Any person imagines a dinosaur in the form of a ferocious lizard of terrifying size, grinning a huge mouth and destroying everything in its path. Indeed, most ancient reptiles had gigantic sizes that boggle the imagination. This is evidenced by numerous finds of individual fragments and even entire skeletons of fossil lizards. However, not all dinosaurs were giants; among them there were certain species that nature, as if in mockery, endowed with the height of a chicken. These tiny creatures darted in numerous flocks among the thickets of relict ferns, trying not to get under the feet of their huge relatives and looking for even smaller prey.

Why did scientists know so little about these amazing little creatures until recently? It was their short stature that played a cruel joke on them. The bones of these dinosaurs were so light and fragile that they did not stand the test of time and have practically not survived to the present day. Only isolated finds allowed these small reptiles to make themselves known.

This lizard gained fame as the smallest predator of the Jurassic period. Its length did not exceed a meter, and its weight reached only two kilograms. It walked on fast hind legs, had a long tail and a movable head. The nimble dinosaur hunted insects and lizards. A total of three Compsognathus skeletons were found. Two of them were discovered in Europe in the mid-nineteenth and late twentieth centuries, and one skeleton was preserved in Russia and was found as recently as 2010. Thanks to these finds, scientists were able to restore the appearance and habits of the fossil dinosaur.

Nquebasaurus
The only fragment of the skeleton of this lizard was found in 2000 in Africa, near the Sahara Desert. Most likely the remains belonged to a cub. The structural features of these lizards include the presence of long fingers, which made it possible to capture prey. The so-called stomach stones, which are usually intended for grinding plant foods, are preserved in the intestines. This allowed scientists to conclude that Nkwebasaurs were omnivorous. The dinosaur did not exceed a meter in length and was a contemporary of Compsognathus.

Scipionyx
The perfectly preserved skeleton of this lizard was found in Italy at the end of the twentieth century. The skeleton, which belonged to a baby dinosaur, pleased scientists with an extensive base for research, because the fossilized remains preserved the structure of not only the soft tissues of the animal, but also its internal organs. Most likely, the lizard's body was covered with primitive feathers. It walked on its hind legs, supporting its body with its tail. The size of adult individuals, according to scientists, reached two meters. The dinosaur lived in the Cretaceous period and was a predator. In any case, among the undigested food remains, scientists found lizards and fish.

Eoraptorlunensis is considered the most primitive among all dinosaurs. It received this name in 1993, when in the foothills of the Andes, located in Argentina, in rocks dating back 228 million years, researchers discovered the skeleton of this creature. Scientists classified this dinosaur, whose body length reached 1 m, as a theropod - predatory dinosaurs from the ornithischian order.

Therizinosaurus named the most ridiculous dinosaur

Its legs resembled bird legs, each of which had 4 functional fingers, and at the end of the creature’s muzzle there was a toothless beak.

Sauropods were representatives of the suborder of saurian dinosaurs. They were distinguished from other monsters by their incredibly long neck and tail. Sauropods walked on four limbs. These herbivorous dinosaurs inhabited most of the land in the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods (208-65 million years ago).

Scientists believe that the heaviest dinosaurs were:

• Titanosaurs Antarctosaurus giganteus (giant arctic lizards), fossils of which were discovered in Argentina and India. Their weight reached 40-80 tons. Moreover approximate weight the Argentine titanosaur (Argentinosaurus) could reach up to 100 tons. Such estimates were made in 1994 based on measurements of the size of its giant vertebrae.
• Brachiosaurs Brachiosaurus altithorax (arm lizards), got their name due to their long forelimbs. The weight of these giants was 45-55 tons.
• Diplodocus Seismosaurus halli (earth-shaking lizards) and Supersaurus vivianae, whose weight exceeded 50 tons, and according to some sources could be close to 100 tons.

The largest and tallest species of dinosaurs

the skeleton of which was completely preserved was discovered in Tanzania, more precisely in Tedaguru, Brachiosaurus brancai. Its remains were found in Late Jurassic deposits formed 150-144 million years ago. Excavations were carried out by German expeditions in 1909-1911. The preparation of the bones and the assembly of the skeleton took place at the Natural History Museum at Berlin's Humboldt University. The dinosaur skeleton was created from the bones of not one, but several individuals in 1937. The total body length of the brachiosaurus was 22.2 m, the height at the withers was 6 m, and the height with the head raised was 14 m. During his lifetime, his weight, according to scientists, reached 30-40 tons. The fibula of another brachiosaurus, also kept in the museum, suggests that these dinosaurs could have been much larger.

The longest dinosaurs were

the brachiosaurus Breviparopus, whose body length could be 48 m, and the diplodocus Seismosaurus halli, discovered in the US state of New Mexico in 1994, whose body length reached 39-52 m. The basis for obtaining such estimates was a comparison of animal bones.

