Dinosaurs that ruled the Mesozoic era
The term dinosaur was coined in 1842 by the English biologist Sir Richard Owen. The Name Dinosaur literally means "terrible lizards", which we can surely say that it is a fairly fair description (at least in most cases). It comes from two Greek words: Deinos, a name that means "terrible" and Saurus, which means lizard.
As for individual species, they were named in different ways. Often dinosaurs are called a distinctive characteristic. Baryonyx means heavy claw. Corythosaurus means helmet lizard. Tyrannosaurus means tyrant lizard, you understand the point. Other times, they are named after the place where the first fossil was found, such as Albertasaurus (from Alberta, Canada).
Before starting to look for individual species and their names, there are some other Greek roots that can help you better understand the names of dinosaurs.
- Draco: Rakon – means dragon;
- Hippo: hippos – means horse;
- Hydro: Hydro – means water;
- Ortho: Orthos – means right, right or vertical;
- Macro: Makros – means large;
- Micro: from Mikros – means small;
- Mega: from Megas – means huge;
- Morph: Morph – means form;
- Poly: Polys – means many.
Tyran-Saurio Rex
Tyrannosaurus Rex means the ‘King Lagarto Tirano’, and you could hardly imagine a better name. He was appointed in 1905 by Henry Fairfield Osborn, who was then the president of the American Museum of Natural History.
T-Rex, as it is often called, lived at the end of the Cretaceous, the last period in which dinosaurs ruled the earth. Although it seems that T-Rex ‘only’ lived for 2 million years (a relatively short period, compared to other dinosaurs), had a great impact.
It is one of the largest known land predators and it is estimated that it had the strongest bite among all terrestrial animals. However, although T-Rex was probably a main predator, it could also have been a scavenger. Today, the debate about whether was purely a scavenger hunter is also one of the most heated in the world of paleontology.
Stegosaurus
The stegosaurus was an imposing creature, although their rear thorns were probably not as threatening as I might think. Image credits: Parker West.
The stegosaurus is a much older dinosaur than Tyrannosaurus rex. So that you can get an idea, the T-Rex lived closer to the current day than on the days of the stegosaurus, so those T-Rex drawings fighting a stegosaur are garbage and have no geological truth. But if for a miracle you would see a stegosaurus of about 150 million years ago, it would be a show worth contemplating.
The stegosaurios were large herbivores and strong complexion. They had rounded backs and pointed tails that probably held in the air. Most likely, the tails were used to defend themselves against predators, but contrary to popular belief, their recognizable rear plates probably served for a different purpose: thermoregulation. Traditionally it was believed that these plates also had a defense purpose, but more recent investigations suggest that they were very vascularized, which means that they were good to regulate the dinosaur temperature (they could also have been used for mating exhibitions).
Triceratops
Unlike Stegosaur, triceratops was contemporary of the T-Rex, so the two could have found themselves. Unfortunately, you can only imagine the impression caused by the first triceratops skull in its discoverers. A huge dinosaur similar to a tank with three devil horns in its armored head must have been a spectacle. However, although triceratops was probably not the friendliest dinosaur (fossil findings suggested that he regularly participated in fights with predators and other members of his species), he was still a herbivorous.
Triceratops is one of the latest acquaintance true dinosaurs, it became success 66 million years ago. His name literally means ‘three horns’ face’. His robust and robust body meant not only that triceratops was not an easy prey, but also that many examples such as fossils have been preserved, which allows paleontologists to study the species with relative detail. His fossils are among the most common dinosaurs fossils in the late cretaceous.
Velociraptor
The velociraptor was not as impressive as the other dinosaurs that we have seen so far, and it was not contemporary of T-Rex: he lived only a few million years before T-Rex emerged. Velociraptors were dinosaurs the size of a dog, part of a family called dromeosáurido. The largest velociraptors measured 2.07 m (6.8 feet) long, 0.5 m (1.6 feet) high. Unlike what Jurassic Park shows, the velociraptors were covered with feathers (or, at least, with hairy features). They were probably hot blood, at least to some extent.
In one of the most notable fossils ever discovered, there is a velociraptor fighting an Andrewsi protoceratops, in a clear example of predatory behavior. Also contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that the velociraptor would hunt cooperatively (although recent findings have shown that they moved as a group, at least sometimes). The hypothesis of hunting in pack is still uncertain.
Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus was among the largest known carnivorous dinosaurs, almost so big or even bigger than Tyrannosaurus. He lived about 100 million years ago, at the beginning and mid -Cretaceous. Among its many notable characteristics, Spinosaurus also presented massive neural thorns on its back, from which its name also derives. The exact purpose of these thorns remains a topic of debate, although as with the stegosaurus, it is more likely to be used for thermoregulation and exhibition than for defense.
For a long time, it was thought that Spinosaurus fed on fish almost exclusively, as their elongated jaws, high nostrils and conical teeth suggest. However, more recent findings (including a fossil that contained bones of another dinosaur in its belly) suggest that Spinosaurus has been a generalized and opportunistic predator, feeding on anything that its size would allow it to hunt.
ALLOSAURUS
‘Allosaurus’ means ‘different lizard’, a name that refers to its concave vertebrae, which at the time of their discovery were unique. Allosaurus was a great predator, something similar to tyrannosaur. It measured more than 9.5 meters (31 feet) long, although some partial findings suggest that it could have grown far beyond that. However, unlike tyranosaur.
