Dinosaur Quiz

Dinosaurs were a diverse group of reptiles that first appeared during the Triassic period approximately 243 - 233 million years ago and dominated terrestrial ecosystems for about 175 million years. They became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period (approximately 66 million years ago) following a catastrophic asteroid impact combined with volcanic activity (the Chicxulub impactor). However, birds are technically avian dinosaurs - Direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs - Meaning dinosaurs did not fully go extinct. As of 2024, over 1,000 species of non-avian dinosaurs have been formally named.

Dinosaur Biology and Famous Species

Dinosaurs are divided into two major groups based on hip structure: the Saurischia ("lizard-hipped"), which includes theropods (T. rex, Velociraptor) and sauropods (Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus), and the Ornithischia ("bird-hipped"), which includes hadrosaurs, ceratopsians (Triceratops), and ankylosaurs. Tyrannosaurus rex, possibly the most iconic dinosaur, lived at the very end of the Cretaceous period (68 - 66 million years ago) in North America. Recent research reveals that many theropod dinosaurs were feathered, and that T. rex likely had a coat of primitive feathers or protofeathers, particularly when young.

The largest dinosaurs were the sauropods - Long-necked herbivores like Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan mayorum, estimated to have weighed up to 70 tons and stretched over 100 feet in length. Velociraptors, as depicted in Jurassic Park, are actually much smaller than shown in the films - About the size of a turkey, with feathers. The Blue whale's heart analogy aside, the largest dinosaurs had ten-story-building-scale body masses. Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent including Antarctica. Paleontology continually revises our understanding of dinosaur behavior, coloring, and biology through new discoveries and advanced techniques like CT scanning. Test your dinosaur knowledge - Also try our natural history quiz.