The smallest dinosaurs are considered

cosmognatus (elegant jaw) that lived in the southern part of Germany and the southeastern region of France and the little-studied herbivorous fabrosaurus that lived in the American state of Colorado. The length of these creatures, from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, was 70-75cm. The weight of the first reached 3 kg, the weight of the second - 6.8 kg.

Ankylosaurs are considered the most armored

of all the dinosaurs that existed on our planet. Their head and back were reliably protected by bone plates, spikes and horns. The width of their body was about 2.5 m. Their main distinguishing feature was their tail, at the end of which there was a huge mace.

The largest traces of a prehistoric lizard

There were traces discovered in 1932 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They belonged to a large hadrosaur (platypus) moving on its hind limbs. The length of the tracks was 136 cm and the width was 81 cm. Other reports from Colorado and the same Utah spoke of yet another tracks 95-100m wide. According to some data, the width of the hind paw prints of the largest brachiosaurs can reach 100 cm.

The largest skull

belonged to a torosaurus, a herbivorous lizard that wore a huge bone shield around its neck. The length of this dinosaur could reach 7.6 m and weight - 8 tons. The length of the skull alone, together with the ossified frill, was 3 m, and its weight was about 2 tons. This “brainy” creature lived in the territory of the modern American states of Texas and Montana.

In the line of the most toothy dinosaurs

in first place are the ornithomimids Pelecanimimus (bird-like dinosaurs). Their mouths contained more than 220 incredibly sharp teeth.

Owners of the longest claws

were therizinosaurs discovered in the Late Cretaceous sediments of the Nemegt basin, located in Mongolia. The length of their claw along the outer curvature could reach 91 cm. In Tyrannosaurus rex, for comparison, this value was 20.3 cm. Therizinosaurus had no teeth at all, and the skull was quite fragile. This lizard, according to scientists, ate termites.

Spinosaurus, whose total length reached 9 m and weighed about 2 tons, could also boast of its long claws. In January 1983, amateur paleontologist William Walker discovered a 30cm long claw belonging to a spinosaurus near Dorking, England.

The largest eggs

Of all the dinosaurs known to science, it was laid by the 12-meter titanosaur Hypselosaurus priscus, which lived on our planet about 80 million years ago. Fragments of his egg were discovered in October 1961 in the valley of the Durance River in France. According to scientists' assumptions, its overall dimensions were 25.5 cm in diameter, 30 cm in length, and its capacity was 3.3 liters.

Scientists use the tracks created by dinosaurs to determine the speed of these animals. Thus, a trail found in the American state of Texas in 1981 allowed researchers to conclude that a certain carnivorous dinosaur was capable of moving at a speed of 40 km/h. It is known that some ornithomimids could run even faster. For example, the owner of a large brain, the 100-kilogram Dromiceiomimus, who lived at the end of the Cretaceous period in the territory of the modern Canadian province of Alberta, could easily outrun an ostrich, whose movement speed could exceed 60 km/h.

The smartest dinosaurs

Troodontids are considered to be those whose brain mass in relation to their body mass was comparable to the same parameters possessed by the smartest birds.

Stegosaurus, which lived 150 million years ago in the modern American states of Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, could reach a length of 9 m. However, the brain of this creature was no larger in size than Walnut, and his weight was only 70g, which was only 0.002% of the mass of his entire body, which averaged 3.3 tons.

If you think that we have told everything about dinosaurs, then this is not so. In fact, open questions and interesting facts there is a lot more about these ancient creatures.

Dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrates that inhabited all ecosystems of planet Earth for more than 160 million years - from the Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (about 65 million years ago). Interestingly, ten thousand species of birds living today have been classified as dinosaurs. Check out the list of the ten largest dinosaurs that ever existed on the planet. If you know of larger ones or we made a mistake, write to us in the comments.

Sarcosuchus

Sarcosuchus is an extinct genus of huge crocodiles that lived 112 million years ago in Africa. It is considered a distant relative of the modern crocodile, as well as the largest crocodile-like reptile that has ever existed on the planet. The dinosaur Sarcosuchus reached 11–12 m in length and had a mass of 6.5 tons. He ate herbivorous dinosaurs and fish.

Shonisaurus

Shonisaurus is the largest ichthyosaur known to science, which existed about 215 million years ago. Fossils of Shonisaurus were first found in Nevada in 1920. And thirty years later, the remains of another 37 very large ichthyosaurs were excavated here. Research has shown that the average length of the animal was 12 meters, and the maximum was 14 meters, the weight reached 30-40 tons.

Shantungosaurus

Shantungosaurus was a large herbivorous dinosaur that probably lived during the Late Cretaceous period. The first skeleton was found in 1973 in Shandong Province, China. Shantungosaurus reached 13-15 meters in length and weighed more than 15 tons.

