosaurs. The enormous size of these ancient reptiles was a consequence of the increase in intestinal mass necessary for the digestion of hard-leaved plants. As a result, along with the stomach, the rest of the body was forced to increase in size. Examples of such lizards were camarosaurs, giraffatitans, brachiosaurs, etc.

Let's take a closer look at theropods using the example of one of the most numerous predators of the Middle Jurassic - allosaurus(Fig. 3). On average, these predators reached a height of 3.5 meters at the withers and 8.5 meters in length from muzzle to tail. Their habitat was the North American, Southern European and East African parts of the ancient continent of Pangea.

Rice. 3 - Allosaurus

Allosaurs had a fairly large skull, their jaws were equipped a huge amount sharp teeth. In order to balance the body when moving, in contrast to the massive head, there was an equally massive tail, with which the animal often knocked its victims off their feet. The massive head was often used for the same purpose. Compared to other large terrapods, allosaurs were relatively small, but this gave them more maneuverability and mobility. There is also evidence that large dinosaurs, such as some representatives of sauropods, like brontosaurus and thyreophora, like stegosaurus, were hunted by herd methods, like modern wolves. Although many scientists are skeptical that these animals could coexist in packs. In their opinion, for this they had too primitive mental development and extremely strong ferocity and aggressiveness.

Ornithischian dinosaurs

Despite their name, scientists have proven that it was not they, but the lizard-hipped dinosaurs that later became the avian ancestors. But, returning precisely to ornithischian dinosaurs(Fig. 4), note that they classified into two main suborders, namely:

thyrophores;
cerapods.

Rice. 4 - Ornithischian dinosaur

TO thyreophores include herbivorous dinosaurs such as ankylosaurs and stegosaurs. A distinctive feature of these lizards was that their body was partially covered carapace armor, and there were huge shield-like growths on the back.

In rank cerapods includes marginalocephals, such as ceratopsians and pachycelosaurs and all ornithopods, the most widespread representative of which was iguanodon(Fig. 5).

Iguanodons had their peak in distribution in the first half of the Cretaceous, and inhabited vast areas of the European, North American, Asian and African parts of Pangea. 12-meter and 5-ton iguanodons moved on two massive hind legs, in the front part of their muzzle they had a massive beak, with which they plucked the plants they needed. Next came rows of teeth, more similar to the teeth of iguanas, only much larger.

Rice. 5 - Iguanodon

The forelimbs of iguanodons were a quarter the size shorter than the hind limbs. The thumbs were equipped with spines, with the help of which the animal defended itself from predators. The most mobile of the fingers of the forelimbs were the little fingers. It should be noted that iguanodons could not run, their hind limbs were adapted only for leisurely walking, which is why they often became victims of predators such as allosaurs, tyrannosaurs, etc. The hind limbs had three fingers, like modern chickens, and their spine and massive tail were supported by strong tendons.

Problems of classification of dinosaurs in our time

Many scientists insist that a large number of The already described dinosaurs did not previously exist, since some of the described varieties were nothing more than doubles of previously described species. The difference between them was supposedly only that they were either at an earlier or at a later stage of development. Also, a fairly large group of scientists insists that about 50% of all dinosaurs found were classified and named incorrectly.

Thus, current paleontologists are divided into two camps. While some continue to further divide the bulk of the found remains of ancient reptiles into all new species based on those identified, both significant and not so significant distinctive features, others completely doubt the correctness of the species described earlier.

It is no secret that during the existence of our planet, the world of flora and fauna has changed several times. Dinosaurs did not survive to our times, but their existence is confirmed by numerous excavations.

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Types of dinosaurs, their classification

Paleontologists say that dinosaurs inhabited our planet for more than a hundred million years. Scientists came to such conclusions after many years of excavations, which allowed them to invade the bowels of the earth and find there numerous remains of giant birds and animals. One can only guess what reality was like in those days.

Today we will take a closer look at what types of dinosaurs there are, and what information about them is available today. In general, when you start to become interested in these animals, you are amazed at how much paleontologists know, but no one has ever seen these animals with their own eyes. Now these are the heroes of horror films, fairy tales for children, and so on, it is thanks to the artists that we have a clear idea of what such unusual creatures really looked like. Very often, different dinosaurs are compared to dragons.

