Prehistoric Animals : Stegosaurus

                                                                      Stegosaurus

   Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus

Although nowhere near the largest of the Jurassic dinosaurs, Stegosaurus were still about the size of a bus. Distinctive and heavily built, they were herbivores with short forelimbs and would have walked with their small head close to the ground and the four-spiked tail held high. The double row of plates running along the back helped control body temperature and were probably used in display or possibly in defence against carnivorous Allosaurs. Most fossils for the three known species, including some complete skeletons, have come from the USA, although a recent discovery in Portugal suggests a wider distribution.

Scientific name: Stegosaurus
Rank: Genus

Common Name : Roof-lizard

Prehistoric Animals : Armoured Dinosaurs

Armoured Dinosaurs

While early armoured dinosaurs had bony scutes like crocodiles, later forms took armour to the extremes, evolving large plates, spikes, clubs and carapaces. Covering yourself in heavy armour proved to be a very successful anti-predation strategy, as armoured dinosaurs evolved during the early Jurassic and lasted right up until the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. Though there were many variations and modifications within each type, they came in two basic forms: the stegosaurs with their rows of spikes or plates along the spine, and the more heavily amoured ankylosaurs.

Scientific name: Thyreophora
Rank: Suborder

Common Name : Shield Bearers

Prehistoric Animals : Ankylosaurs

Ankylosaurs

Looking like reptilian armadillos, or prehistoric tanks, Ankylosaurs were heavily armoured dinosaurs with protective plates over their head and shoulders. Some species took their protection to extremes and even had armoured eyelids. Spikes and protrusions were common in a bid to deter predators from taking a bite. Some ankylosaurs had a large, heavy club at the end of the tail for wielding as a weapon or, as has also been suggested, for sexual selection. To carry the weight of all this heavy armour, these plant-eating dinosaurs had very short, stout legs.

Scientific name: Ankylosauria
Rank: Infraorder

Common Name : Fused Lizards

Prehistoric Animals : Apatosaurus

Apatosaurus

Apatosaurus used to be known as brontosaurus, following a labelling error on a very similar specimen. Subsequently renamed, Apatosaurus was one of the larger sauropod dinosaurs, and therefore one of the largest animals ever to have walked the Earth. Peg-like teeth effectively stripped leaves from trees, but were no use for chewing, so Apatosaurus probably swallowed stones to grind up its meals in the gizzard. Enormous size, herding behaviour and a whip-like tail would all have provided valuable defence against the meat-eaters of the time.

Scientific name: Apatosaurus
Rank: Genus

Prehistoric Animals : Diplodocus

 

 

Diplodocus

Diplodocus was one of the longest animals to have lived on Earth and may have reached over 30 metres and weighed around 15 tonnes. The quantity of plant material eaten by roaming herds of this massive herbivore is unimaginable. Once the most famous dinosaur in the world, Diplodocus had four large sturdy legs supporting a long neck and a long tail that could be flailed around like a whip. Several different species have been described since the first Diplodocus discovery was made in North America in 1877. They lived there about 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

Scientific name: Diplodocus
Rank: Genus

Common Name : Double Beam

Prehistoric Animals : Diplodocid Dinosaurs

Diplodocid Dinosaurs

Diplodocids were a family of giant sauropod dinosaurs. They had shorter legs and longer necks and tails than the other types of sauropod, but were still massive beasts, weighing several times more than African elephants. Despite being herbivores, their teeth were unsuited to chewing plant matter, so - like today's chickens - they swallowed stones to grind the food in the stomach. Unlike chickens, being 30 metres long they had to select rather large stones for this to be effective. It is thought that they may have used their long necks for reaching down to feed on the ground, rather than for reaching up into the crown of trees in the manner of giraffes .

