Dinosaurs are their names. Unusual dinosaurs. Problems of classification of dinosaurs in our time

It is no secret that during the existence of our planet, the world of flora and fauna has changed several times. Dinosaurs did not survive to our times, but their existence is confirmed by numerous excavations.

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Types of dinosaurs, their classification

Paleontologists say that dinosaurs inhabited our planet for more than a hundred million years. Scientists came to such conclusions after many years of excavations, which allowed them to invade the bowels of the earth and find there numerous remains of giant birds and animals. One can only guess what reality was like in those days.

Today we will take a closer look at what types of dinosaurs there are, and what information about them is available today. In general, when you start to become interested in these animals, you are amazed at how much paleontologists know, but no one has ever seen these animals with their own eyes. Now these are the heroes of horror films, fairy tales for children, and so on, it is thanks to the artists that we have a clear idea of ​​what such unusual creatures really looked like. Very often, different dinosaurs are compared to dragons.

Scientists, unfortunately, have not been able to come to a common conclusion as to why dinosaurs suddenly became extinct on our planet. Although in that era not only dinosaurs disappeared, but also many inhabitants of the underwater world. One theory says that it was not the Earth’s climatic conditions that changed dramatically, but the dinosaurs were unable to live in the new environment, so one after another they began to die. The second theory (more realistic) says that 65 million years ago a huge asteroid crashed onto our planet, destroying many earthly creatures.

We will not go into detail about why huge creatures disappeared from the face of the Earth; it will be much more interesting to talk about what paleontologists know today. And they know a lot; from the remains they were able to establish what kind of dinosaurs existed, tell approximately how many species there were, and also give them specific names.

For the first time, the English biologist Richard Owen spoke about dinosaurs; it was he who called the animals with this term (by the way, “dinosaur” is translated from Greek as a terrible lizard). Until 1843, scientists did not put forward theories about the existence of dinosaurs. Their remains were attributed to either dragons or other giant mythical animals.

Now the list of species is simply huge and each genus has its own name. For example, you will be interested to know what the two largest and most ancient groups of these animals are. Maybe the names will seem funny to some, but these are lizard-hipped and ornithischian creatures. Next we list the most famous and, in our opinion, the main species or types of dinosaurs. Don’t be surprised that representatives of the most famous breeds could swim and fly beautifully, and not just move on land. A lot of information was studied by scientists before they were able to draw conclusions that dinosaurs can be divided into the following groups:

• predatory;
• herbivores;
• flying;
• aquatic.

Paleontologists knew exactly how to distinguish one type from another, they carried out more and more research, as a result of which the world learned about trinosaurs, ichthoisaurs, pliosaurs, tyrannosaurs, ornithocheiruses, and so on.

The exact number of species of dinosaurs that existed cannot be established, and it is unlikely that this will ever be known. There are so many nuances to studying fossils. The number of varieties is said to range from 250 to 550 and these numbers are constantly changing. For example, some species were identified only by excavating a single tooth or vertebra. Over time, scientists realize that some species that were previously considered different can actually be classified as the same thing. So no one dares to draw precise conclusions. Perhaps most types of dinosaurs exist only in the imagination of paleontologists and other sensation-seekers. But since these huge creatures have disappeared from our planet, it means that it had to be so. Nothing happens by chance, especially the extinction of real giant predators.

Swimming dinosaur: myth or reality?

Paleontologists claim that aquatic dinosaurs did exist. To be honest, the population of the seas and oceans in those days was not so harmless. Waterfowl dinosaur fish would happily eat everyone. And they cannot even compare with the most dangerous sharks today. The size of the monsters exceeded the size of modern whales. Huge animals could happily have a snack, for example, on another dinosaur, which, by chance, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some fish grew up to 25 m (for comparison, a standard nine-story building is 30 m).

Sea monsters were classified as follows:

• plesiosaur (a long-necked creature that lived underwater all the time, sometimes surfacing to breathe air or grab a flying bird);
• Elasmosaurus weighed about 500 kg, had a small but movable head on a huge (8 m) neck;
• mosasaurs lived in the seas and oceans, but moved a little like a snake;
• Ichthyosaurs are very warlike and bloodthirsty animals that lived and hunted in packs. There were practically no insurmountable obstacles for them;
• nothosaurus led a dual lifestyle (on land and in water), feeding on small creatures and fish;
• Liopleurodons lived exclusively in an aquatic environment, could hold their breath for several hours, dive to depths and hunt there;
• Shonisaurus is a completely harmless reptile that was an excellent hunter and ate mollusks, octopuses, and squid.