Scientists, unfortunately, have not been able to come to a common conclusion as to why dinosaurs suddenly became extinct on our planet. Although in that era not only dinosaurs disappeared, but also many inhabitants underwater world. One theory says that the Earth has changed dramatically climatic conditions, and dinosaurs could not live in new environment, so one after another they began to die. The second theory (more realistic) says that 65 million years ago a huge asteroid crashed onto our planet, destroying many earthly creatures.

We will not go into detail about why huge creatures disappeared from the face of the Earth; it will be much more interesting to talk about what paleontologists know today. And they know a lot; from the remains they were able to establish what kind of dinosaurs existed, tell approximately how many species there were, and also give them specific names.

For the first time, the English biologist Richard Owen spoke about dinosaurs; it was he who called the animals with this term (by the way, “dinosaur” is translated from Greek as a terrible lizard). Until 1843, scientists did not put forward theories about the existence of dinosaurs. Their remains were attributed to either dragons or other giant mythical animals.

Now the list of species is simply huge and each genus has its own name. For example, you will be interested to know what the two largest and most ancient groups of these animals are. Maybe the names will seem funny to some, but these are lizard-hipped and ornithischian creatures. Next we list the most famous and, in our opinion, the main species or types of dinosaurs. Don’t be surprised that representatives of the most famous breeds could swim and fly beautifully, and not just move on land. A lot of information was studied by scientists before they were able to draw conclusions that dinosaurs can be divided into the following groups:

predatory;
herbivores;
flying;
aquatic.

Paleontologists knew exactly how to distinguish one type from another, they carried out more and more research, as a result of which the world learned about trinosaurs, ichthoisaurs, pliosaurs, tyrannosaurs, ornithocheiruses, and so on.

The exact number of species of dinosaurs that existed cannot be established, and it is unlikely that this will ever be known. There are so many nuances to studying fossils. The number of varieties is said to range from 250 to 550 and these numbers are constantly changing. For example, some species were identified only by excavating a single tooth or vertebra. Over time, scientists realize that some species that were previously considered different can actually be classified as the same thing. So no one dares to draw precise conclusions. Perhaps most types of dinosaurs exist only in the imagination of paleontologists and other sensation-seekers. But since these huge creatures have disappeared from our planet, it means that it had to be so. Nothing happens by chance, especially the extinction of real giant predators.

Swimming dinosaur: myth or reality?

Paleontologists claim that aquatic dinosaurs did exist. To be honest, the population of the seas and oceans in those days was not so harmless. Waterfowl dinosaur fish would happily eat everyone. And they cannot even compare with the most dangerous sharks today. The size of the monsters exceeded the size of modern whales. Huge animals could happily have a snack, for example, on another dinosaur, which, by chance, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some fish grew up to 25 m (for comparison, a standard nine-story building is 30 m).

Sea monsters were classified as follows:

plesiosaur ( long-necked creature, which lived under water all the time, sometimes came to the surface to breathe air or grab a flying bird);
Elasmosaurus weighed about 500 kg, had a small but movable head on a huge (8 m) neck;
mosasaurs lived in the seas and oceans, but moved a little like a snake;
Ichthyosaurs are very warlike and bloodthirsty animals that lived and hunted in packs. There were practically no insurmountable obstacles for them;
nothosaurus led a dual lifestyle (on land and in water), feeding on small creatures and fish;
Liopleurodons lived exclusively in aquatic environment, could hold their breath for several hours, dive to the depths and hunt there;
Shonisaurus is a completely harmless reptile that was an excellent hunter and ate mollusks, octopuses, and squid.

Very little is known about the existence of two-headed creatures; many types of dinosaurs had long claws that helped them move faster. Some types of large sea inhabitants were:

with a collar around the neck;
with hood;
with a ridge on the back (sometimes with two ridges);
with spikes;
with a tuft on the head;
with a mace on the tail.