Scientific name: Diplodocidae
Rank: Family

Prehistoric Animals : Daspletosaurus

 

 

Daspletosaurus

The name Tyrannosaurus rex or 'tyrant lizard king' would have been equally appropriate for Daspletosaurus. This terrifying tyrannosaur preceded T-rex by ten million years, being top of the food chain in North America's vast flood plains 75 million years ago. A formidable predator, it was nine metres long and weighed as much as three tonnes.

Like the tyrannosaurs that were to follow, it relied on smell and hearing as much as sight. Bite marks in Daspletosaurus skulls suggest they fought each other over food, territory or dominance in a group. A remarkable discovery of a group of Daspletosaurus near some Hadrosaurs raised some interesting questions. Did these tyrannosaurs hunt in packs or come together to feast on the carcasses?

Scientific name: Daspletosaurus
Rank: Genus

Common Name : frightful lizard

Prehistoric Animals : Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus rex

One of the greatest carnivores - though not the largest - ever to have walked the Earth, Tyrannosaurus rex (or T-rex) ruled North America during the late Cretaceous period, some 68-65 million years ago. The massive skull of this mighty theropod dinosaur measured 1.5 metres and was balanced by a long heavy tail. The jaw, filled with huge, saw-edged teeth could deliver a devastating bite. Top predator or mighty scavenger, the 'tyrant lizard king' was without doubt a dinosaur to be feared. Thirty specimens have been recovered, some of which (such as those named Sue, Stan and the juvenile Jane!) are almost complete.

Scientific name: Tyrannosaurus
Rank: Genus
Common Names :T-rex, tyrant lizard king

Prehistoric Animals : Tarbosaurus

Tarbosaurus

Tarbosaurus was a relative of Tyrannosaurus and lived in Asia during the late Cretaceous. It has the smallest forearms of all the tyrannosaurs known and though slightly smaller than T-rex, was still one of the larger members of the tyrannosaurid family. It had a lightweight skeleton, which probably helped to increase its agility. Tarbosaurus bataar skeletons are common in the rocks of the Nemegt Formation of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

Scientific name: Tarbosaurus
Rank: Genus
Common Name: Alarming lizard

Prehistoric Animals : Tyrannosaurs

Tyrannosaurs

The family of tyrannosaurs includes the famous Tyrannosaurus rex as well as other large carnivores such as Albertosaurus and Tarbosaurus. They evolved in the late Cretaceous and their large size made them the top predators of the time. Like human beings, tyrannosaurs went through an adolescent growth spurt, increasing greatly in height and weight until they approached sexual maturity. Thereafter they grew much more slowly until they reached their final size. Tyrannosaur fossils are found in Asia and North America, through their ancestors also lived in Europe.

Scientific name: Tyrannosauridae
Rank: Family

Common Name: Tyrant lizards

Prehistoric Animals : Sauropod Dinosaurs

Sauropod Dinosaurs

The largest sauropod dinosaurs weighed close to 100 tonnes - ten times the record weight of a modern elephant. Sauropods therefore include the largest land animals ever to have lived. They were a very successful herbivorous group, arising in the early Jurassic and surviving for around 100 million years. Fossil footprints show that sauropod dinosaurs travelled in herds. Notable sauropods include Diplodocus, Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) and the record-breaking heavyweight Argentinosaurus.

Scientific name: Sauropoda
Rank: Infraorder

Common name : Brontosaurs lizard foot

Prehistoric Animals : Dinosaurs : Dinosauria

Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs were the dominant land animals for 160 million years, making them one of the most successful groups of animals ever. The name dinosaur translates as 'terrible or wondrous lizards' and they certainly evolved in a diverse range of sizes and shapes, from the gigantic plant-eating sauropods to the quick meat-eating tyrannosaurs. They also sported an impressive array of body modifications including horns, scales and crests. So far, the remains of over 1,000 different dinosaur species have been identified from fossils though technically, birds are feathered dinosaurs, meaning dinosaurs aren't really extinct at all.

Scientific name: Dinosauria
Rank: Superorder