Science
Dinosaur Species
Notable dinosaur species from the Mesozoic Era, with their estimated size, diet, habitat, and distinguishing features.
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Name↕ | Period↕ | Diet↕ | Estimated Length (m)↕ | Region Found↕ | Notable Feature↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore | 12.3 | North America | Massive skull with bone-crushing bite force of ~12,800 pounds |
| Velociraptor | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore | 2 | Mongolia / China | Sickle-shaped retractable claw on each foot; likely feathered |
| Triceratops | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore | 9 | North America | Three facial horns and a large bony frill for defense and display |
| Brachiosaurus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore | 26 | North America / Africa | Extremely long neck; front legs longer than hind legs |
| Stegosaurus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore | 9 | North America / Europe | Distinctive rows of bony plates along its back and spiked tail (thagomizer) |
| Spinosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore (piscivore) | 15 | North Africa | Largest known carnivorous dinosaur; tall sail on its back; semi-aquatic lifestyle |
| Diplodocus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore | 27 | North America | Extremely long whip-like tail; one of the longest dinosaurs ever found |
| Ankylosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore | 6.5 | North America | Heavily armored body with a massive bony club at the end of its tail |
| Pteranodon | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore (piscivore) | 1.8 | North America | Wingspan up to 7 meters; toothless beak with a large cranial crest (pterosaur, not dinosaur) |
| Parasaurolophus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore | 10 | North America | Long curved cranial crest likely used for sound communication |
| Allosaurus | Late Jurassic | Carnivore | 9.5 | North America / Europe | Top predator of the Jurassic; powerful jaws with serrated teeth |
| Archaeopteryx | Late Jurassic | Carnivore (insectivore) | 0.5 | Germany | Transitional fossil between dinosaurs and modern birds; feathered with clawed wings |
| Pachycephalosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore / Omnivore | 4.5 | North America | Thick dome-shaped skull up to 25 cm thick, possibly used for head-butting |
| Carnotaurus | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore | 8 | South America (Argentina) | Bull-like horns above eyes and extremely small forelimbs |
| Iguanodon | Early Cretaceous | Herbivore | 10 | Europe / North America / Africa | One of the first dinosaurs ever identified; distinctive thumb spike |
| Therizinosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore | 10 | Mongolia | Enormous claws up to 1 meter long, the longest of any known animal |
| Giganotosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore | 13 | South America (Argentina) | One of the largest land predators; slightly larger than T. rex in length |
| Compsognathus | Late Jurassic | Carnivore | 1 | Germany / France | One of the smallest known non-avian dinosaurs; chicken-sized |
| Brontosaurus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore | 22 | North America | Reclassified as a distinct genus from Apatosaurus in 2015; long neck and tail |
| Deinonychus | Early Cretaceous | Carnivore | 3.4 | North America | Inspired the 'raptors' in Jurassic Park; large sickle claw and likely pack hunter |
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