Herbivorous dinosaurs: their classification

This is most likely the most peaceful species of huge creatures. They calmly chewed grass, were happy and entered into battle solely for the purpose of self-defense. Rarely did herbivores attack first. Moreover, dinosaurs of this type were not at all weak, defenseless animals. A powerful skeleton, huge horns, a tail with a club, unrealistically huge sizes, strong limbs that could immediately strike on the spot - all these are characteristics of completely peaceful animals.

There were several types of herbivorous creatures:

stegosaurs - they had peculiar crests on their bodies, chewed grass, and swallowed stones from time to time to improve digestion;
euoplocephalus, which was covered in spines, a bony shell and had a club tail. This is a truly scary monster;
brachiosaurus - could eat about a ton of greenery in just a day;
Triceratops had beaks and horns, lived in herds, and easily defended themselves from enemies;
hadrosaurs were quite large, but very vulnerable, it is still a mystery how they survived.

This is not a complete list of species of grass dinosaurs.

Predatory dinosaurs

Still, most dinosaurs were predators by nature. They had a powerful body structure, huge teeth, horns, and shells. All this allowed the animals to rise above other living beings; dinosaurs often fought with their relatives. The strongest always wins, no matter what family ties there was no question. The tyrannosaurus rex was considered the most popular predator; you can find a lot about it interesting information, watch the video. T-Rex is the hero of many horror films, because this born hunter was truly scary, disgusting, ruthless, and bloodthirsty.

Long-necked dinosaur (name and species)

Among herbivores, marine and predatory species There were breeds that were distinguished by unrealistically long necks. For example, diplodocus is a herbivore whose neck consisted of 15 vertebrae. He could easily reach branches from the tallest trees.

Flying species or dinosaur birds actually had wings, scales, and sometimes even feathers. The peculiarity of these creatures were huge, very sharp teeth, which cannot be said about modern birds Oh. These are pterodactyls, pterosaurs, archeopteryx. Ornithocheirus was the size of a small airplane, had a light skeleton, and a crest on its beak. Such “birds” lived not far from large bodies of water.

Quite educational and also interesting to read about the inhabitants of the Jurassic period, isn’t it? At that time, the population of the Earth was completely different, scary and incomprehensible to us, its modern inhabitants.

All dinosaurs are unusual in their own way, because for modern man these animals are completely exotic and a curiosity. But among them there are absolutely breathtaking specimens that amaze the imagination with their size, cruelty or rage, and sometimes cause an involuntary smile to appear on the face. It is these creatures that will be discussed below.

This unusual animal existed about 76 million years ago. Parasaurolophus belonged to the order of duck-billed dinosaurs, which were named for their distinctive appearance. The outstanding feature of this creature, distinguishing it from all other relatives, were the modified nasal bones of the skull, which turned into long hollow tubes curving far behind the head. The tube-shaped comb made the parasaurolophus’s face appear non-scary and even funny, which was quite true, given the exclusively plant-based diet of the huge “vegetarian”.

During exhalation, the animal could close the nasal passages with special bridges and pass air through the hollow bone outgrowths. At the same time, a loud trumpet sound sounded, reminiscent of the sound of large wind instruments. Paleontologists suggest that through such unusual “songs” parasaurolophus could communicate with each other, transmitting signals of danger, challenge each other to a duel, or attract partners with “serenades” during mating season. Judging by the anatomy of this chordate, the air circulation inside the tubular nasal bones could serve as a kind of “air conditioner” that cools the giant’s overheated brain in the heat. In addition, the comb protected the head from blows from branches while running in the middle of a dense forest.

This dinosaur holds the title of the largest carnivorous creature that has ever existed on the planet. The weight of the reptile reached almost 20 tons as an adult. Only the outgrowths on the back, forming a kind of crest, rose a couple of meters. It is for the presence of such a crest that this terrible monster received its name, which translates as “vertebrate lizard.” This dorsal appendage had several functions: it served as a cooling chamber for the spinal cord, intimidated opponents, and was the main decoration of a male looking for a mate for procreation.