Very little is known about the existence of two-headed creatures; many types of dinosaurs had long claws that helped them move faster. Some types of large sea inhabitants were:

• with a collar around the neck;
• with hood;
• with a ridge on the back (sometimes with two ridges);
• with spikes;
• with a tuft on the head;
• with a mace on the tail.

Herbivorous dinosaurs: their classification

This is most likely the most peaceful species of huge creatures. They calmly chewed grass, were happy and entered into battle solely for the purpose of self-defense. Rarely did herbivores attack first. Moreover, dinosaurs of this type were not at all weak, defenseless animals. A powerful skeleton, huge horns, a tail with a club, unrealistically huge sizes, strong limbs that could immediately strike on the spot - all these are characteristics of completely peaceful animals.

There were several types of herbivorous creatures:

• stegosaurs - they had peculiar crests on their bodies, chewed grass, and swallowed stones from time to time to improve digestion;
• euoplocephalus, which was covered with spines, a bony shell and had a club tail. This is a truly scary monster;
• brachiosaurus - could eat about a ton of greenery in just a day;
• Triceratops had beaks and horns, lived in herds, and easily defended themselves from enemies;
• hadrosaurs were quite large, but very vulnerable, it is still a mystery how they survived.

This is not a complete list of species of grass dinosaurs.

Predatory dinosaurs

Still, most dinosaurs were predators by nature. They had a powerful body structure, huge teeth, horns, and shells. All this allowed the animals to rise above other living beings; dinosaurs often fought with their relatives. The strongest always won, there was no talk of any family ties. The tyrannosaurus rex was considered the most popular predator; you can find a lot of interesting information about it and watch a video. T-Rex is the hero of many horror films, because this born hunter was truly scary, disgusting, ruthless, and bloodthirsty.

Long-necked dinosaur (name and species)

Among herbivorous, marine and predatory species, there were breeds that were distinguished by unrealistically long necks. For example, diplodocus is a herbivore whose neck consisted of 15 vertebrae. He could easily reach branches from the tallest trees.

Flying species or dinosaur birds actually had wings, scales, and sometimes even feathers. The peculiarity of these creatures were huge, very sharp teeth, which cannot be said about modern birds. These are pterodactyls, pterosaurs, archeopteryx. Ornithocheirus was the size of a small airplane, had a light skeleton, and a crest on its beak. Such “birds” lived not far from large bodies of water.

Quite educational and also interesting to read about the inhabitants of the Jurassic period, isn’t it? At that time, the population of the Earth was completely different, scary and incomprehensible to us, its modern inhabitants.

Incredible facts

Emerging about 230 million years ago, in the mid-Triassic period, dinosaurs began their existence on earth as small carnivores that eventually evolved into thousands of different species, ranging from tiny predators the size of a small dog to huge plant eaters weighing more than 80 tons. Although other prehistoric stars such as pterodactyls and ichthyosaurs often mated with dinosaurs, these large lizards (which is the Greek word for dinosaur) were strictly terrestrial reptiles. They also differed from other animals in having unique sets of features, such as the extension of jaw muscles throughout the skull, which was unique to them.

These traits were probably very impressive as they allowed these most fascinating prehistoric creatures to dominate the earth for over 160 million years. Although researchers are learning more and more about the mysterious beasts every day, with more and more specimens constantly being discovered, below are the 10 largest, most interesting and unusual dinosaurs discovered. To begin with, let us introduce you to a dinosaur, in which at first glance there is nothing remarkable, but this is only at first glance, until you hear how it “sings”.

10. Parasaurolophus

Some dinosaurs amaze us with their size, others with their speed, and others with their cruelty. This dinosaur is famous for its nasal cavity. It was not particularly large in size, did not develop great speed and did not have sharp teeth, long claws, or barbed tails. But if you have a special auditory cortex that can detect the movements of predators from afar, and thanks to which you can warn all your fellow humans about approaching danger, you don’t need any of the above signs.

