Dinosaurs on
our planet
The dinosaurs ruled the earth for many millions of years. They lived
in the Mesozoic era, which is divided into the Triassic, Jurassic and
Cretaceous periods.
The first dinosaurs appeared about 225 million years ago – at the
beginning of the Triassic period. They became extinct at the end
of the Cretaceous period.
Archean
Period
4.5 billion
years ago
Precambrian
Period
3.5 billion
years ago
Palaeozoic
Period
570 million
years ago
Mesozoic
Period
Cenozoic
ozoic
Period
iod
Triassic
Period
Jurassic Cretaceous
Period
Period
The first
dinosaurs
appear
Dinosaurs
rule the
world
Dinosaurs
become
extinct
225 million 195 million 140 million
years ago years ago years ago
- Age of Dinosaurs -
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years
ars
65 million years ago
What are dinosaurs?
When the dinosaurs lived,
there was only one large
continent on our planet called
Pangaea. Over the course of
many millions of years, the
continent drifted apart to
form the other continents.
The word dinosaur consists of the Greek words “deinós” and “sauros”,
which mean “terrible, powerful lizard”.
Scientists classify most dinosaurs as reptiles. Differing from reptiles, though,
as it is assumed that there were cold-blooded as well as warm-blooded
dinosaurs. Cold-blooded animals are quick and agile as long as it is warm.
If it is cold, they cannot move as well. Warm-blooded animals, like
mammals, do not depend on the outside temperature.
There were plant-eaters
and meat-eaters among the
dinosaurs. Some of them
walked on two legs, and some
on four legs, depending on
their posture.
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How do we know
so much about
dinosaurs?
How the
dinosaurs lived
Prehistoric scientists assume that many
dinosaurs lived in herds. This might be the
reason why so many skeletons have been
found at the same place. Other evidence
includes fossil footprints that have been
found.
Living in a herd was useful to defend
against natural enemies or to protect
their young.
The dinosaurs cared for their young:
They laid eggs in their nests and
protected them for a long time
after they had hatched.
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The dinosaurs were spread
over the entire globe because
the earth consisted of only one
vast continent during the age
of dinosaurs. Their skeletons
have been found and excavated
on all of today‘s continents.
Prehistoric scientists – also known as
Palaeontologists – have explored the science
of prehistoric life. They build their
knowledge from fossils excavated
from all around the world. The most
popular fossils are petrifications,
moulds in rocks or animals that are enclosed
in pieces of amber. These fossils tell us what
the dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.
mo nit
e
Am
TRI
LO ByT e
a mber
Fossils can be found in deep
layers of earth or in quarries.
Prehistoric scientists study
which layer of earth contains
the fossils and use this to
estimate their age. The oldest
known dinosaur fossil is 230
million years old.
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of the dinosaurs
Why are there no
dinosaurs today?
Dinosaurs ruled the earth for many years. But at
the end of the Cretaceous period, nearly all types
of dinos died out.
To this day, there still is no exact explanation
why dinosaurs became extinct. One theory is that
a large meteorite collided with the earth and
dramatically changed the climate. The collision
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The descendants of the dinosaurs
threw a lot of dust into the atmosphere and
darkened the sky for years. Many plants could not
grow. There was no food for the plant-eaters, and
thus no food for the meat-eaters either. Another
theory states that huge vulcanic eruptions may
have been responsible for
similar changes in climate.
Birds are the closest descendants of the dinosaurs because of a
number of their characteristics. The feet of fowl-like birds, for
example, are very similar to those of Tyrannosaurus: three toes
at the front and one at the back. Another close
relative of the dinosaurs is the crocodile. Its
skull resembles that of a dinosaur a lot.
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Tyrannosaurus Rex
T-Rex was one of the largest and
most terrifying dinos. It was a solitary
dinosaur and had a strong jaw with
sharp, big teeth. With its muscular hind
legs and long tail, it was able to walk
quickly. It would keep hold of its prey
with its strong, short arms.
Name means: tyrant lizard king
Size: 15 metres long, 6 metres tall
Weight: 5 – 6 tons
Diet: meat-eater
Location: North America
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Velociraptor
Deinonychus
Velociraptor had a sharp, crescent-shaped
claw on its hind foot. This claw could grow
up to 6.5 cm and was very useful when
hunting or climbing. Velociraptor used
to eat up its prey with a total of 56 teeth.
Deinonychus is a close relative of Velociraptor.
It also had a crescent-shaped claw, up to 12 cm
long on each hind foot. It hunted in packs and
made use of its claw and its long arms, too. Its
jaw was armed with up to 70 teeth.
Name means: speedy thief
Size: 2 metres long, 1 metre tall
Weight: 15 kg
Diet: meat-eater
Location: Asia
Name means: terrible claw
Size: 3.4 metres long, 1.7 metres tall
Weight: 73 kg
Diet: meat-eater
Location: North America
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Brachiosaurus
Saichania
Brachiosaurus was the largest landliving animal that ever roamed the
earth. Because its neck was up to
16 metres long, it could easily reach
the leaves in the treetops. It lived
in herds to protect its young. It also
made use of its long tail as a whip
for the same purpose.
Saichania had a bulky body and short legs,
protected by an armour of bone plates. In
addition, its back, head and cheeks were
covered with spikes. Saichania had a long
tail with a massive, bony club on the end.
This helped defend against attackers.
Name means: arm lizard
Size: 23 metres long, 13 metres tall
Weight: up to 80 tons
Diet: plant-eater
Location: North America
Name means: beautiful one
Size: 7 metres long, 2.2 metres tall
Weight: 2 – 3 tons
Diet: plant-eater
Location: Asia
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Stegosaurus
Dimetrodon
Stegosaurus was recognised by its
bone plates running from its neck
to tail. They could reach a size of
60 x 60 cm. They were mainly used
to regulate body temperature. Four
sharp spikes on its tail made a
powerful weapon against attackers.
Dimetrodon attracted attention because
of the large sail on its back. Its legs were
positioned on the side of its body and enabled
it to run very fast. It had a large head with a
powerful jaw. Its terrifying, sharp, fang-like
teeth in different sizes offered its prey no
chance of escaping.
Name means: roofed lizard
Size: 9 metres long, 4 metres tall
Weight: 2 – 3 tons
Diet: plant-eater
Location: North America and Europe
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Name means:
two measures tooth
Size: 3.5 metres long, 1 metre tall
Weight: 250 kg
Diet: meat-eater
Location: North America, Europe
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Triceratops
Snakefly
Triceratops was a very large and strong animal. The three
horns on its head could grow up to 1 metre long and protected
it against predators. The frill served as a protection against
dangerous neck bites. Its mouth was rather a curved beak,
which was useful for plucking food from the floor or from
bushes.
The snakefly can be recognised by its long
neck and flat head. It lived in trees and
bushes and preyed upon other insects.
Dragonfly
The dragonfly is a fast and slim predator. The
oldest dragonfly ever found is about 250 million
years old. During the age of the dinosaurs,
dragonflies had a wingspan of up to 20 cm.
Name means: three horn face
Size: 9 metres long, 3.5 metres tall
Weight: 5 - 8 tons
Diet: plant-eater
Location: North America
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Snakes
Dinosaurs had very few enemies, due to their
large size. But snakes were looking for the giant
lizards‘ eggs, lying unprotected in their nests.
Pterodactylus
Pterodactyls could easily glide short
distances, mostly from trees to the ground.
This was possible because of elongated
ridges supporting the skin, which could
be stretched like a sail.
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