Different types of Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago; some were bird-hipped, and some were long-necked dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are the largest animals that ever lived during the Triassic period. They evolved from the ancestor of modern reptiles, the amniote. In 1842, they were discovered by Sir Richard Owen, and they were further divided based on their hip structure by Harry Seeley in 1887 and 1888 between Saurischia and Ornithischia.
There are many different dinosaurs with special traits, such as size, diet, and lifestyle. There are many different types of dinosaurs. Some were large; others were small. Some were herbivores; others were carnivores. Some lived in the water, others on land. Some were big; some were small. Some were terrestrial; others were aquatic.
Some of the most well-known types of dinosaurs were the larger species, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs. This was typically the largest of their kind and the primary carnivores and other theropods. Other different types of dinosaur species were smaller, such as the Ankylosaurus dinosaurs, which typically lived in small herds and were primarily herbivores.
Some different types of dinosaur species were the size of a small dog, such as the Procerithosaurus. In contrast, others were the size of an elephant, such as the Apatosaurus dinosaurs types, which have small heads, long necks, and long tails and walk on four-foot herbivores. They were found in between three periods of tens of millions.
They were divided into sub-groups of Saurischian dinosaurs, lizard-hipped, and Theropod, which means beast-foot meat-eating dinosaurs. In this article, I’m going to discuss different types of Dinosaurs.
Following are the different types of Dinosaurs
Giant Dinosaurs:
1. BRONTOSAURUS DINOSAURS
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Different types of dinosaurs come under this category. Brontosaurus, also known as Apatosaurus, was a herbivorous dinosaur that existed in the late Cretaceous period; about 87% of its existence, which lasted from about 145.5 to 68.5 million years ago, roamed on Earth during what is described as the Late Jurassic period, they belong to the group of small head dinosaurs Sauropods of the Jurassic period. It was one of the first dinosaurs discovered in the 1920s. It was initially thought to belong to the genus Apatosaurus, which means “deceptive lizard.
Brontosaurus is derived from the Greek word “thunder lizard.” Initially discovered in the western United States in the late nineteenth century, the Brontosaurus was one of the most famous dinosaurs ever. Their appearance and size look unique when they become adults making them a favorite at the Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. They have long necks which help them graze on tall foliage to eat plants, and their whip-like tails, which they used to protect themselves. Their fossils were discovered in Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah.
2. TYRANNOSAURUS REX DINOSAURS
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Types of dinosaurs were also defined based on their appearance, not what they ate. The most well-known of the dinosaurs is the Tyrannosaurus, the Saurischian dinosaur, also known as T. rex, one of the largest known carnivores of all time, which had a bite force ratio of 140, making it one of the most influential animals in the history of life. Its scientific name means “Tyrant Lizard King.” It is a member of the family Tyrannosauridae and the order Saurischian dinosaurs. It was a herbivore and the largest species of the Tyrannosaurus genus, the genus of the species Tyrannosaurus rex.
Tyrannosaurus rex, also known as T. rex or simply the Rex, was a carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous period, about 70% of its existence, which lasted from about 145.5 to 66 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous epoch. T. rex was one of the most well-known and feared dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus paleontologists also discovered that they had bony plating on their backs, called osteoderms, to protect their backs from injury.
It was one of the largest land predators that ever lived, with adult specimens known to exceed 20 meters in length. The largest specimens ever found measured over 12 meters. These dinosaurs typically weighed 10 to 15 tons at their size, although some estimates place them at twice that amount. It was one of the most heavily armored animals ever known. It had small, sharp spikes on its back (termed “spines”) and large, sharp spikes on its frill (termed “protector” or “patrol” spines). The largest known T. rex was a male that weighed almost 18 tons.
3. ARMORED DINOSAURS
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Different types of dinosaurs come under the category of Armored dinosaurs, which lived more than 66 million years ago. The most well-known Armored dinosaurs that roamed were Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus, which lived from the early Jurassic period to the late Cretaceous period. They were the well-defended four-legged herbivores of the Mesozoic Era. These dinosaur species are the earliest species of the Mesozoic Era. However, some armored dinosaurs are least studied because they lack the visceral appeal of theropod dinosaurs and sauropod dinosaurs.
They were the last remaining dinosaurs and were there to witness the mass extinction event of dinosaurs on Earth. These types of dinosaurs’ bodies are covered with scales and bony plates. They are medium-sized and have body armor, but the most amazing is their tail, which had a massive tail club that they used in battles. Some different types of dinosaurs that come under this species are:
- Ankylosaurus.
- Cedarpelta.
- Chungkingosaurus. Chungkingo-saurus.