The herbivorous member of the hadrosaur family did have a distinctive feature - it had a curved crest on its head. This ridge may also have been used to attract a mate or for identification, starting from the nose and extending over the entire head. The length of the ridge was 2.4 meters, and it consisted of several tubes. When the dinosaur made sounds with its "trombone", the frequency was very low and the sounds were very similar to a siren. This so-called "infrasound" was capable of traveling over very long distances, thereby warning other members of the group that danger was approaching. Combined with very good hearing and the ability to detect predators at long distances, these features were all that was needed to always be safe.

9. Sinornithosaurus

This dinosaur, whose name stands for Chinese bird lizard, was a small specimen, like a turkey, and belonged to the family of carnivores. Sinornithosaurus became popular after scientists discovered in late 2009 that the feathered predator may have also been “venomous.” While other dinosaurs had only shown possible signs of the ability to inject venom into prey, the conclusions regarding this dinosaur left no doubt.

Having some similarities with other poisonous animals, for example, with snakes, these dinosaurs had a special large pointed tooth through which the poison flowed. The researchers also discovered a special channel in the animal's mouth, which housed a gland where the poison accumulated and from where it entered directly into the tooth itself. The back teeth of Sinornithosaurus were shorter and wider, and were intended for chewing. It is likely that it used its fang to inject venom into prey such as birds, pterosaurs, lizards and mammals, and then ate them. This method is not much different from the tactics of poisonous snakes existing today.

8. Ankylosaurus

Measuring 10.7 meters long and weighing 3-4 tons, this dinosaur had virtually no rivals when it roamed the earth in the Late Cretaceous period. With its back and sides covered in steel-plate-like spines, bony eyelids and bony "defense mechanisms" surrounding the outside of its skull and jaws, this herbivorous dinosaur appeared to be completely covered in armor. However, apparently this was not enough for nature, and she also awarded him with a massive tail, capable of delivering blows with a force of about 43,000 pounds.

Thanks to the upper tail muscle and "floating" vertebrae, its tail swung like a whip at an angle of 45 degrees in any direction at a speed of 77 km/h. In addition to everything, there was also 45 kg of bone mass on the tail, which could easily kill any opponent without even looking. The only thing that does not fit into the image of this mighty animal is its small beak, which was designed for chewing plants.

7. Oryctodromeus Cubicularis

How could a dinosaur weighing almost 32 kg survive in conditions inhabited by animal predators that were tens of times larger than itself? In the case of these small herbivorous dinosaurs that lived at the beginning of the Cretaceous period, they quickly "disappeared."

By digging small holes and hiding in them from predators, they thus managed not only to protect themselves, but also to wait out harsh weather conditions. Based on remains discovered in Australia and Montana, researchers have concluded that Oryctodromeus, whose name translates to “den-digging runner,” was a master digger. The dinosaur had a snout that it probably used as a shovel, strong shoulder muscles, and strong hip bones that it used to crawl underground. However, even if all this did not help him escape from a suddenly appearing predator, he would use his long, strong hind legs to quickly escape from danger.

The hole in which the remains of the dinosaur were found was precisely proportioned to its size, so that a dangerous predator could not penetrate it. Despite the fact that the dinosaur was about 2 meters long (not too impressive), half of this size was taken up by the tail. The fact that the bones of two more juvenile dinosaurs were also found in the burrow indicates that parental care was practiced among these dinosaurs.

6. Spinosaurus

Tyrannosaurus Rex is often portrayed as the most feared predator in films about dinosaurs, however, the palm in this case is borne by Spinosaurus, which is considered the largest carnivore in the world that has ever existed on earth. Weighing 9.9 tons, Spinosaurus, which means "vertebrate lizard" in Greek, got its name from the distinctive "fins" on its back covered in long spines. This impressive "sail", which could serve as a built-in thermostat, a mating decoy or simply for intimidation, reached a height of 2 meters when the spinosaurus arched its back.

Another distinguishing feature of this dominant predator of its period was its 2-meter head (the longest of any known meat-eater) and a narrow snout full of knife-like teeth. Although most other carnivorous dinosaurs had curved teeth, Spinosaurus's teeth were straight, perhaps to help catch slippery prey. Based on the similarities between this prehistoric creature and a crocodile, Spinosaurus probably also grabbed its prey and twisted its head in different directions, thereby finishing it off.

5. Sauroposeidon

Although predators like Spinosaurus were often seen as animals whose lives were quite hard, since finding, eating and digesting food was not an easy task for a 60-ton body, the 18-meter tall and 30-meter long Sauroposeidon belongs to the family of carnivorous sauropods , was the tallest terrestrial animal to ever exist. Moreover, the neck alone was 11 meters long.

