Dinosaurs

Acrocanthosaurus was a large meat-eating dinosaur that had a prominent ridge along its neck and back. It lived in the Early Cretaceous Period.

Albertosaurus was a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex. It lived around 70 million years ago in what is now Canada. It was slimmer and smaller than its more famous cousin.

Allosaurus (Al-loh-sore-us) lived in the Late Jurassic of North America, around 150 million years. It is the most common predator from the area known as the Morrison Formation.

This long-necked sauropod features long spines protruding from the back of its neck. It’s known from a nearly complete skeleton, missing only a few bones and most of the skull.

Ankylosaurus was a large plant-eater from the Late Cretaceous period, around the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. It was covered in bony armor and spikes, with a fearsome club at the end of its tail.

Anzu lived about 66 million years ago in what is now North and South Dakota. It is one of the most complete and well-known examples of an oviraptorosaur in the United States. Oviraptorosaurs were divided into two main groups: the early and more primitive protoarchaeopterygids, and the later caenagnathoids. Within the caenagnathoids are the oviraptorids which were limited to Asia, and the more widespread and larger caenagnathids, which includes Anzu wyliei.

One of the most well-known long-necked sauropod dinosaurs, this Jurassic plant-eater has a complicated history.

Archaeopteryx, ancient wing, was the dinosaur-bird that lived in the Late Jurassic of Europe and is one of the most important fossils ever found. The first Archaeopteryx skeleton with feathers was found in 1861, and since then 6 – 7 skeletons have been recovered. The similarity to Compsognathus and other small theropods led to early specimens being classed as theropods until the feather impressions were recognized. The significant similarities between it and birds have heavily weighted current opinion in favor of Archaeopteryx being a bird rather than a non-avian theropod. As well as the features of the pelvis and limbs, the seventh skeleton contained a well-preserved skull which showed a unique combination of features supporting both the theropod origin of birds, and that Archaeopteryx is the most primitive bird yet found.

Austroraptor was a large member of the dromaeosaur family, known for the large curved claw on each foot. Compared to other dromaeosaurs of similar size, Austroraptor had a more slender build.

Baryonyx was a large meat-eating dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period. It was discovered in England and is notable for the large claws on each hand, as well as its long, crocodile-like snout.

Brachiosaurus was one of the tallest long-necked dinosaurs. This ground-shaking herbivore occupied North America during the Late Jurassic, about 153 million years ago.

Camarasaurus (Cam-ah-rah-sore-us) lived during the Late Jurassic Period in North America, around 150 million years ago. It was the most common sauropod in North America. It shared the environment with Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus and the main predator, Allosaurus.

Carcharodontosaurus, named for the great white shark, Carcharodon, was a giant predator that lived in the Cenomanian age, which was the first part of the Late Cretaceous. Remains have been found in North Africa as well as Egypt to Niger.

Carnotaurus was a large predatory theropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous of South America, about 70 million years ago. It is known for its distinctive horns that sprouted above its eyes.

Ceratosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, known for the nose horn on its face. It lived from around 160 million to 145 million years ago.

Citipati was an oviraptorid, a group of bird-like theropod dinosaurs that had toothless beaks and often had crests like a cassowary on their heads. Citipati lived around 80 million years ago in what is now Mongolia, and is known from several nearly complete skeletons. Citipati’s remains are often used as a basis for the more popular – but less well-understood – dinosaur called Oviraptor, a close relative. Though Oviraptor means “egg thief”, several skeletons of Citipati have been found in a nesting position, showing that the eggs this dinosaur is believed to have stolen might have been its own eggs that it was nurturing.

Living over 200 million years ago in the Triassic Period, Coelophysis was an early meat-eating dinosaur that may have hunted in packs.

Concavenator was a medium-sized meat-eater that lived around 125 million years ago. It had a unique hump on its back.

Cryolophosaurus is a meat-eater from the early Jurassic Period, one of the few dinosaurs found in what is now Antarctica. It had a unique crest on its head.

Daspletosaurus was a relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex. It lived about 10 million years earlier than its larger cousin, and like T. Rex, it was an apex predator that preyed upon other dinosaurs.

Deinocheirus means “Terrible Claw”, because for a long time, the only known remains of this dinosaur were its huge hands and arms, which ended in massive claws. It wasn’t until almost 50 years after its initial discovery that more complete finds helped paint an accurate picture of this amazing dinosaur.

Deinonychus (Dye-NON-ick-us) lived during the Early Cretaceous Period, from 115 to 108 million years ago. It lived in what is now North America. It was a fast, effective predator with an enlarged, curved claw on the second toe of each foot. It was closely related to Velociraptor.

Diabloceratops lived in the Late Cretaceous Period, around 80 million years ago. It gets its name from the two devil-like large horns atop its frill.

Dilophosaurus was one of the earliest large meat-eating dinosaurs, living during the Early Jurassic Period almost 190 million years ago.

Diplodocus lived in the Jurassic Period, around 150 million years ago. It was considered the longest dinosaur known, until skeletons of larger long-necked sauropods were discovered.

Dracorex was discovered in 2006. It is now believed to be a growth stage of Pachycephalosaurus.

Edmontosaurus (Edd-mont-oh-sore-us) lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, right up until the extinction event that killed almost all of the dinosaurs. It lived in what is now North America. It was a large hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur.

Giganotosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating theropod dinosaurs ever discovered. It could grow over 40 feet long!

Iguanodon was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in the Early Cretaceous around 125 million years ago. It had a unique thumb spike on each hand.