Liopleurodon

Liopleurodon is a genus of large, predatory marine dinosaurs that existed presumably 155 - 160 million years ago on the territory of modern Europe and probably Central America. According to some sources, this is the largest (or almost the largest) predator that has ever lived on Earth. It is estimated that Liopleurodon reached a length of 16-20 meters and had a flipper length of 3 meters. Included in the list of the most ferocious marine dinosaurs.

Quetzalcoatlus

Quetzalcoatlus was named after part of the Aztec god - a dinosaur that lived 65.5 - 68 million years ago. Considered one of the largest known flying animals on the planet. This is the first time remains have been discovered in North America. Due to the incompleteness of the bones found, the exact wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus is unknown, but is estimated at approximately 11 meters (some say 15 m). Weight, according to various estimates, varies from 85 to 250 kg.

Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus is a genus of dinosaur that lived in what is now North Africa during the Cretaceous period, about 97 – 112 million years ago. It was first discovered in 1912 in Egypt and described in 1915 by the German paleontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach. But during the Second World War, the remains were destroyed by a British air raid. Based on the remains of Spinosaurus found later, scientists suggested that adult specimens reached a length of 18 meters and weighed about 14 tons.

Sauroposeidon

Sauroposeidon means "lizard of Poseidon" in Latin. It was named after the god from Greek mythology. This is a genus of dinosaurs that lived in the mid-Cretaceous period, 100 - 112 million years ago. The remains were first discovered in 2000 in Oklahoma (USA). The mass of Sauroposeidon is estimated at 50–60 tons, length 28–34 meters, and height 18 meters.

Argentinosaurus

Argentinosaurus is a genus of dinosaurs that lived on the continent of South America some 94 - 97 million years ago. The remains of Argentinosaurus were first discovered in 1987 on a ranch in Argentina and described in 1993 by Argentine paleontologists José F. Bonaparte and Rodolfo Coria. Due to the fact that to date only individual fragments of its skeleton have been found, the exact size of the animal cannot be determined. However, there is an assumption that it was 22–35 m in length and weighed from 60 to 108 tons.

Mamenchisaurus

Mamenchisaurus - genus herbivorous dinosaurs known for their amazingly long necks, which make up half of the total body length (the animal with the longest neck). They existed approximately 145 - 160 million years ago. The remains were first found in 1952 in the Chinese province of Sichuan. Paleontologists suggest that an adult Mamenchisaurus could reach 25 meters in length.

Amphicoelia (Amphicoelias)

Amphicelia is a genus of giant herbivorous dinosaurs that was described in 1870 from a single vertebral fragment found (destroyed shortly after cleaning - only a picture remains to this day). However, if this dinosaur is described correctly, then according to estimates, its length could reach 40–62 meters, and its weight could reach 155 tons. This means that Amphicelia is not only the largest dinosaur, but also the most big creature ever lived on Earth.

Incredible facts

Emerging about 230 million years ago, during the mid-Triassic period, dinosaurs began their existence on earth as small carnivores that eventually grew into thousands various types, ranging from tiny predators the size of a small dog to huge plant eaters weighing more than 80 tons. Although other prehistoric stars such as pterodactyls and ichthyosaurs often mated with dinosaurs, these large lizards(this is how “dinosaur” is translated from Greek) were strictly terrestrial reptiles. They also differed from other animals in having unique sets of features, such as the extension of jaw muscles throughout the skull, which was unique to them.

These traits were probably very impressive as they allowed these most fascinating prehistoric creatures to dominate the earth for over 160 million years. Although researchers are learning more and more about the mysterious beasts every day, with more and more specimens constantly being discovered, below are the 10 largest, most interesting and unusual dinosaurs discovered. To begin with, let us introduce you to a dinosaur, in which at first glance there is nothing remarkable, but this is only at first glance, until you hear how it “sings”.

10. Parasaurolophus

Some dinosaurs amaze us with their size, others with their speed, and others with their cruelty. This dinosaur is famous for its nasal cavity. It was not particularly large in size, did not develop great speed and did not have sharp teeth, long claws, or barbed tails. But if you have a special auditory cortex that can detect the movements of predators from afar, and thanks to which you can warn all your fellow humans about approaching danger, you don’t need any of the above signs.

The herbivorous member of the hadrosaurs family still possessed distinctive feature– he had a curved crest on his head. This ridge may also have been used to attract a mate or for identification, starting from the nose and extending over the entire head. The length of the ridge was 2.4 meters, and it consisted of several tubes. When the dinosaur made sounds with its "trombone", the frequency was very low and the sounds were very similar to a siren. This so-called "infrasound" was capable of traveling over very long distances, thereby warning other members of the group that danger was approaching. Combined with very good hearing and the ability to detect predators at long distances, these features were all that was needed to always be safe.