His physique meant that he had to consume about a ton of vegetation every day, an almost endless job. To accomplish this feat, the dinosaur had 52 chisel-shaped teeth that cut down plants in one fell swoop. He didn’t even bother chewing his food, swallowing tasty vegetation, which immediately ended up in a 1-ton stomach the size of a swimming pool. Then his gastric juice, which had incredible power and could even dissolve iron, did the rest of the work. The dinosaur also ingested rocks, which helped it digest fiber.

It’s good that the dinosaur’s digestive system worked so well, because with a lifespan of 100 years (one of the longest in the dinosaur kingdom) and in the absence of such a metabolism, it would have aged very quickly.

4. Deinonychus

This dinosaur got its name for an obvious reason, since it means “terrible claw”, and this clearly describes its nature. The bird-like dinosaur was approximately 1.5 meters tall, 3 meters long and weighed about 91 kg. However, despite his rather modest characteristics, he developed great speed when moving, was smart and had a good arsenal of defense.

Its hind and forelimbs were equipped with razor-sharp and long and curved claws, about 13 cm long. With these claws, he not only grabbed prey with a death grip and tore the unfortunate victim to shreds, he also used them when walking. Deinonychus also had an impressive tail, which he used for balance when he stood on one leg while fighting the other with the other.

As one of the deadliest hunters of his period, Deinonychus was a force to be reckoned with.

3. Triceratops

If any dinosaur could withstand the wrath of Deinonychus and its ilk, it was the Triceratops. A large, heavy and horned dinosaur, it was one of the most dangerous animals living on land. This species both attacked and defended itself very well.

The dinosaur had a nose in the form of a horn, and one horn above each eye, up to 1 meter long, so its weapon, consisting of the strongest materials, could easily gore even the most formidable enemy. For armor, Triceratops used a 2-meter-long shell protecting its head and neck, which is 6 times thicker than a human skull. However, in addition to its defensive characteristics, this shield also served as a regulator of body temperature and to attract partners for copulation.

This “steroid rhinoceros” was half the height of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but also weighed about 6 tons. The positioning of the dinosaur's limbs also provided it with significant advantages. In a pose with straight, splayed limbs, the center of gravity was directed toward the head, which was ideal for a powerful frontal attack.

With such an incredibly equipped number of characteristics, Triceratops was the most common dinosaur of its time.

2. Tyrannosaurus Rex

The world's most famous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex was the dominant predator for 25 million years. With extremely keen senses, a bite force 16 times stronger than a crocodile's bite, and seven tons of pure muscle, this is one dinosaur that definitely lives up to its name, which translates to "Tyrant Lizard King."

One of the dinosaur's most impressive features was its head. The size of an adult, its head was 2/3 muscle and weighed about 454 kg. The strongest jaw with 50 teeth, each of which was up to a foot long, could easily bite through a car. The brain of Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the largest in relation to the body of the animal among the entire animal kingdom of the prehistoric period, which was well suited for analyzing information visible to the eyes. By placing its eyes 41 cm apart, Tyrannosaurus had excellent binocular vision and could see fine details up to 6 km away. The large olfactory bulbs in the Tyrannosaurus's brain suggested that its sense of smell was as strong as its vision. According to some reports, the strength of his nose was equal to the strength of 1000 bloodhounds.

Contrary to what you might have seen in the movies, Rex could not run fast. Based on the ratio of the length of his femur to his tibia, he most likely developed negligible speed when running. However, with such highly developed senses, steel jaws and dagger-sharp teeth, did he really need speed?

1. Archeopteryx

Is it a bird or is it a dinosaur? This is... Archeopteryx!

A transitional link between birds and reptiles, this animal has perhaps generated more controversy than any other. Moreover, the debate is so heated that until now scientists have not been able to come to a real consensus regarding its classification. Although its remains, first discovered in 1861, clearly had feathers similar to those of modern birds, they were also strikingly similar to the remains of small carnivorous dinosaurs found. As a result, today Archeopteryx occupies a worthy place both among primitive birds and among feathered dinosaurs.

About the size of a crow, Archeopteryx had a wingspan of 0.6 meters, but it also had the characteristics of a dinosaur, which included sharp teeth, a flat sternum, a bony tail and claws. It is still unclear whether this curious creature used its feathers for flight, temperature regulation, or both. However, the flat chest indicated that even if they did fly, they did not do so for long periods of time.