Scientists are confident that the body of the Spinosaurus is the ideal body of a killer predator. While most dinosaurs of that period had curved teeth, in Spinosaurus they resembled sharp, even knives, allowing them to catch even the most slippery and nimble prey. After the victim was caught in its teeth, the monster began to sharply turn its head from side to side, releasing life from the captured animal in a few seconds. The victims who fell into this mouth did not have the slightest chance of salvation.

Spinosaurus hunted for food not only on land, it attacked fish in deep-sea rivers and on the sea coast, so both aquatic inhabitants and terrestrial creatures suffered from the insatiable appetite of the huge predator.

For the first time, the hypothesis that birds evolved from dinosaurs was voiced was met with aggression at the time. But many years later, more weighty arguments were found in the form of the skeleton of Epidexipteryx, which was at first mistaken for the remains of a bird. A detailed study baffled paleontologists, since this animal had all the signs of dinosaurs, but, at the same time, it had plumage. An unusual short dinosaur, close in size to a modern pigeon, weighed only 160 g. The name “epidexypteryx” translates as “showing feathers.”

Having carefully studied the structure of the remains, paleontologists came to the conclusion that Epidexipteryx could not fly; most likely, the feathers served the function of protecting the skin from cold and heat. The plumage was unevenly concentrated on different parts body and had a pronounced bright color, which made the animal noticeable in an era of faded green, brown and gray fauna. Particularly notable were four unusual feathers in the tail, which are very different in structure from modern ones, since they consist of thread-like formations without a central axial shaft. The functions of such a tail were to coordinate movements while moving along the branches and attract the opposite sex, greedy for bright plumage.

If the previous representative of dinosaurs, when discovered, could be mistaken for a bird, then this one could easily pass for an insect. It's really hard to imagine that a dinosaur fossil could be 50mm long. Longisquama has unusual appendages on its back that are shaped like hockey sticks. Their length reaches 12 cm, which exceeds the length of the entire body. These dorsal appendages are formed by modified scales covering the back.

The unusual education and its purpose caused a lot of controversy among professionals. Over the years, a version was developed that this creature needed its outgrowths to carry out passive flight. Jumping from a hill or tree, longisquams could slowly glide down, while the predator hunting them remained in the same place, hungry. Perhaps it was thanks to this device that miniature “parachutists” were able to live on Earth for about 11 million years. Despite their tiny size, longisquams were predators, eating smaller insects, which they found in abundance on the treetops where they lived most own life.

The unusual appearance of this animal forces directors and producers to make a pteranodon actor many artistic or documentaries about the prehistoric period and the era of dinosaurs. These animals actually look impressive, but, unlike the aggressive cinematic image, the pteranodon was an extremely peaceful and harmless creature that only ate the fish it caught. There were not even the rudiments of teeth in the beak, so the winged creature simply swallowed unchewed food, which was smoothly digested in the stomach for many hours.

The wingspan of the pteranodon reached 7 meters, and scientists suggest that the flight speed with such parameters was impressive. He had to eat well to provide himself with the energy needed to fly. It is not known whether this creature would be completely safe for people, since scientists note the great force of the wings and the high power of the beak, with which the pteranodon could easily break even a thick sea shell. It is likely that when meeting with a potentially dangerous person the animal could be the first to go on the offensive and kill the enemy with one blow.

The animal that was the first to appreciate all the delights of life in the trees, where predators and enemies cannot get into, is the Epidendrosaurus. Some of it is reminiscent of birds, but its unusual forelimbs are more like claws. Such unusual shape appeared for a reason: the third finger lengthened over many centuries until it became so convenient that it could be used to quickly and easily remove larvae and small insects from the deepest and thinnest crevices in the bark of trees.

This representative of prehistoric fauna lived approximately 160 million years ago; its remains were found in China in 2002. Now scientists cannot give a definite answer whether the found bones belonged to a cub or an adult creature. Perhaps the following findings will shed light on this. But for now it is clearly clear that Epidendrosaurus became an important step towards the appearance of the very first birds on earth.

Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, thanks to its memorable appearance: on its back and tail there are characteristic plates that make up a huge crest. With such outstanding parameters, he was forced to constantly eat in order to ensure nutrients huge body. Its length reached 9 meters, and the food consisted exclusively of grass, so the supply of calories had to be constantly replenished. For this reason, the main and constant activity of the stegosaurus was searching and grinding grass.

