Dinosaurs: The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Giants

The Age of Dinosaurs

For over 165 million years, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. They ranged from pigeon-sized to longer than blue whales. Some were gentle herbivores; others were apex predators. They lived on every continent, including Antarctica.

Then, 66 million years ago, an asteroid ended their reign — but not entirely. Birds are living dinosaurs, descendants of small feathered theropods.

What You'll Discover

Dinosaur Diversity

The term "dinosaur" covers an incredible variety of animals:

Theropods: Bipedal, mostly carnivorous — including T-rex, Velociraptor, and the ancestors of birds.

Sauropods: Long-necked giants like Brachiosaurus and Argentinosaurus — the largest land animals ever.

Ornithischians: "Bird-hipped" dinosaurs including Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and the duck-billed hadrosaurs.

How We Know What We Know

Paleontology pieces together dinosaur life from fossils:
• Bones reveal size, posture, and relationships
• Trace fossils (footprints, nests) show behavior
• Exceptional preservation captures skin, feathers, even stomach contents
• Modern technology: CT scans, isotope analysis, computational modeling

Dinosaurs in Their World

Dinosaurs didn't live in isolation. Their world included:
• Pterosaurs (flying reptiles, not dinosaurs)
• Marine reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs
• Early mammals (small, nocturnal)
• Lush vegetation from ferns to flowering plants

The Extinction

The Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago triggered mass extinction. But the story is complex: volcanoes, climate change, and ecosystem stress may have set the stage.

Why Dinosaurs Still Fascinate

Dinosaurs capture imagination because they're real monsters. Not mythological — actual animals that walked, hunted, and raised young. And through birds, they're still with us.