- Dacentrurus.
- Edmontonia.
- Emausaurus.
- Euoplocephalus.
4. DUCK-BILLED DINOSAURS
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Duck-billed dinosaurs were different types of dinosaurs, also known as Hadrosaurs, belonging to the major group of Ornithopods. They lived in North America, Asia, and Europe during the Cretaceous period. They are called Hadrosaurs because of their appearance, which means bulky and stout lizards. They run on two legs, but some paleontologists believe they have four legs, similar to Camel. They were plant-eaters and herbivores as they grazed their food.
Two different types of dinosaurs come under this species, Maiasaura, Shantungaosaurus, and Edmontosaurus, which lack head crests. Lambeosaurinae is a subfamily of Parasaurolophus and Lambeosaurus, which had a head crest. Their appearance was broad, flattened, elongated snouts, and they had toothless beaks from which they got their name. Hadrosaur’s specimen was discovered in the New Jersey American Museum.
5. BRACHIOSAURUS DINOSAURS
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Brachiosaurus was a long-necked type of dinosaur. Just like velociraptors, they also gain lots of popularity from Jurassic Park. It was like a giant giraffe-like dinosaur. According to their fossils found in Algeria, Portugal, Tanzania, and the United States (Utah, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Colorado), they had 82ft long body and 30 ft long neck with a weight of 62 tons. They were also plant-eaters. They belong to the same Sauropod dinosaurs group, and they were both warm-blooded animals.
They lived from 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago during the mid to late Jurassic period. When they were discovered, it was declared that they were the largest dinosaurs but now believed other Sauropod dinosaurs can be bigger and heavier than Brachiosaurus.
6. CEROPODA DINOSAURS
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Ceropoda dinosaur appearance is unique because of their three horns, enameled teeth, bird-hipped, and bony frill around their neck, making them very distinctive from other reptiles who roamed on Earth. They are the combination of Pachycepalosauria(thick skulls lizard) and Ornithopoda(bird feet), which means “horned feet.” They have different body shapes, from smaller ones to thirty long ones. They were always described as aggressive. Cerapoda were herbivores dinosaurs
Bird Type Dinosaurs
1. ARCHAEOPTERYX DINOSAURS
One of the best-known examples of a dinosaur with feathers is the Archaeopteryx, or “winged reptile.” It was first discovered in 1878. It lived at a time when there were very few, if any, of these birds alive. It was a mainly vegetarian animal with feathers, but it likely may also have been a predatory animal. It had a short, bony tail, a long, muscular neck, and a long, thin, clawed wing. This dinosaur had long, thin feathers on the underside of its wings and was probably able to fly. The first known Archaeopteryx lived 75 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period. Archaeopteryx was an early member of the theropod group, containing the dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, and birds.
Archaeopteryx is an eighteen-foot (five meters) long skeleton of a four-winged dinosaur discovered in cliffs at the La Tronja Quarry in Spain. It is one of the best-preserved fossil specimens of an ancient theropod. The skeleton of Archaeopteryx exhibits a mix of primitive and advanced characteristics. Extant footprints show that an individual had at least three toes in each foot and that the individual would have stood about two and a half feet high.
In a Nutshell: Archaeopteryx is a fossilized feathered dinosaur that has long puzzled scientists. Scientists finally have a clue what that dinosaur was like – and it was a dino-bird.
2. PTERDOACTYL DINOSAURS
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Pterodactyl flying reptiles are flying dinosaurs. This dinosaur inspires all the flying dinosaurs portraits in modern fiction. Pterodactyls are a subgroup of flying reptiles Pterosauria, a group of extinct dinosaurs. They were known from the late Jurassic period to the late cretaceous epochs; they resided in Africa and Europe. The first fossil of Pterodactyl was discovered in 1815.
Pterodactyl name comes from the word Pterosauria which means “belong to the genius.” They lived from the late Triassic period to the end of the late cretaceous period. They were carnivores, meat-eating dinosaurs who mostly fed themselves fish and small animals. They had powerful jaws and sharp teeth, making it easier for them to grab their prey. They were the dinosaur and animals to evolve after an insect as powered flight. Their fossils are preserved in Bavaria, Germany.
Other Dinosaur Species
1. MOSASAUR DINOSAURS
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There are different types of dinosaurs, but it’s very rare to see aquatic dinosaurs. Mosasaurs and aquatic dinosaurs who lived in the Cretaceous period inhabited North America and Europe. They got extinct 65.5 million years ago, with most dinosaurs in mass destruction. Their 31 different fossils were discovered in Centre-Loire Valley(France), South Dakota, and Nebraska.