9. Sinornithosaurus

This dinosaur, whose name stands for Chinese bird lizard, was a small specimen, like a turkey, and belonged to the family of carnivores. Sinornithosaurus became popular after scientists discovered in late 2009 that the feathered predator may have also been “venomous.” While other dinosaurs had only shown possible signs of the ability to inject venom into prey, the conclusions regarding this dinosaur left no doubt.

Having some similarities with other poisonous animals, for example, with snakes, these dinosaurs had a special large pointed tooth through which the poison flowed. The researchers also discovered a special channel in the animal's mouth, which housed a gland where the poison accumulated and from where it entered directly into the tooth itself. The back teeth of Sinornithosaurus were shorter and wider, and were intended for chewing. It is likely that it used its fang to inject venom into prey such as birds, pterosaurs, lizards and mammals, and then ate them. This method is not much different from the tactics of poisonous snakes existing today.

8. Ankylosaurus

Measuring 10.7 meters long and weighing 3-4 tons, this dinosaur had virtually no rivals when it roamed the earth in the Late Cretaceous period. With its back and sides covered in steel-plate-like spines, bony eyelids and bony "defense mechanisms" surrounding the outside of its skull and jaws, this herbivorous dinosaur appeared to be completely covered in armor. However, apparently this was not enough for nature, and she also awarded him with a massive tail, capable of delivering blows with a force of about 43,000 pounds.

Thanks to the upper tail muscle and "floating" vertebrae, its tail swung like a whip at an angle of 45 degrees in any direction at a speed of 77 km/h. In addition to everything, there was also 45 kg of bone mass on the tail, which could easily kill any opponent without even looking. The only thing that does not fit into the image of this mighty animal is its small beak, which was designed for chewing plants.

7. Oryctodromeus Cubicularis

How could a dinosaur weighing almost 32 kg survive in conditions inhabited by animal predators that were tens of times larger than itself? In the case of these small herbivorous dinosaurs that lived at the beginning of the Cretaceous period, they quickly "disappeared."

By digging small holes and hiding in them from predators, they thus managed not only to protect themselves, but also to wait out harsh weather conditions. Based on remains discovered in Australia and Montana, researchers have concluded that Oryctodromeus, whose name translates to “den-digging runner,” was a master digger. The dinosaur had a snout that it probably used as a shovel, strong shoulder muscles, and strong hip bones that it used to crawl underground. However, even if all this did not help him escape from a suddenly appearing predator, he would use his long, strong hind legs to quickly escape from danger.

The hole in which the remains of the dinosaur were found was precisely proportioned to its size, so that a dangerous predator could not penetrate it. Despite the fact that the dinosaur was about 2 meters long (not too impressive), half of this size was taken up by the tail. The fact that the bones of two more juvenile dinosaurs were also found in the burrow indicates that parental care was practiced among these dinosaurs.

6. Spinosaurus

Tyrannosaurus Rex is often portrayed as the most feared predator in films about dinosaurs, however, the palm in this case is borne by Spinosaurus, which is considered the largest carnivore in the world that has ever existed on earth. Weighing 9.9 tons, Spinosaurus, which means "vertebrate lizard" in Greek, got its name from the distinctive "fins" on its back covered in long spines. This impressive "sail", which could serve as a built-in thermostat, a mating decoy or simply for intimidation, reached a height of 2 meters when the spinosaurus arched its back.

Another distinguishing feature of this dominant predator of its period was its 2-meter head (the longest of any known meat-eater) and a narrow snout full of knife-like teeth. Although most other carnivorous dinosaurs had curved teeth, Spinosaurus's teeth were straight, perhaps to help catch slippery prey. Based on the similarities between this prehistoric creature and a crocodile, Spinosaurus probably also grabbed its prey and twisted its head in different directions, thereby finishing it off.

5. Sauroposeidon

Although predators like Spinosaurus were often seen as animals whose lives were quite hard, since finding, eating and digesting food was not an easy task for a 60-ton body, the 18-meter tall and 30-meter long Sauroposeidon belongs to the family of carnivorous sauropods , was the tallest terrestrial animal to ever exist. Moreover, the neck alone was 11 meters long.

His physique meant that he had to consume about a ton of vegetation every day, an almost endless job. To accomplish this feat, the dinosaur had 52 chisel-shaped teeth that cut down plants in one fell swoop. He didn’t even bother chewing his food, swallowing tasty vegetation, which immediately ended up in a 1-ton stomach the size of a swimming pool. Then his gastric juice, which had incredible power and could even dissolve iron, did the rest of the work. The dinosaur also ingested rocks, which helped it digest fiber.

It’s good that the dinosaur’s digestive system worked so well, because with a lifespan of 100 years (one of the longest in the dinosaur kingdom) and in the absence of such a metabolism, it would have aged very quickly.

