Some dinosaurs were rather long, taking up a great deal of space as they moved about their prehistoric surroundings. Others were heavy and could crush the earth beneath their feet. In this article, you will learn facts about dinosaurs that also touches upon details concerning their eggs.
Longest Dinosaur
Measuring more than 40 meters, the longest dinosaur is said to be the Seismosaurus (whose name translated into ‘earth-shaking lizard’), which is the same length as five double-decker buses. The dinosaur is a relative of the diplodocus, which for a long time was considered the longest dinosaur of the bunch. The Seismosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic (155 to 145 million years ago) and called the woodlands of southern North America its home. With a long neck and relatively small head, the dinosaur survived on a diet of leaves.
One Heavy Dinosaur
The Brachiosaurus is one heavy creature, measuring in at 80 tons. This weight is the equivalent of having 17 African elephants marching around you. Because the beast is about 16 meters tall and 26 meters long, it also holds the honors for being the largest dinosaur skeleton to ever be mounted in a museum.
An interesting fact about sauropods was that the skulls of these massive bests were attached in a weak position to the rest of their skeletons. When they died, they were easily detached, which meant that it was hard to place a skull with a body to create a complete skeleton. It wasn’t until 1998 that experts were able to finally identify a skull of the Brachiosaurus.
Other characteristics of the Brachiosaurus include:
- A diet of conifers, cycads, and ginkgos
- Lived during the late Jurassic period, which is about 156 to 145 million years ago
- Brachiosaurus fossils have been located in Colorado, Tanzania in Africa and possibly in Portugal, Europe.
The Smallest Dinosaur Egg
Dinosaurs laid eggs that came in a variety of shapes and sizes. When they did, they usually looked ovoid or spherical in shape, and measured up to 30 centimeters in length, which roughly resembled the same size as a rugby ball. The smallest egg ever attributed to a dinosaur was only 3 centimeters long. Once dinosaur eggs fossilize, they become hard like a rock. However, its former structure is still maintained.
The Smallest Dinosaur
The smallest dinosaur ever identified was the lesothosaurus, which was a small bird-like creature that ate plants. The dinosaur was only about the size of a chicken. To learn more about the smallest dinosaur and prehistoric creatures, check out the articles titled, “A Collection of Really Small Dinosaurs” and “Small Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals.”
Number of Dinosaurs
To date, researchers have identified more than 700 different species of dinosaurs that now have their own names and classifications. Paleontologists are confident that there are plenty of other species of dinosaurs still yet to be found.