Like many other predatory dinosaurs (as well as ancient and modern crocodiles), Allosaurus grew, constantly moved and replaced his teeth. Even if he hunted in herdas, Allosaurus was more than able to hunt dams alone, they suggest several findings.
Archeptérixelles
Archaeopteryx is a genus of bird -like dinosaurs that are considered a kind of transition between non -aviary dinosaurs and modern birds. The name comes from the Greek Archaios, which means ‘ancient’, and Pteryx, which means ‘pen’. It is one of the most important fossils ever discovered. He shared clear similarities with birds (such as small size, wide wings and an alleged ability to fly or slide), but had strong dinosaur characteristics: jaws with sharp teeth (instead of peak), three fingers with claws, as well as a tailLong and bony.
Archaeopteryx was not a big creature. It had a size similar to that of a urraca, and larger individuals could have reached the size of a crow.
Megalosaur
Megalosaurus really deserves the title of ‘giant lizard’, as the name implies. It was a great carnivorous dinosaur of the middle Jurassic and it is very possible that it is the first dinosaur described correctly in scientific literature. The first naturalists considered it a gigantic lizard of 20 meters (65 feet), although more recent studies have found that it is probably in the range of 6 meters (20 feet).
Megalosaurus could have hunted stegosaurios, iguanodones or even sauropods. It was probably biped, although the first reconstructions describe him as four legs. However, although this dinosaur has been known for a long time, it is not yet correctly understood. Its skull shape, in particular, is unknown.
Diplodocus
Diplodocus is one of the largest dinosaurs discovered so far. Diplodocus Carnegii, a kind of diplodocus, is one of the longest preserved dinosaurs of a complete skeleton, but other individuals are likely to grow to even greater sizes. Diplodocus lived about 152 million years ago and, like most sauropods, presented a long neck and tail. Their size and shape are so unusual that paleontologists are not even sure how the sauropods could breathe.
They probably had an avian respiratory system (which is much more efficient than one of reptiles or mammals). Diplodocus would have spent its days ramoneando trees, ferns and shrubs, from low levels to about 4 meters high. However, the reconstructions suggest that it could also use its tail as support, giving it a stable tripod posture (on its hind legs and tail), which allows it to reach up to 11 meters high. Like giraffes, it is believed that Diplodocus developed a neck as long as an advantage to feed.
Anquilosaur
Ankylosaurus is a armored dinosaur that is estimated to measure between 6 and 8 meters (20 and 26 feet) long. He walked on four legs, with a head with horns that ended with a threatening beak, as well as a large club at the end of the tail.
Although Ankylosaurus has several striking characteristics, its tail is probably the most interesting. The researchers believed that it was actively used as a defensive weapon and probably would crush the bones of their possible attackers, which, at the end of the Cretaceous, could have measured types like the T-Rex. Ankylosaurus’ mouth suggests that it was an indiscriminate herbivorous, which fed on any plant that could find around.
Braquiosaura
Brachiosaurus is another sauropod, like the diplodocus. In 1903, the paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs named the Brachiosaurus altithorax dinosaur, with the name Brachiosaurus in Greek for ‘arm lizard’, and Altithorax in Greek for ‘deep chest’.
Brachiosaurus also had a breathing system similar to a bird, with sacks of air that pumped air. But Brachiosaurus was also atypical in some aspects, for example, it had long previous limbs (longer than the rear), which resulted in a very inclined trunk.
Iguanodon
Iguanodon is another emblematic dinosaur. The iguanodontes were large and bulky herbivores, but they had prehensile fingers with which they were looking for food, as well as large spikes of the thumb, which were probably used to defend themselves against predators. The spike would have been used as a weapon similar to a stilett against predators, although a more benign explanation would be used to break seeds and fruits.
Given its well -developed jaws, it is not clear what Iguanodon ate, although, given its size, it was probably a dominant herbivorous. Surprisingly, Iguanodon could have been biped at an early age, but became more quadruped as it aged and weighed more.
Parasaurolophus
Parasaurolophus (whose name means ‘almost created lizard’) may not have the most famous name, but its appearance is definitely recognizable. Parasaurolophus was also a hadrosaurid, but its crest provides a notable difference with other species.
It is not clear what paper fulfilled the shield. It may have been pure sexual exhibition, or may have served for thermoregulation, or even acoustic resonance. Most likely it would serve a large combination of purposes, which makes it a unique characteristic, even the diverse world of dinosaurs.
Hadrosaurus
Hadrosaurus has a quite a name that explains for himself: Hadros means ‘bulky’ or ‘large’ and Sauros means ‘lizard’. As you will have guessed, Hadrosaurus is a large and bulky lizard, a very common feature in herbivorous dinosaurs. Hadrosaurus foulkii, the only species of this genus, is known from a single specimen that consists of a large part of the skeleton and parts of the skull.
Hadrosaurus has traditionally served as a basis for a fairly large subfamily called Hadrosaurina E, which was seen as a group of Hadrosaurios in large part without an crest. However, recent studies have shown that Hadrosaurios are more primitive than their relatives, and the Hadrosaurinae name was restricted. That is why it seems so judicious in the previous reconstruction.
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