But something else is unusual about him. With such impressive parameters, the brain of this herbivore weighed only 70 g, which was 0.002% of the total weight. If we compare this parameter with a human one, then in humans it is 940 times greater. Because of this, Stegosaurus earned the title of the dumbest dinosaur. Apparently, in the Jurassic period, intelligence was not a very sought-after quality, since the stegosaurus was able to successfully exist for 10 million years, and at the same time lived and reproduced well.

Unlike its stupid brother, Troodon won the title of the smartest dinosaur. Unusual creature grew to average human parameters - 1.5-2 meters, and was just as deftly able to move on its hind limbs. Paleontologists believe that when running, Troodons developed a very high speed, at which a person would be far behind them. Judging by the skull, the brain size is comparable to the size of modern primates, which was absolutely incredible in the Jurassic period.

Despite their quite modest size for that time, these animals were dexterous hunters, since they had many things that are important in the hunting process: intelligence, excellent eyesight and long, tenacious fingers on the forelimbs. After the prey was reached, the predator lifted it up and threw it forcefully against a stone.

Troodon's level of intelligence allowed them to hunt in packs, driving prey from one group to another. At the same time, they developed a peculiar way of communication, vaguely reminiscent of the rudiments of speech. In addition, these intelligent animals were able to use tools for hunting, which also indicates high intelligence. Scientists believe that if evolution had not led to the extinction of dinosaurs, Troodon could have evolved to the level of modern humans and even surpassed them. This is why Troodons are considered the smartest dinosaurs to have ever existed.

At the moment, the tallest animal on earth is the giraffe: its height reaches 6 meters. Sauroposeidon could look at this “short one” with contempt, since his height was three times greater. The real giant weighed 60 tons, and the body length from head to tail was 30 meters. To feed himself, he had to eat a ton of grass and leaves every day, so he chewed all the time throughout his life, which lasted about a hundred years, interrupting only to sleep and reproduce. Nature did not provide Sauroposeidon with any mechanisms of defense against enemies, compensating for everything with growth.

It was more difficult for the cubs, since they did not have a size advantage. In one clutch of the female there were about a hundred eggs, but only 3-4 of the hatched cubs survived to adulthood. Education was not included in the list of virtues of sauroposeidons, so the cubs grew up independently, trying to survive and protect themselves from daily dangers, and upon reaching puberty they were accepted into the herd.

This is an unusual and very beautiful animal that looks like a real fashionista among creepy and often unsightly creatures. Charm appearance gives a horned collar around the head, topped with six symmetrical large spikes. Styracosaurus was a herbivore, but this did not make his life peaceful and resigned. During a fight or fight with a predator, the collar spines could break off, and this was a significant loss, since the long and sharp projections attracted females. In addition, the larger and more beautiful the collar was, the higher the animal’s position in the herd.

The Styracosaurus had a huge horn on its nose, which gives this creature a resemblance to a rhinoceros. Not only the horn, but also the body parameters are somewhat reminiscent of this contemporary. The bone horn grew up to 60 cm in length and reached a diameter of 15 cm. It came in handy when the peace-loving and calm Styracosaurus was attacked by larger predators.

Dinosaurs are cool creatures, that's a fact. They were giant lizards, and that alone speaks for itself. Of course, not every one of them was as cool as a T. rex. Some of them, frankly speaking, were unlucky with their appearance. Below are the ten dinosaurs that suffered the most.

10. Tsintaosaurus

Tsintaosaurus is a dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period that looks as if it is constantly surprised by its incongruous appearance. The beak and horn looked good on other dinosaurs, for example, Hadrosaurus looked pretty good sporting a beak, but Cinthosaurus managed to grow a phallic-shaped horn on its head, as if inviting ridicule from its fellows.

9. Suzhousaurus

Suzhousaurus is a theropod from the Early Cretaceous period. This dinosaur comes from the same suborder that gave birth to Tyrannosaurus, a dinosaur so cool that Chuck Norris himself once punched a hole in time just to pet it. If you're reading this article on a laptop, squint and tilt your monitor to the left - well, doesn't Suzhousaurus look like a rat with two tails? If a dinosaur, which is supposed to be a three-meter terrifying monster, looks like a rat, there is clearly something wrong.

