Name That Dinosaur

The study of dinosaurs has, over time, revealed a colorful array of dinosaur species that roamed the Earth during prehistoric times! There are hundreds of species—so here’s a quick glossary of a few notable ones, including the species referenced in this quiz:

Allosaurus
The Allosaurus was a bipedal (two-legged), carnivorous dinosaur that could reach roughly the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex , though it was smaller on average (around 28 feet long). It had powerful legs, three-fingered hands, and a long tail. During its time, the late Jurassic period (roughly 155 to 145 million years ago), it was likely at the top of the food chain, preying on herbivorous dinosaurs.

Ankylosaurus
The Ankylosaurus was a type of armored dinosaur covered in thick, armored plates, with a large club (essentially a bony mass) at the end of its tail. It lived during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 68 to 66 million years ago, making it one of the last ground-dwelling dinosaur species before the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Apatosaurus
The Apatosaurus was a quadrupedal (four-legged), herbivorous dinosaur—part of the sauropod family, which also included the Barosaurus . It had a very long neck, sturdy legs, and a long tail; it could reach around 70 feet in length! The Apatosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, between 152 and 151 million years ago.

Archaeopteryx
The Archaeopteryx was a small, bird-like dinosaur with broad, rounded wings and feathers. It was around the size of a raven, although it had many dinosaur features as well, including a long, bony tail and small teeth. It lived in the late Jurassic period, roughly 150 million years ago.

Barosaurus
The Barosaurus was a giant, long-necked sauropod dinosaur (related to the Apatosaurus ). It was herbivorous (feeding on plants), quadrupedal, and could reach over 80 feet long! The Barosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, roughly 152 to 150 million years ago.

Brachiosaurus
The Brachiosaurus was yet another long-necked sauropod dinosaur (same as the Apatosaurus and Barosaurus ). However, based on discovered remains, the Brachiosaurus had a particularly long neck, even for sauropods! Brachiosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, around 155 to 143 million years ago.

Dilophosaurus
The Dilophosaurus was a large, predatory theropod dinosaur (although small compared to later theropods like the Tyrannosaurus ). It had a slender, light build, similar in size to a North American brown bear today, and lived during the early Jurassic period (roughly 195 to 183 million years ago).

Diplodocus
The Diplodocus is another example of a sauropod, with a long neck and tail supported by four thick legs. For some time, the discovery of Diplodocus remains made it the longest known dinosaur (although the longest dinosaur is now the Spinosaurus ). The Diplodocus lived during the late Jurassic period, between 152 and 149 million years ago.

Dracorex
The Dracorex was a bipedal pachycephalosaur; it walked on two legs and had short arms, with a lizard-like head that resembles depictions of mythical dragons—hence the dinosaur’s name, which means “dragon king.” Although named after dragons, the Dracorex was herbivorous. It lived at the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago.

Herrerasaurus
The Herrerasaurus was one of the earliest known dinosaurs of the late Triassic period, roughly 231 to 228 million years ago. It was fully bipedal, with a long tail and a small, lizard-like head. Its build indicates that it was likely a strong runner, aiding the carnivorous dinosaur’s hunt for food.

Iguanodon
The Iguanodon was an herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur, presumed to be able to walk on either two or four legs. It had thumb spikes on the end of its hands (possibly as protection from predators) and, based on the structure of its head, a long tongue. The Iguanodon lived during the early Cretaceous period, around 140 to 110 million years ago.

Microraptor
The Microraptor (literally “small raptor”) was a small, four-winged dinosaur with feathers not only on its arms and tail, but also on its legs. Paleontologists believe the Microraptor was able to use its wings for both powered flight and gliding. The Microraptor lived during the early Cretaceous period, around 120 million years ago.

Mosasaurus
The Mosasaurus was a massive aquatic reptile—one of the largest marine reptiles known, in fact! It had four, paddle-shaped limbs for swimming and a long tail…as well as dozens of large teeth and strong jaws for biting and cutting prey. The Mosasaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period, roughly 82 to 66 million years ago.

Pachycephalosaurus
Funny enough, this dinosaur’s name translates to “thick-headed lizard.” It’s an appropriate name; the Pachycephalosaurus did indeed have a thick, domed head that may have been used to headbutt other members of the species (like sheep or oxen do today). The bipedal Pachycephalosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period, around 70 to 66 million years ago.

Plesiosaur
The Plesiosaur was an aquatic reptile with a long neck, small head, and broad, flat body. It swam using its fins, similar to sea lions—although it was longer than a sea lion, reaching about 15 feet (4.5 meters) long. The Plesiosaur lived from the late Triassic period all the way through the late Cretaceous period, from around 203 to 66 million years ago.

Ornithomimus
The Ornithomimus was a bipedal dinosaur. Based on fossil evidence, it was likely feathered and had a small, toothless beak, short torso, and long forearms. The Ornithomimus measures around 12 feet (3.8 meters) in length, and was probably a very swift runner! The Ornithomimus lived during the late Cretaceous period, roughly 76 to 66 million years ago.

Spinosaurus
The Spinosaurus was part of the theropod family, and it’s one of the world’s largest known land-dwelling carnivores. True to its name, the Spinosaurus had spine-like structures along its back that were likely connected by skin. The Spinosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period, 100 to 94 million years ago.

Stegosaurus
The Stegosaurus was a four-legged herbivorous dinosaur known for the distinctive armored plates running along its back (as well as a spiked tail). They had relatively short necks and small heads compared to the large size of their bodies! The Stegosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, around 155 to 145 million years ago.

Triceratops
The Triceratops is another extremely recognizable dinosaur; it had three horns and a large, bony frill on its head. The Triceratops was quadrupedal and very large, measuring up to 30 feet long! It lived during the late Cretaceous period, 68 to 66 million years ago.

Tyrannosaurus Rex
Fittingly, the Tyrannosaurus rex ’s name means “tyrant lizard king”—and the Tyrannosaurus was definitely an apex predator of its time. It had a large head with long teeth and mighty jaws, and walked on two strong legs; by comparison, its arms were very small. The Tyrannosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period, around 72 to 66 million years ago.

Velociraptor
The Velociraptor was a small, carnivorous dinosaur that ran on two legs. Although it was previously thought to be scaly, paleontologists now conclude that the Velociraptor was probably feathered. It had a long tail and sharp claws on its feet for restraining prey—and although Jurassic Park would have you believe they were as tall as an adult human, the truth is that the Velociraptor was much closer to the size of a turkey!