Millions of years ago, a diverse group of reptiles roamed the planet Earth. The study of dinosaurs became a fascinating subject of study after their fossils were found. Following that, there are reportedly over a thousand different species of dinosaurs to date.
Dinosaurs lived through different periods. The first was called the Triassic period. Then came the Jurassic Period and then the Cretaceous period.
During the Cretaceous period, the climate was generally warm. New species of mammals, birds and flowers appeared, although the land was still dominated by dinosaurs.
Here are ten dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period
1) Tyrannosaurus
One of the largest carnivore land dinosaur of that time, the Tyrannosaurus had a height of up to 40 feet. It was known to have the greatest bite force and can take down a well-armored prey in seconds.
2) Triceratops
Despite its ferocious appearance, the triceratops was a herbivore who moved very slowly. They had two large horns on the top and a third right above its snout. The triceratops also had a frill around their neck which was either used for protection or to attract a mate.
During that period, the triceratops were the dominant plant eaters. The triceratops were thought to be about 30 feet tall.
3) Velociraptor
The first thing that comes to your mind is that the Velociraptors were speedy dinosaurs. However, contrary to that, they were not very fast. In fact, they were turkey-sized and had feathers. They also possessed a sickle-shaped claw on each foot. A velociraptor was thought to be only 1.6 feet in height.
4) Ankylosaurus
The Ankylosaurus had a height of up to 33ft and were built like a tank. That means they were one of the armored dinosaurs. They had rows of armored plates running along its body and horns on the head. Their estimated weight was between 5 to 8 tonnes. They also had a heavy club at the end of their tail.
5) Argentinosaurus
The Argentinosaurus may have been a massive dinosaur but it thrived on plants. The Argentinosaurus was thought to be about a 100 feet tall and weigh 90 tonnes.
6) Deinonychus
Here’s a fun fact about the Deinonychus: In the movie Jurassic Park, even though the dinosaurs shown were called velociraptors, their look was actually based on the Deinonychus. So why the name change?
Probably because it sounded better to the filmmakers. In actuality, the Deinonychus are thirteen feet tall and hunted in packs.
This was suggested because their skeletons were found together.
7) Giganotosaurus
The Giganotosaurus may have been the biggest land predator, almost 50 feet tall, but it had a small brain. It was also known for its speed. The Giganotosaurus had a larger skull than the Tyrannosaurus and even weighed more than it.
The Giganotosaurus preyed on juvenile sauropod dinosaurs.
8) Edmontosaurus
This 43 feet tall dinosaur had a duck-billed appearance, It had a toothless beak and flat teeth which was replaced during its lifetime. The Edmontosaurus was able to walk on four legs. They lived in herds and were migratory dinosaurs.
9) Iguanodon
This 33 feet dinosaur was a plant eater. It could easily shift from walking on two feet to four. Since it was a herbivore, its teeth was replaced throughout its lifetime.
Fun fact: In the 2000 Disney movie DINOSAUR, the protagonist, was an Iguanodon.
10) Suchomimus
This 36 feet tall dinosaur. It’s scientific name means “crocodile mimic” since its head resembles that of a crocodiles. The Suchomimus was a carnivore that had 122 teeth used to capture prey.
Its diet mostly consisted mostly of fish.
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