Mosasaurs had long tails and stumpy, paddle-like limbs, which helped them to cruise in the water; they had massive jaws and sharp cone-shaped teeth, which helped them to devour prey like fish, and sharks, sea birds, and other mosasaurs as they were Carnivores. These Marine reptiles are closely related to snakes and modern lizards. They are also known as Meuse lizards, and according to experts, they have poor vision because they used to avoid the deep sea and constantly stay near the surface. The movie Jurassic world (2015) shows glimpses of this ancient sea monster.
2. GALLIMIMUS DINOSAURS
These small heads and big eyes with long beak dinosaurs gained popularity from the movie; they were the weight 440 kilograms and 6 meters long. They look a lot like modern birds. Ostriches experts believe they might have a feather on their body like modern-day birds and belong to the Ornithomimid family. Gallimimus means “Chicken-mimic” they are considered the fastest dinosaur.
These dinosaurs didn’t have teeth as they were relay on their beak and long necks for feeding, and they were omnivores or herbivores. They lived from the late cretaceous period and inhabited Asia. Their fossils were discovered in the 1970s in the Gobi desert of Mongolia; their complete skeleton was found by paleontologists Rinchen Barsbold, Halszka Osmólska, and Ewa Roniewicz.
3. VELOCIRAPTOR DINOSAURS
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Velociraptor comes under famous dinosaurs as these types gain popularity in movies Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. They are shown as smarter than other dinosaurs and fast runners on their two hind legs, making them suitable for hunting prey as they are carnivorous dinosaurs. When the raptors were originally identified as feathered, it was because they closely resembled the birds that have today evolved to become the common ostrich and emu.
The first discovery of a feathered dinosaur was an emu. This discovery was one of the first to provide strong evidence for the coelurosaur hypothesis—those theropod dinosaurs, along with birds. However, the discovery of nonavian dinosaurs theropod dinosaurs represented the next big step, as it provided the first clear evidence of the presence of feathers on the theropods.
The velociraptor dinosaur is a large, bipedal dinosaur that walked the tyrannical landscape of the Mesozoic Era during the Late Cretaceous Period. Its name is derived from the Latin word velos, thus meaning “speed.”
The velociraptor dinosaur was a large, carnivorous dinosaur that lived approximately two million years ago. Sometimes called the “terror bird,” it was a heterodontosaurus group member, including Teeth, Triceratops, and Dimetrodon. The name Velociraptor means “swift thief.”
Interesting facts about different types of dinosaurs
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A German biologist first proposed the idea of dinosaurs, who called them a ‘proto-science.’ The idea was taken literally by Charles Darwin, who stated that dinosaurs were the first animals to have ‘proto-science’. However, this idea was not original to the author. As early as the 1790s, naturalists were discussing the possibility of some form of animal life that could survive the ravages of time.
Paleontologists examine the evidence of all extinct animals like their footprints, teeth, bones, and all the fossils they have found. According to the American Museum of Natural History different types of Dinosaurs lived around 245 million years ago the word dinosaurs is derived from the Greek word Deinos was coined by Sir Richard Owen means “fearfully great” and “lizard. Some theories prove that meat-eater dinosaurs shrank and evolved into birds.
Non-avian dinosaurs extinct 66 million years ago modern birds shares ancestor with nonavian dinosaurs, and fossils were discovered on all 7 continents. They got extinct when the giant asteroid hit on the Earth; before that time, they were as common as today time horses, dogs, and cats. Different types of dinosaurs were discovered most popular, and the earliest dinosaurs were discovered in North America, China, Africa, and South America.
A survey of the fossil record reveals the surprising aspect of the history of dinosaurs. The first dinosaur types lived about 100 million years ago, and the first evidence of their arrival and extinction dates back to the late Cretaceous period, more than 130 million years ago. One of the most curious aspects of this period is that a rapid succession of catastrophic events marked it. In the early Cretaceous period, a giant asteroid hit Earth, causing a series of devastating tsunamis which left the earth covered in a new layer of rock.
The most famous dinosaur of all time is called “The Tyrannosaurus rex,” whose fossils were found in South America. The most famous of the dinosaurs were the “Tyrannosaurs”, which were the first known dinosaurs. The “Tyrannosaurus”, a reptilian animal, is said to have the largest brain in the world and an eight-foot front-to-back length.
There’s an ongoing debate as to whether the extinction of the dinosaurs was a terrible catastrophe or a good thing. There is a lot of discussion about what might have caused it. One of the most critical aspects of the debate is whether all the dinosaurs should be considered fossils; we can’t know if the extinction was caused by something in the past or a present-day disaster.
Last Updated on by Sathi