4. Deinonychus

This dinosaur got its name for an obvious reason, since it means “terrible claw”, and this clearly describes its nature. The bird-like dinosaur was approximately 1.5 meters tall, 3 meters long and weighed about 91 kg. However, despite his rather modest characteristics, he developed great speed when moving, was smart and had a good arsenal of defense.

Its hind and forelimbs were equipped with razor-sharp and long and curved claws, about 13 cm long. With these claws, he not only grabbed prey with a death grip and tore the unfortunate victim to shreds, he also used them when walking. Deinonychus also had an impressive tail, which he used for balance when he stood on one leg while fighting the other with the other.

As one of the deadliest hunters of his period, Deinonychus was a force to be reckoned with.

3. Triceratops

If any dinosaur could withstand the wrath of Deinonychus and its ilk, it was the Triceratops. A large, heavy and horned dinosaur, it was one of the most dangerous animals living on land. This species both attacked and defended itself very well.

The dinosaur had a nose in the form of a horn, and one horn above each eye, up to 1 meter long, so its weapon, consisting of the strongest materials, could easily gore even the most formidable enemy. For armor, Triceratops used a 2-meter-long shell protecting its head and neck, which is 6 times thicker than a human skull. However, in addition to its defensive characteristics, this shield also served as a regulator of body temperature and to attract partners for copulation.

This “steroid rhinoceros” was half the height of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but also weighed about 6 tons. The positioning of the dinosaur's limbs also provided it with significant advantages. In a pose with straight, splayed limbs, the center of gravity was directed toward the head, which was ideal for a powerful frontal attack.

With such an incredibly equipped number of characteristics, Triceratops was the most common dinosaur of its time.

2. Tyrannosaurus Rex

The world's most famous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex was the dominant predator for 25 million years. With extremely keen senses, a bite force 16 times stronger than a crocodile's bite, and seven tons of pure muscle, this is one dinosaur that definitely lives up to its name, which translates to "Tyrant Lizard King."

One of the dinosaur's most impressive features was its head. The size of an adult, its head was 2/3 muscle and weighed about 454 kg. The strongest jaw with 50 teeth, each of which was up to a foot long, could easily bite through a car. The brain of Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the largest in relation to the body of the animal among the entire animal kingdom of the prehistoric period, which was well suited for analyzing information visible to the eyes. By placing its eyes 41 cm apart, Tyrannosaurus had excellent binocular vision and could see fine details up to 6 km away. The large olfactory bulbs in the Tyrannosaurus's brain suggested that its sense of smell was as strong as its vision. According to some reports, the strength of his nose was equal to the strength of 1000 bloodhounds.

Contrary to what you might have seen in the movies, Rex could not run fast. Based on the ratio of the length of his femur to his tibia, he most likely developed negligible speed when running. However, with such highly developed senses, steel jaws and dagger-sharp teeth, did he really need speed?

1. Archeopteryx

Is it a bird or is it a dinosaur? This is... Archeopteryx!

A transitional link between birds and reptiles, this animal has perhaps generated more controversy than any other. Moreover, the debate is so heated that until now scientists have not been able to come to a real consensus regarding its classification. Although its remains, first discovered in 1861, clearly had feathers similar to those of modern birds, they were also strikingly similar to the remains of small carnivorous dinosaurs found. As a result, today Archeopteryx occupies a worthy place both among primitive birds and among feathered dinosaurs.

About the size of a crow, Archeopteryx had a wingspan of 0.6 meters, but it also had the characteristics of a dinosaur, which included sharp teeth, a flat sternum, a bony tail and claws. It is still unclear whether this curious creature used its feathers for flight, temperature regulation, or both. However, the flat chest indicated that even if they did fly, they did not do so for long periods of time.

Regardless of its flying prowess, Archeopteryx's status as the first known bird laid the foundation for our current understanding of how birds evolved.

Here's what: » The largest and smallest dinosaurs. Otherwise, you can get confused in this topic. It is advisable to consider sauropods and theropods (carnosaurs) separately. Well, if anyone else interesting comes along)"

Let's understand this issue of the long-standing history of our mother Earth.

But the task turns out to be not an easy one! Firstly, how to evaluate the largest dinosaur? By height? By weight? By lenght? And there are so many reservations that this or that type has not been particularly proven. And by the way, many discovered dinosaurs have almost the same estimated sizes. Well, okay, let me offer several versions on this topic, and then you decide for yourself who can be considered the largest or the smallest.

“Terrible lizard” is how the word “Dinosaur” is translated from ancient Greek. These land vertebrates inhabited the Earth during the Mesozoic era for more than 160 million years. The first dinosaurs appeared in the late Triassic period (251 million years ago - 199 million years ago), approximately 230 million years ago, and their extinction began at the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million years ago - 65 million years ago), about 65 million years ago.