Regardless of its flying prowess, Archeopteryx's status as the first known bird laid the foundation for our current understanding of how birds evolved.

Dinosaur species of this group lived in the late Jurassic period on the territory of modern North America about 150 million years ago. Paleontologists consider Diplodocus one of the most easily identifiable dinosaurs. Moreover, this species is the largest of all dinosaurs known from complete skeletons found. Diplodocus were herbivores, and their huge size was a deterrent to the predatory lizards of those times - ceratosaurs and allosaurs.

Allosaurus - the threat of diplodocus!

Within the framework of this article, we will not be able to consider all types of dinosaurs with names, so we will turn only to the most prominent and famous representatives of these legendary giants. One of them is Allosaurus. This is a representative of the genus of predatory dinosaurs from the theropod group. Like Diplodocus, Allosaurus existed in the Jurassic period about 155 million years ago.

These creatures walked on their hind legs and had very small forelimbs. On average, these lizards reached a length of 9 meters and a height of 4 meters. Allosaurs were considered large bipedal predators of the time. The remains of these insidious creatures were found in the territory of modern Southern Europe, East Africa and North America.

Ichthyosaurs - legendary fish lizards

They represent an extinct order of large marine reptiles that reached a length of 20 meters. Outwardly, these lizards resembled modern fish and dolphins. Their distinctive feature was their large eyes, protected by a bone ring. In general, at a short distance, ichthyosaurs could easily be mistaken for fish or dolphins.

The origin of these creatures is still in question. Some paleontologists believe that they come from diapsids. This version is supported only by guesswork: apparently, the shoot of ichthyosaurs somehow branched off from the main stem of diapsids even before this subclass divided into archosaurs and lepidosaurs. However, the ancestors of these fish lizards are still unknown. Ichthyosaurs became extinct about 90 million years ago.

Dinosaurs take to the skies

At the end of the Triassic period, the first flying species of dinosaurs appeared on the planet, which appeared unexpectedly in the fossil record. It is curious that they were already fully formed. Their direct ancestors, from whom they developed all this time, are unknown.

All Triassic pterosaurs belong to the group of rhamphorhynchus: these creatures had huge heads, toothed mouths, long and narrow wings, and a long and thin tail. The size of these "leather birds" varied. Pterosaurs - as they were called - were basically the size of both seagulls and hawks. Of course, there were 5-meter giants among them. Pterosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago.

Tyrannosaurs are the most famous dinosaur species

The list of ancient lizards would be incomplete if we did not mention the most majestic dinosaur of all times and eras - the tyrannosaurus. This insidious and dangerous creature fully lives up to its name. This creature represents a genus from the group of coelurosaurs and the suborder of theropods. It includes a single species - the Tyrannosaurus rex (from the Latin “rex” means king). Tyrannosaurs, like Allosaurus, were bipedal predators with massive skulls and sharp teeth. The limbs of the tyrannosaurus were a complete physiological contradiction: massive hind legs and tiny hook-shaped front legs.

Tyrannosaurus is the largest species within its own family, as well as one of the largest land predatory lizards in the entire history of our planet. The remains of this animal were found in the west of modern North America. According to scientists, they lived about 65 million years ago, that is, it was during their century that the death of the entire dynasty of ancient lizards occurred. It was the tyrannosaurs that crowned the entire great era of dinosaurs, which ended during the Cretaceous period.

Feathered Legacy

It is no secret to many people that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. Paleontologists saw a lot in common in the external and internal structure of birds and dinosaurs. It should be remembered that birds are the descendants of land lizards - dinosaurs, and not flying lizards - pterosaurs! Currently, two subclasses of ancient reptiles are “hanging in the air”, since their ancestors and exact origins have not been established by paleontologists. The first subclass is ichthyosaurs, and the second is turtles. If we have already dealt with ichthyosaurs above, then with turtles nothing is clear at all!

Are turtles amphibians?

Therefore, it is clear that, when considering a topic such as “Species of Dinosaurs,” one cannot fail to mention these animals. The origin of the turtle subclass is still shrouded in mystery. True, some zoologists still believe that they originated from anapsids. However, they are opposed by other scientists who are sure that turtles are the descendants of some ancient amphibians. And they are not at all dependent on other reptiles. If this theory is confirmed, then a big breakthrough will occur in the science of zoology: it may happen that turtles will not have the slightest relation to reptiles at all, because then they will become... amphibians!

