Dinosaurs Facts for Kids
Roar-some facts about dinosaurs
Allosaurus had a weaker bite than T. rex, but scientists think it attacked large prey by hacking downward with its upper jaw like a hatchet. This technique would have gouged huge chunks of flesh with each strike.
Supersaurus may have been the longest dinosaur ever discovered, estimated at up to 33–34 metres from nose to tail. That's longer than three double-decker buses parked end to end.
Large dinosaurs like T. rex went through an explosive teenage growth spurt, gaining up to 2 kilograms of body weight every day during peak growth. They reached full size in their teens or early twenties.
Baby titanosaur sauropods may have been almost entirely self-sufficient from birth. CT scans of embryo skulls show their brains were already highly developed, suggesting they could find food and avoid predators without much parental help.
Troodon had the largest brain relative to its body size of any known dinosaur, making it a candidate for the most intelligent non-avian dinosaur. Its eyes were enormous and forward-facing, giving it excellent depth perception for hunting at dusk.
The hollow crest of Parasaurolophus acted like a musical instrument — air forced through its looping internal tubes would have produced a deep, resonant sound like a trombone or French horn. Scientists have used computer models to recreate the call.
Compsognathus was one of the smallest dinosaurs ever found, about the size of a chicken. It was a swift, feathered hunter that chased lizards and insects across the Jurassic landscapes of what is now Europe.
Giant sauropod dinosaurs had a system of air sacs running through their bones, similar to modern birds. This made their enormous skeletons much lighter and also helped them breathe very efficiently.
In 2017, an extraordinary nodosaur fossil was discovered in Canada that preserved the actual skin, armour, and even traces of original pigment. Chemical analysis suggested the dinosaur had reddish-brown colouring on its back for camouflage.
Carcharodontosaurus gets its name from the Great White Shark because its serrated teeth looked so similar. This massive African predator may have been even longer than T. rex, reaching up to 14 metres.