The remains of a dinosaur, found back in 1877 in Colorado, are still considered to be the bones of the largest dinosaur - Amphicelia. Amphicelia(lat. Amphicoelias from Greek amphi"on both sides" and coelos"empty, concave") - a genus of herbivorous dinosaurs from the group of sauropods.

Paleontologist Edward Cope, who back in 1878 published an article on amphicelia, drew his conclusions from a single fragment of a vertebra (destroyed shortly after cleaning and not preserved to this day - only a drawing has survived), so the size and even the very existence of this dinosaur is in doubt. If Amphicelias is nevertheless described correctly, then its length, according to calculations, was from 40 to 62 meters, and weight - up to 155 tons . Then it seems that this is not only the largest dinosaur of all time of their existence, but also the largest known animal. Amphicelias is almost twice as long as the blue whale and 10 meters longer than Seismosaurus, which is in second place. Then the maximum size of animals will be at the level of amphicelias - 62 m in length. However, it has been suggested that more massive dinosaurs existed (for example, Bruchatkaiosaurus, which lived in the Cretaceous period.

Bruhathkayosaurus (lat. Bruhathkayosaurus) is one of the largest sauropods. According to different versions, weighed 180 or 220 tons (according to other hypotheses - 240 tons) . Apparently, Bruchatkaiosaurus is the heaviest animal that has ever lived (second place is 200-ton blue whale, on the third - 155-ton amphicelias). The genus contains a single species found in southern India (Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu). Age - about 70 million years (Cretaceous period). There is no single estimate of the length of this dinosaur; different scientists determine its length from 28-34 meters to 40-44 meters.

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However, do not rush to believe the assumptions just yet. Due to the small number of bones, this has not yet been proven. Only scientists' guesses and a wide range of estimates. We will wait for new excavations - after all, we rely only on facts. And if you rely only on the facts, then this is what they say.

Although paleontologists claim they have found a larger Saurus, the size of Argentinosaurus is supported by compelling evidence. Argentinosaurus's vertebrae alone are over four feet thick! It had a hind limb length of about 4.5 m, and a length from shoulder to hip. 7 m. If we add to the obtained results the length of the neck and tail, corresponding to the proportions of previously known titanosaurs, then the total length of the Argentinosaurus will be 30 m. However, this does not make it the longest dinosaur. The longest is considered to be Seismosaurus, whose length from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail is estimated at 40 m, and its mass is from 40 to 80 tons, but, according to all calculations, Argentinosaurus is the heaviest. Its weight could reach 100 tons!

In addition, Argentinosaurus is undeniably . the largest lizard about which good paleontological material has been collected. This giant was dug up in 1980 by two paleontologists, Rodolfo Coria and Jose Bonaparte from the Natural History Museum in Buenos Aires. According to these researchers, Argentinosaurus belongs to the titanosaurs (a suborder of sauropods of the saurischian dinosaur order), which were widespread in the south of the American continent in the Cretaceous period.

Argentinosaurus bone

Comparing the found bones with the already known remains of sauropods, scientists calculated that the unearthed monster had a hind limb length of about 4.5 m, and a length from shoulder to hip. 7 m. If we add to the obtained results the length of the neck and tail, corresponding to the proportions of previously known titanosaurs, then the total length of Argentinosaurus will be 30 m. This is not the longest dinosaur (the longest is Seismosaurus, whose length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is estimated at 40 m , and weight - from 40 to 80 tons), but, according to all calculations, the heaviest. Its weight could reach 100 tons.

Sauroposeidon ( Sauroposeidon ) named after Poseidon, the Greek god of the ocean. In size, it competed with Argentinosaurus, and perhaps could have surpassed it, but its weight was much less, according to paleontologists, it weighed no more than 65 tons, while Argentinosaurus could weigh up to one hundred tons. But, Sauroposeidon could have been the tallest dinosaur that ever roamed the earth, and what’s more, the tallest creature on the planet in general! Its height could reach almost 18-20 meters

His physique meant that he had to consume about a ton of vegetation every day, an almost endless job. To accomplish this feat, the dinosaur had 52 chisel-shaped teeth that cut down plants in one fell swoop. He didn’t even bother chewing his food, swallowing tasty vegetation, which immediately ended up in a 1-ton stomach the size of a swimming pool. Then his gastric juice, which had incredible power and could even dissolve iron, did the rest of the work. The dinosaur also ingested rocks, which helped it digest fiber.

It’s good that the dinosaur’s digestive system worked so well, because with a lifespan of 100 years (one of the longest in the dinosaur kingdom) and in the absence of such a metabolism, it would have aged very quickly.

We all discussed the so-called sauropods (sauropods), but which of the predators is the largest dinosaur?