They probably lie in the movies: what if in life real dinosaurs were simple-minded, slow, vulnerable, good-natured people? MAXIM's paleontology editor responds with this list of the most dangerous giant lizards.

Oleg "Orange" Bocharov

The hero of many frightening films, the ominous and carnivorous pteranodon, in real life (just like pterodactyls and rhamphorans) ate mainly fish, paying little attention to people. True, it should be taken into account that there were no people then. If he lived in our time, he would pose a considerable danger, since with a 15-meter wingspan and a weighty beak, he can kill purely by accident, with one sneeze, while trying to take a can of delicious sprats from a person.

It is similar to a Tyrannosaurus rex and is often replaced in many films when the Tyrannosaurus is unavailable or sick (for example, in the film "A Sound of Thunder"). It is believed to have reached 8 and a half meters in length and 3 and a half meters in height. Scientists are debating whether Allosaurus was a collective animal or lived separately, outside the pack. There are two arguments here: on the one hand, allosaurus bones are found in bulk from many individuals. On the other hand, the creature was too aggressive to live together in a large society. However, to devour a person, even one Allosaurus, even the most recent outcast loser, is enough.

Known to science for a long time, since the nineteenth century. It weighed one and a half tons and was nine meters long. He ate other smaller lizards. There was something akin to a horn on the head, so Majungasaurus worked not only with its teeth, but also with its head. It is believed that he had poor vision, but had a strong sense of smell. So in modern times it could be used to find drugs and eat drug lords.

It is not clear why this creature was called Sarcosuchus. They would immediately call it “a huge crocodile”, and it would immediately be clear who they were talking about. The great-great-great-grandfather of the crocodile Gena grew up to 12 meters and fattened up to 6 tons. It is twice the size of any modern crocodile; if a sarcosuchus crosses the road, this is a very, very bad omen.

A four-ton predator 12 meters long. Scientists on the sidelines say that a more massive species of carchadontosaurs could live in Nigeria - 14 meters long and weighing 9 tons. He was a lone hunter, and he was probably pretty good at it. Most likely, he simply died out of boredom when he realized that he had already achieved everything in this life.

A true showbiz superstar, old T. rex is no longer considered the largest fossil land predator. Films are still made about him, books are written and stories are told, since it was the tyrannosaurus in old school curricula that was depicted as the main embodiment of evil. And yet paleontology does not stand still!

However, if the T. rex saw you, it wouldn’t stand still either - its pumped up hind legs carried a two-ton mass at breakneck speed, and its jaws could bite through the body armor of most herbivorous lizards. What can we say about you? You won't even hear him approaching in your headphones.

A seven-meter mobile school predator. The brain cavity in the cranium is closer in volume to birds than to other predatory lizards. Hence the logical conclusion of paleontologists that Utahraptor could have been more cunning and smarter than a typical dinosaur. But still, the Utahraptor was hardly such an insidious intellectual as Hollywood scriptwriters imagine it to be in a narcotic stupor - after all, birds are also different, compare the behavior of city sparrows and these hillbilly hens at your leisure.

In movies, Utahraptors are not as frequent guests as Velociraptors, which is strange, since Utahraptor is four times larger and just as many times more dangerous (according to police reports).

The largest complete skeleton of this African resident, after measurement, showed a length of 12 meters. However, there is good evidence to suggest the existence of specimens as long as 18 meters in length, so Spinosaurus may well be in contention for the top spot on this list. The Spinosaurus is an extremely unpleasant creature in appearance, according to the identikit. True, some paleontologists offer an alternative vision, even more unpleasant - with a hump and trunk - since, according to their version, he ate mainly fish. Check this at your first meeting.

The origin of dinosaurs has been one of the most pressing mysteries and topics of debate in the last century. But even now very little is known about these lizards. What were they like? Can a dinosaur be considered the “king of nature” and the top of the food chain of its period?

Answers to these and many other questions have never been found. Even those pieces of information that archaeologists and paleontologists have been able to collect are based rather on the analysis of fossils and theories built around the principles of life of similar organisms.

Many species of dinosaurs are still only superficially studied, and therefore there is no need to talk about a sufficient knowledge base on this issue.

Basic classification of dinosaurs

The differences between dinosaur species are dictated by habitat, food preferences, diet, and even class.

