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DINOSAURS

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

50 facts
ZAP’S PICK
A cheerful green dinosaur stands beside a large, bowl-shaped crater with a fiery asteroid streaking across a bright blue sky.
DISCOVERIES

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.

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MORE DINOSAURS FACTS

49 facts
A bright yellow T. rex skull looms large as a small boy in a red shirt stands in awe, gazing up at its massive jaws.
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
A cheerful green dinosaur stands next to a cartoonish dinosaur skeleton, both smiling against a bright orange background.
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
A Velociraptor and Protoceratops skeletons are entangled in a fierce battle, surrounded by a vibrant yellow background.
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
Three cheerful cartoon dinosaurs, a green long-necked dino, an orange T. rex, and a blue spiky dino, happily hold shiny…
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
A cheerful green dinosaur stands next to a large, cartoonish pile of brown poop, set against a bright yellow background.
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
A small, bright red dinosaur with yellow spikes runs on two legs against a playful blue polka dot background.
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
A bright yellow dinosaur skeleton stands triumphantly on a stylized globe, showcasing continents in vibrant colors.
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
A fiery asteroid zooms towards Earth as startled dinosaurs, including a T-Rex and a Triceratops, react in shock.
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
Three cartoon dinosaurs gather around a blue hourglass, with a T. rex grinning, a brontosaurus curiously peeking, and a…
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
A cheerful, cartoon Sinosauropteryx with a ginger-and-white striped tail and a green feather floating above its head.
DID YOU KNOW? Sinosauropteryx was the first feathered dinosaur ever found. Paleontologists discovered Sinosauropteryx in 1996, revealing feathers on a dinosaur the size of a turkey, changing how we picture these ancient creatures. 2 min read
An orange Oviraptor with a red crest sits proudly on a nest of three pale eggs, surrounded by a cozy straw nest.
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
A fluffy, orange Yutyrannus with a bright blue face and sharp teeth stands proudly, surrounded by playful feather motifs.
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
A vibrant Anchiornis stands proudly with a bright orange crown, black and white feathers, and a playful pose against a…
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
A colorful feathered velociraptor with a vibrant red body and blue wings playfully looks up at a floating feather.
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
A small, iridescent black raptor with four outstretched wings strikes a dynamic pose against a bright yellow background.
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
A fluffy yellow baby T. rex with big eyes and a cheerful smile stands amidst colorful feathers against a bright blue…
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
A vibrant orange Archaeopteryx with bright blue wings spreads its arms wide, set against a sunny yellow background.
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
A vibrant red Maiasaura gently watches over its baby dinosaur hatching from an egg, surrounded by more eggs on a sunny…
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
A cheerful green Plateosaurus with bright red spots and a yellow belly stands playfully against a blue polka-dotted…
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
A cheerful green hadrosaur grins widely, showcasing its massive, layered teeth against a bright yellow background.
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
A playful green Iguanodon stands proudly, showcasing its orange thumb spike and bright yellow belly against a cheerful…
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
Two green Pachycephalosaurus face each other with their thick, yellow skull domes clashing, ready for a playful headbutt.
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
A cheerful green Parasaurolophus with a bright yellow trumpet-like crest happily makes a sound, surrounded by a playful blue…
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
A colorful Ankylosaurus with a spiky green back and a clubbed tail stands confidently against a bright yellow background.
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
A cheerful yellow Stegosaurus with bright red plates and blue stripes stands on a textured blue background, looking…
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
A cheerful green Stegosaurus with a spiky orange back and a distinctive tail stands proudly against a bright yellow…
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
A vibrant orange Triceratops with blue horns and polka dots stands confidently against a bright yellow dotted background.
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
A fierce Utahraptor with bright orange and black feathers stands confidently, showcasing its sharp claws and toothy grin.
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
A fierce red Carnotaurus stands proudly, showcasing its distinctive bull-like horns and sharp teeth against a bright yellow…
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
A colorful Allosaurus with a wide-open jaw reveals sharp teeth, set against a vibrant yellow dotted background.
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
A colorful Therizinosaurus stands proudly, showcasing its enormous three-foot claws and vibrant blue wings against a bright…
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
A massive Giganotosaurus towers over a smaller T. rex and its baby, all set against a vibrant yellow and blue comic backdrop.
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
A colorful Spinosaurus with a tall sail on its back stands confidently, showcasing its sharp teeth and vibrant blue spots.
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
A cheerful kid in a blue shirt pets a small, colorful Velociraptor with green stripes, both smiling against a bright yellow…
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 large, jagged T. rex tooth stands next to a bright yellow banana, showcasing their similar lengths against a colorful…
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
A playful T. rex with bright green scales lifts a blue refrigerator, grinning widely against a vibrant yellow background.
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
A fierce T. rex chomps down on a bright red car, showcasing its massive teeth and powerful jaws against a dotted yellow…
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
A friendly green dinosaur waves from a bright yellow floatie in a bubbly blue pool, showcasing its playful side.
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
A cheerful green dinosaur stands beside a giant egg, smiling and showcasing its round, basketball-sized shape against a…
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
A cheerful green Diplodocus with a long, whip-like tail swings it playfully, sending a starburst explosion into the air.
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
A colorful cartoon Shantungosaurus stands proudly on two legs, showcasing its striped body against a bright yellow…
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
A friendly green dinosaur with big eyes and polka dots stands proudly on a bright yellow background, smiling cheerfully.
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
A tall green Brachiosaurus stretches its long neck to peek into a fourth-floor window, where a surprised child watches.
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
A bright yellow Mamenchisaurus with orange spots stands proudly, showcasing its incredibly long neck against a blue sky.
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
A cheerful green dinosaur with a long neck shows a cartoonish hollow bone structure against a bright yellow background.
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
A cheerful yellow dinosaur with orange spots and a long neck stands confidently on a bright blue background.
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
A cheerful yellow Argentinosaurus with green spots stands proudly among 14 playful red elephants on a bright blue background.
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
A cartoon T. rex grins playfully next to a bright orange chicken, both standing against a polka-dotted blue background.
DID YOU KNOW? Birds are living dinosaurs. Birds are living dinosaurs - chickens are cousins of T. rex. 1 min read
A cheerful green Stegosaurus with bright orange plates has two walnuts balanced on its back, smiling against a sunny yellow…
DID YOU KNOW? The Stegosaurus had a brain about the size of a walnut. Weighing more than a car, the Stegosaurus had a tiny brain the size of a walnut, but it didn't need smarts to munch on plants all day. 1 min read

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