{"id":501,"date":"2022-07-25T15:35:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T15:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/?p=501"},"modified":"2023-03-07T11:51:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T11:51:59","slug":"awesome-dinosaur-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/awesome-dinosaur-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Awesome Dinosaur Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group posthub has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"background-color:#eaf1ff\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">Explore Dinosaur Species<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/velociraptor-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"518\">Velociraptor<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/tyrannosaurus-rex-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"488\">Tyrannosaurus Rex<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/baryonyx-facts\/\">Baryonyx<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/protoceratops-facts\/\">Protoceratops<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/stegosaurus-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"510\">Stegosaurus<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/triceratops-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"477\">Triceratops<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/pachycephalosaurus-facts\/\">Pachycephalosaurus<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s pretty scary to think that huge creatures used to walk our planet, especially when you learn that some were fierce carnivores (meat eaters). However, dinosaurs existed a very long time ago now, and the only evidence we have of their existence is through the fossilisation of their bones, footprints and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fossilisation is where dinosaur remains are preserved over a period of millions of years, and it\u2019s an extremely rare process. As such, whenever new dinosaur remains are found, scientists and dinosaur fans get very excited indeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look at these 15 awesome dinosaur facts for kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. The word \u2018dinosaur\u2019 originates from the Greek words \u2018deinos\u2019 (meaning terrible, potent and formidable), and \u2018sauros\u2019 (meaning lizard or reptile).<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, the word \u2018dinosaur\u2019 actually means terrible lizard. Don\u2019t let this confuse you though, dinosaurs are actually reptiles, not lizards. The word was coined by palaeontologist (a scientist that studies fossils) Sir Richard Owen in 1842.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Dinosaurs existed during the Mesozoic Era which covers three periods: The Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mesozoic Era is also known as the \u2018Age of Dinosaurs\u2019, and spans between 252 million years ago to around 66 million years ago. While this makes them very, very old, jellyfish have been around longer than dinosaurs and are still around today!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"950\" height=\"275\" src=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mesozoic-timeline.jpg\" alt=\"Dinosaur period timeline.\" class=\"wp-image-502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mesozoic-timeline.jpg 950w, https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mesozoic-timeline-300x87.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mesozoic-timeline-768x222.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>The Mesozoic Timeline<\/em><\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. It is believed that at the end of the Mesozoic Era period, dinosaurs were wiped out by a mass extinction.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We don&#8217;t know for sure what happened, but most scientists believe that dinosaurs were wiped out as a result of an asteroid colliding with <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/earth-facts\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"470\">Earth<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Dinosaurs lived all over the planet, with fossils being found on every continent.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the dinosaur fossils found so far have been in North America, China and Argentina. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/paleobiodb.org\/#\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paleobiology Database<\/a>, nearly 2,000 fossils have been found in California alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Despite what you may think, most dinosaurs were herbivores.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Herbivorous means their diet consisted of plants. Meat eating dinosaurs, known as carnivores, hunted herbivores (or sometimes other carnivores). Alternatively, they scavenged for dead animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. People who study dinosaurs and their fossils are known as \u2018palaeontologists\u2019.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people pursue palaeontology professionally, though some of the biggest discoveries were by amateur palaeontologists who just do it for fun as a hobby!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. The most widely known dinosaur is probably the <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/tyrannosaurus-rex-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"488\">Tyrannosaurus Rex<\/a>, or T-Rex.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word \u2018Tyrannosaurus\u2019 originates from the <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/ancient-greece\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"406\">Greek <\/a>words for \u2018tyrant lizard\u2019, and \u2018rex\u2019 actually means \u2018king\u2019 in Latin, meaning Tyrannosaurus Rex essentially means \u2018TYRANT LIZARD KING\u2019!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. The T-Rex walked on two feet, using its long tail to balance its huge head, and was a fearsome carnivore (meat eater!).<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on fossils, it\u2019s possible to estimate that the T-Rex was around 40 feet long and 20 feet tall!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"950\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/t-rex-skeleton.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/t-rex-skeleton.jpg 950w, https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/t-rex-skeleton-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/t-rex-skeleton-768x437.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex at the American Museum of Natural History.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. One of the smallest known dinosaurs is a bird-like dinosaur known as the \u2018Compsognathus\u2019.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the T-Rex it walked on 2 legs (known as bipedal), and was about the size of a chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. While there are no official <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/collective-nouns-for-animals\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"428\">collective nouns<\/a> for dinosaurs, herds, flocks and packs are all great words for describing a group of them.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Can you come up with your own fun word for a group of dinosaurs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. There were no marine dinosaurs, but there were marine reptiles, like the huge Kronosaurus.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kronosaurus was 30 to 35 feet long, with a long body and elongated head, propelling itself with four large flippers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. The \u2018Troodon\u2019 is considered as the most intelligent dinosaur.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was small and bird-like, but had a huge brain considering it\u2019s size, and also had grasping hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">13. Scientists are almost certain that dinosaurs evolved into birds.