The ancient beasts of the early Earth left behind many clues to how they lived and looked. From gigantic footprints to near-complete skeletons, the appearance and behavior of the now-extinct dinosaurs is an interesting subject to study. In this article, you will encounter information about dino footprints, T-Rex skeletons, and carnivorous birds.
Largest Dinosaur Footprint
The footprints of a large hadrosaurid (also known as a ‘duckbill’) were found in 1932 , making them the largest dinosaur footprints to date. They measured 53 ½ inches in length and were 32 inches wide. The footprints were discovered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Largest (and Most Complete) Skeleton of a T-Rex
The T-Rex (or the Tyrannosaurus rex) is one of the most infamous dinosaurs in history. The largest, most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found is nicknamed ‘Sue.’ She measures 13 feet tall and 41 feet long. She is the best-preserved specimen of her species in history , scientists say about 90% complete. Her skeleton was located in South Dakota on August 12, 1990 by an American explorer named Sue Hendrickson, which is where the skeleton received its name.
Largest Prehistoric Carnivorous Bird
It’s hard to imagine birds that ate flesh and meat, but during Miocene Epoch, the Brontornis burmeisteri thrived in Patagonia, South America. The species is recognized as the largest carnivorous bird ever found. It stood 9 foot and 3 inches tall. It was a very large bird (at between 770 and 880 pounds) and because of this , it did not fly. The weight of this ancient bird is more than two times the weight of the largest bird of today , the ostrich.
Largest Crocodile
From the appearance of crocodiles, it is clear to see the resemblance of the creatures to their distant dinosaur cousins. The prehistoric species of crocodile called Sarcosuchus imperator lived around 110 million years ago. The most recent fossilized remains of this kind of crocodile were located in the Sahara Desert in Africa. The find suggests that the creature took 50 to 60 years to grow into its full-length size. When it was fully grown, it measured 37 to 40 feet and weighed around 17,636 pounds.
Other Interesting Dino Era Facts
An extinction event occurred 200 million years ago, but dinosaurs continued to progress and become the dominant life form on the earth.
The beginning of evolution involving the first birds took place 150 million years ago when the Archaeopteryx appeared in the geologic record. They had evolved from therapod dinosaurs.
Giant creatures took over the Earth 130 million years ago (the Cretaceous Period), where creatures such as the Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus, were the largest land animals of all time.
During the Cretaceous Period (90 million years ago), flowering plants became increasingly diverse with the help of pollinating insects that started to emerge on Earth.
