Dinosaurs Facts for Kids
Roar-some facts about dinosaurs
Amargasaurus was a sauropod dinosaur from Argentina with two parallel rows of tall spines running along its neck and back. These spines may have supported a skin sail used for temperature regulation or display, making it one of the most striking-looking dinosaurs.
Archaeopteryx, discovered in Germany in 1861, is one of the most famous fossils ever found — a creature with the teeth and tail of a dinosaur but the wings and feathers of a bird. It sits right at the boundary between non-avian dinosaurs and modern birds.
A pachycephalosaurid dinosaur was named Dracorex hogwartsia — meaning 'dragon king of Hogwarts' — after the fictional school in Harry Potter, because its spiky skull resembled a dragon. It was named partly by a group of children who visited the museum where it was displayed.
Heterodontosaurus was a small plant-eating dinosaur about the size of a turkey that was surprisingly quick on its two legs. It was one of the earliest dinosaurs to evolve cheeks, which helped it chew plant material more efficiently.
Dilophosaurus was a large early Jurassic predator famous for its two thin, parallel crests on top of its skull. Despite what the film Jurassic Park portrayed, there is no fossil evidence that it could spit venom or had a neck frill.
Fossilised sauropod footprints can be so large that, when discovered filled with water, they form miniature ponds. Some individual tracks measure over 1.5 metres across, giving a vivid impression of the enormous weight these animals carried with every step.
The discovery of hundreds of feathered dinosaur fossils in Liaoning Province, China, since the 1990s has provided overwhelming evidence for the evolution of birds from theropod dinosaurs. These fossils are so well preserved that scientists can study individual feather barbules.
Majungasaurus, a large predator from Madagascar, is one of the few dinosaurs for which there is clear evidence of cannibalism. Fossilised bones of Majungasaurus have been found bearing bite marks that exactly match the teeth of other Majungasaurus individuals.
Styracosaurus had a spectacular frill adorned with up to six long pointed spikes radiating outwards, as well as a large nasal horn. Scientists believe the elaborate frill was used for species recognition and attracting mates rather than primarily for defence.
After the asteroid impact 66 million years ago, global temperatures plummeted as dust and soot blocked sunlight for years, causing plants to die and food chains to collapse worldwide. Only small, adaptable creatures — including the ancestors of modern mammals and birds — managed to survive.