Dinosaurs Facts for Kids
Roar-some facts about dinosaurs
Scansoriopteryx was a tiny dinosaur adapted for climbing trees, with long curved claws ideal for gripping bark. Some scientists believe tree-climbing dinosaurs like this may represent an important step in the evolution of flight in birds.
Kentrosaurus was an African relative of Stegosaurus that had a combination of plates and long, sharp spikes running along its back, hips, and tail. The tail spikes were formidable defensive weapons against predators.
Many dinosaurs had an air sac system similar to modern birds, where hollow bones and connected air pockets helped to move fresh air through the lungs continuously. This highly efficient breathing system may have helped large dinosaurs stay cool and active.
Epidexipteryx was a small dinosaur from China that had four long ribbon-like tail feathers that were almost certainly used for display. This is one of the earliest known examples of feathers being used for showing off rather than flight.
The Isle of Wight off the south coast of England is one of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils in Europe. One predator found there, Neovenator, was a large relative of Allosaurus that hunted in Early Cretaceous Britain around 125 million years ago.
Scientists in India discovered fossilised titanosaur dinosaur eggs containing perfectly preserved embryos, including what appear to be milk teeth. This extraordinary find gave new insights into how these giant dinosaurs developed before hatching.
Analysis of melanosomes in the fossil of a small dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx revealed it had a striped, reddish-brown and white banded tail — perfect camouflage for hunting in dappled forest light. This suggests some dinosaurs were quite cryptically coloured.
Nothronychus was a therizinosaur dinosaur discovered in the USA — the first of this bizarre group of pot-bellied, long-clawed dinosaurs to be found in North America. It was an unusual plant-eater descended from meat-eating ancestors.
Plateosaurus, an early plant-eating dinosaur from Triassic Europe, could move on either two or four legs depending on the circumstances. Its flexible wrists suggest it could put its weight on its front limbs when grazing close to the ground.
A mummified specimen of Edmontosaurus preserved soft tissue on its head, revealing a fleshy cockscomb similar to a rooster's comb on top of its skull. Because soft tissue rarely fossilises, this was a remarkable and unexpected discovery.