When I was little, there was nothing I loved more than dinosaurs. I had a big encyclopedia filled with information only about these giants. For one of my birthdays, I was given a set of plastic dinosaur figurines. Also, it goes without saying that "Jurassic Park" was my favorite movie. You would think that as I entered adulthood this interest would begin to wane, but surprisingly it didn't. And why would it? Dinosaurs are like dragons, powerful and ancient, but they were actually real. So for all the big T-Rex enthusiasts out there, here it is 15 Amazing Dinosaur Facts That Dinosaur Lovers Need to Know.
1. Rulers of the Earth
Dinosaurs were the ruling species on Earth for over 165 million years. Humans, on the other hand, number only about two million. If we had to study that much history, imagine how hard life would be in dinosaur schools.
2. The fastest dinosaurs
They could reach truly impressive speeds. A dinosaur called Ornithomus is the Usain Bolt of its kind. According to scientific studies, it could run at a speed of 70 km/h.
3. Life expectancy
Despite all the advances that have been made in science since we first started digging up dinosaur fossils, the lifespan of dinosaurs is still unclear. However, it is estimated that some may have lived for up to two hundred years.
4. Dimensions
Most dinosaurs were not actually much taller than the average human. Museums contain many skeletons of colossally large dinosaurs, but this is only because large bones are apparently easier to fossilize and thus be preserved and reconstructed into an accurate replica.
5. The state of the stegosaurus
Colorado is also called the Stegosaurus State. No, no, it has nothing to do with the weird shape on the map or anything. The first stegosaurus fossils were found in Colorado, and that is definitely an honor to be proud of in front of the world.
6. Name
The word dinosaur was first used in 1842 by British paleontologist Richard Owen. The Greek term roughly translates to "terrible lizard." The interesting thing is that the word was apparently not used in a derogatory way, as Owen intended it to be a tribute to their size and majesty.
7. Long tails
There were some dinosaurs that had incredibly long tails, although most members of this family had tails longer than our modern animals. Scientists believe that they were biologically designed to maintain balance while running. Okay, fair enough, but where is the theory that explains the T-Rex's actual shooting weapons?
8. They laid eggs
Dinosaurs were the ancient ancestors of lizards, so it makes sense that they laid eggs. We currently know about forty types of eggs.
9. The oldest dinosaur
Meet Eoraptor, a dinosaur whose name translates to "dawn stealer" (a much better name than just "terrible lizard"). It was so named, which could indicate that the breed was truly ancient, and roamed the Earth in the earliest days of the dinosaur era. Eoraptor was apparently no bigger than a German shepherd.
10. Ancestors of birds
You’ve probably heard this one before, as you’d expect, because it’s a fact that’s as fascinating as it is funny. Did you know that the closest relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex is the chicken? Birds, in general, share many similarities with the mighty dinosaurs, leading scientists to believe that some of them managed to survive the mass extinction and then continued to exist as winged species as mutated, smaller versions. Honestly, I just want to know which dinosaur is responsible for the geese, because it must have been a pretty terrifying creature.
11. Jurassic Park
Speaking of "Jurassic Park" As mentioned in the opening paragraph, one of the reasons the film was such a wild success was because it was as accurate as a dinosaur movie could be. Steven Spielberg wanted scientific accuracy, so he hired real paleontologists to consult on the creatures' behavior and movements. This also allowed us to experience the eerie realism of the costumes and animatronics used to bring the T. rex, raptors, and other characters to our screens.
12. Dinosaur nests
Close your eyes and try to picture a raptor running frantically back and forth, gathering twigs and pieces of wood into its mouth to decorate its home, sweet home: its nest. Like birds, dinosaurs kept eggs in nests. The first one was discovered by a researcher named Roy Andrews Chapman in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Until this discovery, how dinosaurs reproduced was a major scientific mystery.
13. Extinction
We already know that dinosaurs no longer inhabit the Earth, but there are actually many theories that try to explain how an entire species could have gone extinct in such a short time. The most common of these relates to a meteorite six miles in diameter that fell on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The impact was so powerful that it set off a chain reaction of cataclysms, including volcanic eruptions.
14. Blood temperature.
Despite their similar biology to our modern lizards, scientists argue that not all dinosaurs were cold-blooded. Some had warm blood, and some had neither. One belief evolved into a theory that small predators may have been warm-blooded because they were constantly active, while large herbivores had cooler blood flowing through their bodies because they were sedentary.
15. Hollow bones
Ah, we’re not done with the dinosaur/bird comparisons yet. Despite how massive a raptor’s bones may appear, they are actually hollow inside. This was a big advantage for their hunting nature, as it meant that the bones were lighter. This meant that dinosaurs could reach incredible speeds when running.
Trying to cram 65 million years of history into 15 Amazing Facts About Dinosaurs You Need To Know is as impossible as it is mildly offensive. Humanity may be the most advanced and sophisticated species in history, with accomplishments far beyond anything any animal can achieve, but we have a long way to go before we can even dream of managing the Earth as effectively as the dinosaurs did. And when we finally do , Let's hope it doesn't end so tragically for us.
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