When I was little, I loved nothing more than dinosaurs. I had a huge encyclopedia filled with information about these giants. For one of my birthdays, I was given a set of plastic dinosaur figurines. Besides, it goes without saying that «Jurassic Park» was my favorite movie. You'd think that with the onset of adulthood this interest would have begun to fade, but surprisingly, it didn't. And why should 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 Every Dinosaur Lover Needs to Know.
1. Rulers of the Earth
Dinosaurs dominated the Earth for over 165 million years. Humanity, on the other hand, numbers only about two million. If we had to study that much history, imagine how difficult life would be in dinosaur schools.
2. The fastest dinosaurs
They could reach truly impressive speeds. A dinosaur named Ornithomus is the Usain Bolt of its kind. According to scientific studies, it could run at speeds of 70 km/h.
3. Life expectancy
Despite all the advances scientific knowledge has made since we first began unearthing dinosaur fossils, the lifespan of dinosaurs remains unclear. However, it is estimated that some may have lived up to two hundred years.
4. Dimensions
Most dinosaurs were actually not much taller than the average human. Museums contain numerous skeletons of colossally large dinosaurs, but only because larger bones are apparently easier to fossilize and thus preserve and reconstruct into accurate replicas.
5. The state of the stegosaurus
Colorado is also known as the Stegosaurus State. No, no, it has nothing to do with that weird shape on the map or anything else. The first stegosaurus remains were found in Colorado, and that's definitely an honor to be proud of before the world.
6. Name
The word "dinosaur" was first used in 1842 by British paleontologist Richard Owen. The Greek term roughly translates as "terrible lizard." Interestingly, the word was apparently not intended as a pejorative, as Owen intended it to be a tribute to their size and majesty.
7. Long tails
There were some dinosaurs with incredibly long tails, though most members of this family had tails longer than those of modern animals. Scientists believe they were biologically designed to maintain balance while running. Okay, fair enough, but where's the theory that explains the T. rex's actual projectile weapons?
8. They laid eggs
Dinosaurs were the ancient ancestors of lizards, so it's logical that they laid eggs. Currently, we know of about forty types of eggs.
9. The oldest dinosaur
Meet Eoraptor, a dinosaur whose name translates as "dawn stealer" (a much better name than simply "terrible lizard"). Its name could indicate that this species is truly ancient, roaming the Earth during the earliest days of the dinosaur era. Eoraptor was likely no larger than a German shepherd.
10. Ancestors of birds
You've probably heard this before, as you might expect, since it's a fact that's as fascinating as it is amusing. Did you know that the closest relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex is the chicken? Birds, in general, share many traits with mighty dinosaurs, leading scientists to believe that some of them managed to survive the mass extinction and then continued to exist as winged species, mutated, smaller versions. Honestly, I just want to know which dinosaur is responsible for 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 possible for a dinosaur movie. 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 imagine a predator frantically scurrying back and forth, gathering twigs and pieces of wood into its mouth to decorate its home, sweet home: its nest. Like birds, dinosaurs kept their eggs in nests. The first of these was discovered by a researcher named Roy Andrews Chapman in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Before this discovery, how dinosaurs reproduced was a major scientific mystery.
13. Extinction
We already know that dinosaurs no longer inhabit Earth, but in fact, there are many theories attempting to explain how an entire species could have become completely extinct in such a short time. The most widespread of these centers on a meteorite six miles in diameter that struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The impact was so powerful that it triggered a chain reaction of cataclysms, including volcanic eruptions.
14. Blood temperature.
Despite their biological similarities to modern lizards, scientists argue that not all dinosaurs were cold-blooded. Some had warm blood, while others had neither. One belief evolved into a theory that small predators may have been warm-blooded due to their constant activity, while large herbivores had cooler blood flowing through their bodies due to their sedentary lifestyle.
15. Hollow bones
Ah, we're not done comparing dinosaurs and birds yet. Despite how massive a raptor's bones may appear, they're actually hollow inside. This was a huge advantage for their hunting nature, as it meant their bones were lighter. This meant 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 complex species in history, its achievements far surpassing anything any animal can achieve, but we have a long way to go before we can even dream of achieving the same level of effective stewardship of the Earth as the dinosaurs did. And when we finally do, , Let's hope it doesn't end so tragically for us.