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of evidence suggests that birds evolved from small feather covered dinosaurs known as theropods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14. The first dinosaur to ever be discovered and named was the \u2018Megalosaurus\u2019, meaning \u2018big lizard\u2019.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was discovered by British naturalist called William Buckland, and was a carnivore with a length of 30 feet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15. Because herbivorous (plant eating) dinosaurs were often hunted by carnivorous (meat eating) dinosaurs, they had all sorts of natural defences.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This included horns (like a <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/triceratops-facts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"477\">triceratops<\/a>), spikes, claws, armour plating (like a <a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/stegosaurus-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stegosaurus<\/a>) and great swinging tails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Best Dinosaur Museums in the World?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to imagine the sheer size of dinosaurs without seeing them in the flesh (so to speak!). As such nothing beats getting up close and personal with some of the best dinosaur specimens that have been discovered so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The below list consists of what are highly regarded as the best museums for dinosaur lovers. Many of them also run a Dinofest every year, with tonnes of fun activities and exhibits focused entirely on dinosaurs, so be sure to check their event calendars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Fukui Dinosaur Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Katsuyama, Japan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iziko.org.za\/museums\/south-african-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Iziko South African Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Cape Town, South Africa<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Natural History Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 London, United Kingdom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">National Dinosaur Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Nicholls, Australia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zdm.cn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Zigong Dinosaur Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Zigong, China<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fieldmuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The Field Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Chicago, United States<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tyrrellmuseum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Royal Tyrrell Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Drumheller, Canada<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Museum f\u00fcr Naturkunde<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Berlin, Germany<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturalsciences.be\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Brussels, Belgium<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wyomingdinosaurcenter.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wyoming Dinosaur Center<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;Wyoming, United States<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fernbankmuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Fernbank Museum of Natural History<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Georgia, United States<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedinosaurmuseum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The Dinosaur Museum<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Dorchester, United Kingdom<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dinosaur FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1658762034540\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Are dinosaurs coming back in 2050?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>in 2016, the Adam Smith Institute stated that they believe humans will be able to recreate dinosaurs by &#8216;back-breeding&#8217; from flightless birds. It&#8217;s an ambitious statement, but it is possible to achieve. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1658762329329\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the first dinosaur?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It is believed that the Nyasasaurus Parringtoni is the oldest known dinosaur, dating back over 240 million years. The first dinosaur discovered was the megalosaurus, found by British fossil hunter William Buckland in 1819.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1658762466692\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Did dinosaurs have feathers?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Some dinosaurs did have feathers. We know this due to well-preserved remains and fossils. So far, most examples of dinosaurs with feathers have been carnivores (meat eaters), that are part of the &#8216;theropod&#8217; group of dinosaurs. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1658762679595\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does dinosaur DNA exist?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Unfortunately it&#8217;s unlikely we&#8217;ll ever find dinosaur DNA. This is because dinosaur fossils are immersed for millions of years in mud, dirt, minerals and water, and DNA molecules eventually decay. Studies show that DNA ultimately disintegrates after around 7 million years, and the last known dinosaur died over 65 million years ago.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1658762943790\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Who was the last dinosaur?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>A study by researchers at Yale University revealed that the Triceratops may have been one of the last dinosaurs alive. They found a horn in the Hell Creek formation of Montana that appears to be the &#8216;youngest&#8217; dinosaur fossil discovered so far. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencekids.co.nz\/sciencefacts\/dinosaurs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science Kids<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedinosaurmuseum.com\/dino-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Dinosaur Museum<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/study.com\/academy\/lesson\/dinosaur-facts-lesson-for-kids.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Study.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite common beliefs, there were no marine dinosaurs, but there were huge marine reptiles. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids.jpg",1030,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids-300x117.jpg",300,117,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids-768x298.jpg",768,298,true],"large":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids-1024x398.jpg",1024,398,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids.jpg",1030,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dinosaur-facts-for-kids.jpg",1030,400,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"<p>Despite common beliefs, there were no marine dinosaurs, but there were huge marine reptiles. <\/p>\n","category_list":"<a href=\"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/category\/dinosaurs\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Dinosaurs<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Mark","url":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/author\/jqmark\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=501"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1288,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501\/revisions\/1288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jellyquest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}