Some names come directly from the names of the discoverers, as well as the territories where the skeleton of a particular lizard was first found.

The type of dinosaur also varied significantly depending on which predator was dominant in the region. So, to

for example, huge diplodocus were perfectly protected from small aggressors, for example, deinocheira, but they didn’t just hunt for the young of this subspecies of herbivores, they literally threatened their population.

In general, dinosaurs can be divided into 4 classes:

• Predators.
• Herbivores.
• Flying.
• Aquatic.

However, some dinosaurs managed to combine several classes in their specificity.

Predators

The class of predators includes several subspecies, which can be conditionally grouped into two categories: large and schooling.

The first class, for example, includes the T-rex, or, more simply, the tyrannosaurus. It was one of the most famous predators of its period, which was about 65 million years ago.

This dinosaur, like its fellows, is characterized by a solitary lifestyle, hunting mainly for large game. With fangs 15-19 centimeters long, it was not a problem for this lizard to bite through even the strong shell of a stegosaurus or fight with a triceratops.

Its name even contains a direct reference to the reputation of the lizard - namely the prefix “ti”, the entomology of which is close to “terror”, which translates as “horror”.

The same kind of dinosaurs also include Allosaurus, Dilaphosaurus, Carnotaurus and Megalosaurus.

The latter species is very characteristic, but the complete skeleton of this lizard has never been found.

School predators They were distinguished by considerable intelligence and hunted mainly young animals of large herbivorous dinosaurs and sick loners.

They could not only coordinate their actions within the pack, they were in contact with

other representatives through sound effects. If the brain of an average stegosaurus reached the size of a walnut, then that of a velociraptor was already the size of a large orange.

A distinctive feature of this type of dinosaur is the large claw on the first toe of the hind paw, through which hunting took place.

The velociraptor jumped onto the back of its prey, after which it tried to break the spine or inflict wounds leading to blood loss. This type of dinosaur is characterized by hunting in a pack, the type of which is similar to the actions of wolves.

Herbivores

The class “herbivores” has several subspecies. Most often they are called according to the names of several of the most famous representatives (Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Diplodocus).

At one time, the last one mentioned was for the entire period of the existence of lizards. Its length from nose to tip of tail reached 30 meters.

Ultrasaurus was supposed to become the new record holder, but, as in the case of Megalosaurus, a complete skeleton of the lizard was not found. This species is characterized by its enormous size, even the “smaller” of them, namely Apatosaurus reached a record 22 meters.

The dinosaur called Triceratops was not in danger of a head-on fight. Like the modern rhinoceros, this dinosaur crushed the enemy with its horns, although there were three of them, and the lizard’s neck was covered with a bone “collar”, which also served to regulate heat exchange.

Stegosaurs and brontosaurs preferred defense to attack. Such dinosaurs simply needed to stay on their feet, huddle in a pack and patiently wait out the attack. Their backs are tightly protected by a horny shell.

The stegosaurus also had spines at the tip of its tail, with which the lizard skillfully defended itself from small aggressors.

One of the heaviest dinosaurs, namely the brontosaurus, had a heavy bone club at the end of its tail, which could easily break the skull of, for example, a velociraptor.

Water

Aquatic dinosaurs are almost entirely represented by the class of predators. The largest of them, namely the plesiosaur, according to a number of scientists, may well be the one. The length of its neck reached 11-15 meters.

Mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs have been named as the ancestors of modern dolphins.

The Pliosaurus, also known as Predator X, was the most aggressive. This dinosaur is characterized by attacks, including on its own relatives. It is likely that killer whales are the descendants of the pliosaur. Most of these lizards became extinct after the average water temperature began to fall as a result of the onset of the Ice Age.

Flying

Some flying dinosaurs later evolved into birds, others remained their own subclass, but they were a serious threat in their environment and deserve mention.

He hunted insects (the size of which reached 2 meters during the period of the lizard’s existence) and he himself was far from small. It was in his skeleton that the remains and traces of feather cover were found, after which the origin of modern birds from this subspecies was proven.

The second subclass, represented by the pterodactyl, had a fur coat and huge leathery wings. Dinosaurs of this species have a diet of fish, fruits and insects.

Each type of dinosaur had its own specifics and characteristics. Such a compressed characteristic is not capable of giving a full assessment of them, but is sufficient for the primary one. At one time, dinosaurs were a huge force, but later they lost the battle to nature and even mammals, losing primacy once and for all.