8. Gryposaurus

Gryposaurus is another Late Cretaceous dinosaur that had a beak and could grow up to 9 meters in length, which is quite strange considering it looks like it grew inside a 7.5 meter long box. Just look at his nose, it looks like God punched a Tyrannosaurus in the face. Why are the hind legs worth it? Gryposaurus was probably the first creature in the world that could boast a juicy butt.

7. Liopleurodon

Liopleurodon is a large carnivorous reptile of the late Jurassic period. Yes, he's not exactly a dinosaur. But this huge reptile, which lived millions of years ago, was featured on the show Walking with Dinosaurs, which is why it was included on this list. Being strictly a marine animal, Liopleurodon probably wasn't bothered by the fact that it had a giant head, but since scientists are adamantly against throwing dinosaur remains into the water, we can only see Liopleurodon on land. And on land, his remains look like someone tried to melt a plastic toy crocodile.

6. Tanystropheus

Tanystropheus is another giant reptile that is also not technically a dinosaur. But just look at him! It looks like someone tried to glue a snake and a gecko together, and the creature couldn't stop screaming in the process. It is believed that this creature had the longest neck that can be, given the laws of physics, but scientists are still puzzling over its purpose. Scientists simply cannot come to terms with the fact that Tanystropheus wanted to have the most beautiful swan neck in the world.

5. Cryolophosaurus

No, this is not a Tyrannosaurus with a leaf on its head. This is a theropod of the early Jurassic period, nature simply decreed that it would not apparent reason got a hefty crest on his head. Sure, Cryolophosaurus could rip your heart out with its tongue, but can you say, hand on heart, that this dinosaur, once informally known as "Elvisosaurus" and looking like a Tyrannosaurus on steroids, actually terrifies you? And it’s clear that no.

4. Microraptor

By now, the fact that dinosaurs are the early ancestors of modern birds is widely known. So it is quite natural to assume that there was a middle link between Velociraptor and chickens. It turns out that the bell was Microraptors. While most birds have wings where they are supposed to be, Microraptors had wings on their legs because more wings equals more flight. The science!

Can you imagine a fast-evolving Microraptor trying to convince its slow-moving comrades that the wings on its legs are good idea:

“Hey guys, what am I going to tell you now!”
“Oh my god, is it Terry again?” “Yes, it’s him. I wonder what he needs from us today?
“Guys, I have a great idea! Let's develop wings!"
"...we already have wings, Terry"
“Yes, but we don’t have them on our feet! A? How do you like it? Guys, just imagine: wings...on legs!”
"Terry, I hate you"

3. Epidexipteryx

Epidexipteryx is another creature from the Late Jurassic period. He looks like he just finished a manicure and doesn't want anything to touch him. Epidexipteryx is another, very important for scientists, link between birds and dinosaurs. However ordinary people It may seem that scientists are specifically trying to make dinosaurs less dangerous in our minds, in case one of the samples they cloned breaks free.

2. Longisquama

This little creature born from Triassic period, precisely the period in which there were more creatures wanting to kill you than in the Middle East. That's why small size was not an advantage, given that dinosaurs of this size existed during the same period giant size, who could kill him simply by waving their tail. The only advantage of its size was its ability to hide, although this was no easy task given the huge feathers protruding from the creature's back. Although, maybe Longisquama could somehow shoot his feathers. But he probably still wasn’t capable of it. Longisquama seemed to be the creature that God hated the most.

1. Hesperonychus

Ever wondered what would happen if a chicken mated with a crocodile and their baby was thrown against a wall? If you have thought about it, then you have mental problems, but, according to at least, you won't have to guess anymore, because Hesperonicus is exactly the creature you've been dreaming about. And if you look into his eyes, you will have nightmares.

His eyes are cold, dead, filled with the lust to kill. He knows how stupid he looks and is secretly planning to kill you in your sleep for making fun of him.

Edgar Allen Poe would probably have committed suicide immediately if such a creature had threatened him.