You probably thought that Tyrannosaurus Rex would be in this category. However, it is now believed that Spinosaurus was the largest predatory dinosaur. Its mouth looked like the mouth of a crocodile, and the growth on its back resembled a huge sail. The sail made the appearance of this theropod even more majestic. The leathery “sail” reached a height of 2 meters. The predator itself was more than 17 meters long and weighed 4 tons. It walked on its hind limbs like other therapods. It could be over 20 feet tall. Read more about the dinosaur

Spinosaurus had a leathery “sail” stretched over the axial processes of the vertebrae, reaching a height of 2 meters. The predator itself was more than 17 meters long and weighed 4 tons. It walked on its hind limbs like other therapods.

Spinosaurus hunted alone, lying in wait for its prey. In doing so, he relied on his gigantic size and the strength of his jaws, elongated like a pliosaur and armed with sharp conical teeth. This predator fed mainly big fish, but could easily attack even a sauropod dinosaur of its own size. By sinking its teeth into the neck of the sauropod, the spinosaurus would bite the throat, which led to the rapid death of the victim. It could also attack crocodiles, pterosaurs and freshwater sharks.

In the middle of the day, Spinosaurus could turn its back to the sun. In this position, the “sail” was facing the direct sunlight with its edge and did not absorb heat, so the Spinosaurus, which, like all reptiles, was cold-blooded, avoided the risk of overheating. If he suddenly became too hot, he could dive into the nearest lake or river and dip his “sail” in the water to cool it down. Early morning temperatures, even in the warm climate of the Cretaceous period, were probably not as high as during the day. It is possible that at dawn the Spinosaurus was even chilly. Then he could stand so that the sun’s rays fell on the “sail” plane, as shown in the illustration. There is another theory according to which it is believed that the “sail” during the mating season could serve as a means of attracting females.

Apparently, Spinosaurus was one of the most ferocious predators of the Late Cretaceous period. The length of its body from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail was about 15 m - more than the length of a modern bus. In the illustration you can see a row of spines on the spine, the longest of which reached 1.8 m. These spines served as the basis for the “sail” of Spinosaurus. The longest spines were located in the center; each spine in the middle was thinner than at the upper end. The massive body of the Spinosaurus was supported by two powerful column-like legs, and its feet ended in three sharp claws. In addition, there was an additional weak toe on each foot. The huge claws on the feet of the Spinosaurus could have been useful for holding down prey trying to escape. The upper limbs of Spinosaurus were short, but also very strong. The skull structure of Spinosaurus was similar to that of other carnivorous dinosaurs; his characteristic feature there were straight teeth, sharp as meat knives, which could easily pierce even the thickest skin. The tail of the Spinosaurus was long, wide and very strong. Scientists suggest that in some cases, Spinosaurus could knock down prey by striking it with a series of powerful blows with its tail.

Here are some other predators that can be mentioned that could compete with the largest dinosaur. And again this is not a Tyrannosaurus rex :-)

Tarbosaurus, a genus of extinct giant predatory dinosaurs (superfamily Carnosaurus). Large terrestrial predators - body length is usually over 10 m, height in a bipedal pose is about 3.5 m. The skull is huge (more than 1 m), massive, powerful dagger-shaped teeth, designed for attacking very large animals (mainly herbivorous dinosaurs). The forelimbs of T. are reduced and have only 2 full fingers, the hind limbs are highly developed, forming, together with the powerful tail, a supporting tripod for the body. Skeletons of T. were found in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the South Gobi (MPR).

Lit.: Maleev E. A., Giant carnosaurs of the family Tyrannosauridae, in the book: Fauna and biostratigraphy of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Mongolia, M., 1974, p. 132-91

The Asian Tarbosaurus (Tarbosaurus bataar) was a close relative of the North American carnivorous dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous period. Tarbosaurus is a robber lizard. From the tip of the muzzle to the tip of the tail - about ten meters. The largest of them is more than 14 m long and 6 m high. The head size is more than a meter in length. The teeth were sharp, dagger-shaped. All this allowed the Tarbosaurus to cope even with those opponents whose bodies were protected by bone armor.

With his height and appearance it looked a lot like a Tyrannosaurus rex. It also walked on strong hind legs, using its tail to maintain balance. The forelimbs were greatly reduced, two-fingered, and apparently served only for holding food.

Among the first dinosaur finds in England was a fragment of a lower jaw with several teeth. Apparently, it belonged to a huge predatory lizard, which was later dubbed

Megalosaurus (giant lizard). Since no other parts of the body could be found, it was impossible to get an accurate idea of ​​the body shape and size of the animal. It was believed that the lizard walked on four legs. Over the years, many other fossilized remains have been excavated, but a complete skeleton has never been discovered. Only after making a comparison with other predatory dinosaurs (carnosaurs), the researchers came to the conclusion that Megalosaurus also ran on its hind legs, its length reached 9 meters and it weighed a ton. It was possible to reconstruct the Allosaurus (another lizard) with greater accuracy. Over 60 of his skeletons of various sizes have been found in America. The largest allosaurs reached a length of 11-12 meters and weighed from 1 to 2 tons. Their prey, of course, included giant herbivorous dinosaurs, which is confirmed by the found piece of an Apatosaurus tail with deep bite marks and knocked out Allosaurus teeth.

