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Curiosity Series: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life

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DINO FACTS

Triceratops

Triceratops is one of the most well-known dinosaurs. This slow-moving herbivore lived in the late Cretaceous Period and her name means ‘three-horned face’.

What did Triceratops look like?

She had three horns, a parrot-like beak and a massive skull framed by a frill. She grew up to 9m long and weighed up to 8,000kg.

What did Triceratops eat?

This herbivore ate plant matter, including cycads, ginkgoes, palms and conifers.

When did Triceratops live?

66 – 68 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period.

Did you know?

Triceratops’s head was around a third of her body length.
Her main predator was Tyrannosaurus rex.
She moved slowly and is thought to only have reached 16km/h.

Size comparison:

Stegosaurus

This plated dinosaur lived during the Jurassic period in what is now North America. His name means ‘roof lizard’ because of the distinctive plates on his back and tail.

What did Stegosaurus look like?

He was big and heavy and walked on four limbs. His front legs were shorter than his back ones, and he had big, upright plates along his back, and spikes on his tail.

What did Stegosaurus eat?

He was herbivorous, and is believed to have eaten ferns, horsetails, fruits, conifers and cycads.

When did Stegosaurus live?

Around 145 million years ago in the Jurassic Period.

Did you know?

Though there are many theories, no one is certain what Stegosaurus’s plates were for.
Stegosaurus likely swung his spiked tail at predators to defend himself from attack.
He could reach up to 7.5m and 5 tonnes.

Size comparison:

Smilodon

Probably the best-known sabre-toothed cat, Smilodon lived until around 10,000 years ago in the Cenozoic Era.

What did Smilodon look like?

Smilodon’s most distinctive feature is his massive teeth, which he used to hold onto his prey. He is thought to have had a short tail, unlike modern big cats and was around 2.1m long, weighing up to 400kg.

What did Smilodon eat?

Smilodon is thought to have used ambush to attack his prey. He likely ate mammoths, camels, ground sloth, deer and bison.

When did Smilodon live?

10,000 years ago

Did you know?

Smilodon is the California State Fossil.
Also known as ‘sabre-toothed tiger’, but this isn’t very accurate because Smilodon is not closely related to tigers.
After studying the bones in Smilodon’s throat it was discovered that he could roar.

Size comparison:

Smilodon was around the size of a modern lion.

Allosaurus

This fierce predator roamed around in the Jurassic period, preying on dinos like Stegosaurus.

What did Allosaurus look like?

He walked on two legs and looked much like his later relative – the T. rex, except that he had bigger arms. He had 20cm-long claws and up to 70 long, sharp teeth. He could reach lengths of up to 12m.

What did Allosaurus eat?

Meat! He was made for a carnivorous diet and could open his jaw really wide to chomp down on his prey, holding it secure with his strong arms.

When did Allosaurus live?

Around 145 million years ago in the Jurassic Period.

Did you know?

Allosaurus is the state fossil of Utah in the USA.
His name means ‘different lizard’ because of the strange shape of his vertebrae (spine bones).
Allosaurus was an apex predator in his environment for around 10 million years – that’s a pretty impressive feat!

Size comparison: