DINOSAURS

The giants, the tinies and the feathery cousins that ruled Earth for 165 million years.

50 facts

ZAP’S PICK

The crater from the dinosaur-killing asteroid is still visible today.

The crater from the dinosaur-killing asteroid is still visible today.

It's buried under Mexico - 110 miles wide and shaped like a perfect bowl.

READ THE FULL FACT ▸

MORE DINOSAURS FACTS

49 facts

A T. rex skull alone is 5 feet long.

DID YOU KNOW? A T. rex skull alone is 5 feet long. From snout to back of skull, it's about the height of a 10-year-old. 2 min read

We've found maybe 1% of all the dinosaur species that ever existed.

DID YOU KNOW? We've found maybe 1% of all the dinosaur species that ever existed. For every dinosaur we know about, there are 99 more we'll never see. 2 min read

We have a fossil of two dinosaurs caught fighting to the death.

DID YOU KNOW? We have a fossil of two dinosaurs caught fighting to the death. A Velociraptor and Protoceratops, locked together, buried in seconds. 2 min read

Some dinosaurs swallowed rocks on purpose - to grind up food.

DID YOU KNOW? Some dinosaurs swallowed rocks on purpose - to grind up food. They're called gastroliths, and modern birds still use them today. 2 min read

Some of our best dinosaur clues come from fossilized poop.

DID YOU KNOW? Some of our best dinosaur clues come from fossilized poop. A dinosaur dropping is called a coprolite - and they're treasure to scientists. 2 min read

The first dinosaurs were small and ran on two legs.

DID YOU KNOW? The first dinosaurs were small and ran on two legs. The earliest dinosaurs were the size of small dogs - fast, light, and easy to overlook. 2 min read

Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent - even Antarctica.

DID YOU KNOW? Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent - even Antarctica. When dinosaurs lived, the continents were closer together and warmer. 2 min read

An asteroid 6 miles wide ended the dinosaur era.

DID YOU KNOW? An asteroid 6 miles wide ended the dinosaur era. It hit the Earth so hard that some scientists call it the worst day in Earth's history. 2 min read

Dinosaurs ruled Earth for 165 million years.

DID YOU KNOW? Dinosaurs ruled Earth for 165 million years. The whole history of humans wouldn't even register on a dinosaur timeline. 2 min read

Sinosauropteryx was the first feathered dinosaur ever found.

DID YOU KNOW? Sinosauropteryx was the first feathered dinosaur ever found. We even know it had a ginger-and-white striped tail. 2 min read

Oviraptor was first thought to be an egg thief - but it was actually a good parent.

DID YOU KNOW? Oviraptor was first thought to be an egg thief - but it was actually a good parent. It sat on its own eggs like a chicken. We've found the fossils to prove it. 2 min read

Yutyrannus was a 30-foot tyrannosaur covered in feathers.

DID YOU KNOW? Yutyrannus was a 30-foot tyrannosaur covered in feathers. A cousin of T. rex, the size of a bus, wearing a coat of fuzz. 2 min read

Scientists know exactly what colors Anchiornis had.

DID YOU KNOW? Scientists know exactly what colors Anchiornis had. It looked like a Cretaceous magpie - black, white, and a bright orange crown. 2 min read

The real Velociraptor was covered in feathers.

DID YOU KNOW? The real Velociraptor was covered in feathers. We even found the quill knobs on its arm bone - proof of full wing feathers. 2 min read

Microraptor had four wings - and was iridescent black like a crow.

DID YOU KNOW? Microraptor had four wings - and was iridescent black like a crow. Imagine a tiny raptor with feathers on its arms AND its legs. 2 min read

Baby T. rex was probably covered in fluffy feathers.

DID YOU KNOW? Baby T. rex was probably covered in fluffy feathers. It looked more like a giant chick than the leathery monster we picture. 2 min read

Archaeopteryx is the most famous "missing link" ever found.

DID YOU KNOW? Archaeopteryx is the most famous "missing link" ever found. It's half-dinosaur, half-bird - and the fossil is heart-stoppingly beautiful. 2 min read

Maiasaura took care of its babies - and that's why it's called "good mother lizard."

DID YOU KNOW? Maiasaura took care of its babies - and that's why it's called "good mother lizard." A fossil nesting ground gave us our first proof that dinosaurs were parents. 2 min read

Plateosaurus was one of the very first big dinosaurs.

DID YOU KNOW? Plateosaurus was one of the very first big dinosaurs. It lived 215 million years ago - long before T. rex existed. 2 min read

Some dinosaurs had over 1,000 teeth - all in one mouth.

DID YOU KNOW? Some dinosaurs had over 1,000 teeth - all in one mouth. Hadrosaurs stacked their teeth in layers, replacing them constantly. 2 min read

Iguanodon was one of the very first dinosaurs ever discovered.

DID YOU KNOW? Iguanodon was one of the very first dinosaurs ever discovered. For years scientists thought its thumb spike was a horn on its nose. 2 min read

Pachycephalosaurus had an 8-inch-thick skull dome.

DID YOU KNOW? Pachycephalosaurus had an 8-inch-thick skull dome. It used its solid bone head like a battering ram - possibly against other Pachycephalosaurus. 2 min read

Parasaurolophus could blow its head like a trumpet.

DID YOU KNOW? Parasaurolophus could blow its head like a trumpet. The hollow tube on its skull was a built-in musical instrument. 2 min read

Ankylosaurus had a tail club that could break a T. rex's leg.