Kentrosaurus was a relative of Stegosaurus with rows of spines down its back. It lived in the Jurassic Period around 150 million years ago.

Majungasaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period. It lived right up until the end of the age of dinosaurs, about 66 million years ago, in what is now Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. Majungasaurus was a relative of Carnotaurus, another meat-eating dinosaur from Argentina.

Malawisaurus was a long-necked sauropod dinosaur named after the area where its remains were found in Africa. It lived in the Early Cretaceous Period, specially the Aptian Age, between 125 and 113 million years ago.

Masiakasaurus, Vicious Lizard, lived in the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. It is the best known of the Noasaurs that filled the small and medium-sized predators in Africa and South America.

One of the first dinosaur fossils to be named scientifically, Megalosaurus was a large meat eater from the Jurassic Period, 166 million years ago.

Microraptor was an interesting dinosaur that lived 120 years ago. It had wing-like feathers not only on its front legs, but its rear legs as well!

Monolophosaurus was a meat-eater known for the large crest covering much of the top of its snout. It lived during the Jurassic Period, around 165 million years ago.

Nanotyrannus was originally thought to be a much smaller cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex, though now most paleontologists agree it was a younger version of T. rex.

Nanuqsaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period around 70 million years ago, in what is now Alaska. Though it was not as consistently cold there as it is today, Nanuqsaurus still likely faced climate extremes that were much more severe than those of most other dinosaurs.

Pachycephalosaurus (Pack-ee-seff-ah-low-oh-sore-us) lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, right up until the extinction event that killed almost all of the dinosaurs. It lived in what is now North America. The main distinguishing feature of this two-legged plant-eater was its thick, domed skull, which may have been used in combat between individuals to impress a potential mate.

Parasaurolophus was a duck-billed plant-eating dinosaur known for the large tube-shaped crest on its head. It lived in the Late Cretaceous Period, about 75 million years ago.

Patagotitan (Pa-TAH-go-TIE-tin) was a giant long-necked sauropod that lived in what is now Patagonia, Argentina, around 100 million years ago. It was one of the largest dinosaurs ever and one of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth.

Psittacosaurus was an early ceratopsian, the same group that would later produce large horned dinosaurs like Triceratops. A Psittacosaurus fossil in China was found with a row of quill-like bristles running down its tail.

Qianzhousaurus (Chee-ann-joe-sore-us) lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, right up until the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, around 66 million years ago. The remains of this T. rex relative were found in what is now China, near the city of Ganzhou.

Regaliceratops is a relative of Triceratops that lived in the Late Cretaceous Period, very close to the end of what is known as the “Age of Dinosaurs”. This ceratopsian (horned dinosaur) is notable for its crown-shaped frill that gives it its name.

Saltasaurus was small for a sauropod (long-necked dinosaur), but still reached a respectable length of nearly 30 feet long. It lived in the Late Cretaceous, around 70 million years ago, and had a rotund body covered in bony osteoderms.

Sauropelta, lizard shield, was an Early Cretaceous armored dinosaur that may be a predecessor to the later and more heavily armored ankylosaurids. The preceding Late Jurassic fauna is replaced with fauna of dromaeosaurs, ornithopods, and nodosaurs like Sauropelta.

Spinosaurus (Spine-oh-sore-us) lived in the Early Cretaceous Period in Africa. Spinosaurus was one of the largest predatory dinosaurs ever known and may have grown to over 50 feet long. It is known for the large dorsal spines on its back, which may have formed a large sail or hump. For a long time, Spinosaurus was only known from a few remains, but recent finds have allowed scientists to get a better idea of this unique theropod dinosaur.

Stegosaurus (Steg-oh-sore-us) lived in the Late Jurassic of North America. It is the most common ornithscian (bird-hipped) dinosaur from the Morrison Formation, an area in the western United States that has yielded a large number of dinosaur fossils.

Stegouros was an ankylosaurian (armored) dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous with a very unique spiked tail.

Stygimoloch was discovered in 1983. It is now thought to be a growth stage of Pachycephalosaurus.

Styracosaurus was a ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period, around 75 million years ago. It lived in what is now Alberta, Canada and is known for the long spikes on its large shield-like head frill.

Suchomimus was a large meat-eating dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period around 110 million years ago. It was found in Africa, and was related to Baryonyx and Spinosaurus.

An unusual dinosaur with a long neck and a stocky body, Therizinosaurus’s most notable feature was its extremely long claws.

The most popular and well known of the horned dinosaurs, and one of the most recognizable of all the dinosaurs, Triceratops remains a favorite of kids and adults alike!

One of the most well-known and popular dinosaurs of all time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was a large meat-eating dinosaur that lived right up until the end of the Cretaceous Period, 66 million years ago. It has captivated dinosaur fans young and old alike for over a century.

Utahraptor was a giant dromaeosaur, related to Deinonychus and Velociraptor. Like it’s relatives, it had a large curved claw on each foot, and likely had feathers.

Vagaceratops was a horned dinosaur that lived 76 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. It had a unique frill with a flattened top edge lined with downward curving spikes.

This relatively small predatory dinosaur became massively popular after a larger, more monstrous version was featured as the star dinosaur of the Jurassic Park film franchise.

Yutyrannus huali, feathered tyrant, lived in Early Cretaceous Liaoning China. It was a medium-size non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroid and the largest feathered theropod known to date. The other known tyrannosauroids from this time are small predators, so the size indicates that the lineage history is more complex than previously thought.

Zuul was an armored ankylosaur, and one the most complete ankylosaurs discovered in North America.