DID YOU KNOW? Ankylosaurus had a tail club that could break a T. rex's leg. It was basically a living tank, with armor, spikes, and a wrecking ball at the back. 2 min read

Nobody knows for sure what Stegosaurus's plates were for.

DID YOU KNOW? Nobody knows for sure what Stegosaurus's plates were for. We've had its skeleton for 150 years - and we're still arguing about those plates. 2 min read

Stegosaurus's spiky tail has a real name - the "thagomizer."

DID YOU KNOW? Stegosaurus's spiky tail has a real name - the "thagomizer." The name came from a comic strip joke. Scientists liked it so much they made it official. 2 min read

Triceratops had the biggest head of any land animal ever.

DID YOU KNOW? Triceratops had the biggest head of any land animal ever. Its giant skull could grow to 10 feet long - nearly the size of a small car. 2 min read

Utahraptor was as big as a polar bear.

DID YOU KNOW? Utahraptor was as big as a polar bear. It was the biggest "raptor" ever - and looked like a feathered nightmare. 2 min read

Carnotaurus was a predator with horns on its head.

DID YOU KNOW? Carnotaurus was a predator with horns on its head. It's the only known meat-eating dinosaur with proper bull-like horns. 2 min read

Allosaurus could open its jaw super-wide, like a snake.

DID YOU KNOW? Allosaurus could open its jaw super-wide, like a snake. A flexible "trap-mouth" let it bite chunks out of much bigger dinosaurs. 2 min read

Therizinosaurus had three-foot claws - the longest of any animal ever.

DID YOU KNOW? Therizinosaurus had three-foot claws - the longest of any animal ever. They look like giant scythes, and we're still not sure exactly what they were for. 2 min read

Giganotosaurus was bigger than T. rex.

DID YOU KNOW? Giganotosaurus was bigger than T. rex. It was almost 45 feet long - and lived 30 million years before T. rex did. 2 min read

Spinosaurus was the only known dinosaur that swam.

DID YOU KNOW? Spinosaurus was the only known dinosaur that swam. Bigger than T. rex, with a sail on its back and a tail like a fish. 2 min read

The real Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey.

DID YOU KNOW? The real Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey. The movies made them way bigger - the actual dinosaur was knee-high to a kid. 2 min read

A T. rex tooth was as long as a banana.

DID YOU KNOW? A T. rex tooth was as long as a banana. Including the root buried in the jaw, they reached over 12 inches. 2 min read

T. rex's tiny arms could still lift a refrigerator.

DID YOU KNOW? T. rex's tiny arms could still lift a refrigerator. They look silly, but each one packed enough muscle to curl over 400 pounds. 2 min read

T. rex had a bite force strong enough to crush a car.

DID YOU KNOW? T. rex had a bite force strong enough to crush a car. Eight times stronger than a great white shark - and the most powerful land bite ever measured. 2 min read

Some dinosaur footprints are big enough to bathe in.

DID YOU KNOW? Some dinosaur footprints are big enough to bathe in. The biggest tracks are over 5 feet across - and tell us how giants moved. 2 min read

The biggest dinosaur egg ever found is the size of a basketball.

DID YOU KNOW? The biggest dinosaur egg ever found is the size of a basketball. Even the largest sauropods laid surprisingly small eggs - and lots of them. 2 min read

Diplodocus had a tail like a giant whip - 80 bones long.

DID YOU KNOW? Diplodocus had a tail like a giant whip - 80 bones long. Scientists once thought it could crack the sound barrier. New research says no - but it could still swing very fast. 2 min read

Shantungosaurus was the world's biggest duck-billed dinosaur.

DID YOU KNOW? Shantungosaurus was the world's biggest duck-billed dinosaur. It weighed 15 tons, ran on two legs, and grazed in giant herds. 2 min read

Patagotitan weighed as much as 14 elephants.

DID YOU KNOW? Patagotitan weighed as much as 14 elephants. The world's biggest known dinosaur tipped the scales at around 70 tons. 2 min read

Brachiosaurus could peek into a fourth-floor window.

DID YOU KNOW? Brachiosaurus could peek into a fourth-floor window. It held its neck almost straight up - like a giant living crane. 2 min read

Mamenchisaurus had a neck longer than a school bus.

DID YOU KNOW? Mamenchisaurus had a neck longer than a school bus. Its 45-foot neck was over half the length of its entire body. 2 min read

The biggest dinosaurs had hollow bones - like modern birds.

DID YOU KNOW? The biggest dinosaurs had hollow bones - like modern birds. Air-filled pockets kept their giant necks light enough to hold up. 2 min read

Dreadnoughtus weighed 65 tons - and its name means "fears nothing."

DID YOU KNOW? Dreadnoughtus weighed 65 tons - and its name means "fears nothing." It was so massive that scientists named it after armored battleships. 2 min read

Argentinosaurus was as long as a basketball court.

DID YOU KNOW? Argentinosaurus was as long as a basketball court. It could weigh 100 tons - about as much as 14 African elephants put together. 2 min read

Birds are living dinosaurs.

DID YOU KNOW? Birds are living dinosaurs. Birds are living dinosaurs - chickens are cousins of T. rex. 1 min read

The Stegosaurus had a brain about the size of a walnut.

DID YOU KNOW? The Stegosaurus had a brain about the size of a walnut. The Stegosaurus had a brain about the size of a walnut. 1 min read

⚡ QUICK-FIRE DINOSAURS WHOAS

61 bite-sized brain-zappers. Click for another.

WHOA!

Roll the dice for an instant whoa.