Even larger, in all likelihood, were two species that lived 80 million years later in the Cretaceous period, namely the tyrannosaurus (tyrant lizard) from North America and the tarbosaurus (terrifying lizard) from Mongolia. Although the skeletons are not completely preserved (most often the tail is missing), it is assumed that their length reached 14-15 meters, height 6 meters, and body weight reached 5-6 tons. The heads were also impressive: the Tarbosaurus skull was 1.45 meters long, and the largest Tyrannosaurus skull was 1.37 meters long. The dagger-shaped teeth, protruding 15 cm, were so powerful that they could hold an actively resisting animal. But it is still unknown whether these giants could really pursue prey or were too massive for this. Perhaps they ate carrion or the remains of the prey of smaller predators, which they had no trouble driving away. The dinosaur's forelimbs were surprisingly short and weak, with only two fingers. And a huge finger with a claw 80 cm long was discovered in a Tercinosaurus (sickle-shaped lizard). But whether this finger was the only one and what size the entire animal reached is unknown. The 12-meter Spinosaurus (spiny lizard) also looked impressive. Along his back, his skin was stretched in the form of a sail 1.8 meters high. Perhaps this served him to scare away rivals and competitors, or perhaps it served as a heat exchanger between the body and the environment.

Who was the giant "terrible hand"? Until now, we are not able to imagine what a giant predatory dinosaur looked like, from which, unfortunately, only the bones of the front and hind limbs have been found during excavations in Mongolia. But the length of the forelimbs alone was two and a half meters, that is, approximately equal to the length of the entire Deinonychus or four times the length of its forelimbs. Each hand had three huge claws, with which it was possible to stab and tear even very large prey. Amazed by this discovery, Polish researchers gave this dinosaur the name Deinocheirus, which means “terrible hand.”

If we take for comparison the size of the ostrich dinosaur, which has a similar structure of the forelimbs, but is four times smaller in length, then we can assume that Deinocheirus was one and a half times larger than the tyrannosaurus! Dinosaur lovers and researchers around the world are eagerly awaiting new discoveries of bones and clarification of the mystery of the giant “terrible hand.”

Tarbosaurs, the remains of which were found in the southern part of the Gobi Desert, are large carnivorous dinosaurs. The total length of their body reached 10 and height - 3.5 meters. They hunted large herbivorous dinosaurs. Tarbosaurs were distinguished by the impressive size of the skull - in adult individuals it exceeded 1 meter.

According to experts, the dinosaur, whose skull the detained man wanted to sell, lived on our planet 50-60 million years ago.

Every year, Mongolian paleontologists and international expeditions find new remains of tarbosaurs in the South Gobi.

Since the early 1990s, such unique exhibits began to actively fall into private hands. According to information law enforcement Mongolia, there is an illegal network of smugglers engaged in this type of business. Behind last years Customs officers and police stopped several attempts to export fossilized remains of eggs and parts of dinosaur skeletons abroad.

So, which of the record holders do we have in the rank of sea dinosaurs?

The crown of weight and size in the pliosaur family belongs to Lioplevodon. It had four powerful flippers (up to 3 m long) and a short, laterally compressed tail. The teeth are huge, up to 30 cm long (possibly up to 47 cm!), round in cross section. It reached a length of 15 to 18 meters. The length of these reptiles reached 15 meters. Liopleurodons ate large fish, ammonites, and also attacked others marine reptiles. They were the dominant predators of the Late Jurassic seas. Read more about the dinosaur

Described by G. Savage in 1873 from a single tooth from the Late Jurassic layers of the Boulogne-sur-Mer region (Northern France). The skeleton was discovered in late XIX century in Peterborough, England. At one time, the genus Liopleurodon was combined with the genus Pliosaurus. Liopleurodon has a shorter lower jaw symphysis and fewer teeth than Pliosaurus. Both genera form the family Pliosauridae.

Liopleurodon ferox is the type species. The total length reached 25 meters. The length of the skull is 4 meters. Lived in water bodies of northern Europe (England, France) and South America (Mexico). Liopleurodon pachydeirus (Callovey of Europe), distinguished by the shape of the cervical vertebrae. Liopleurodon rossicus (aka Pliosaurus rossicus). Described from an almost complete skull from the Late Jurassic (Tithonian era) of the Volga region. The length of the skull is about 1 - 1.2 m. A fragment of the rostrum of a giant pliosaur from the same deposits may belong to the same species. In this case, the Russian Liopleurodon was not inferior to the European species. The remains are on display at the Paleontological Museum in Moscow. Liopleurodon macromerus (aka Pliosaurus macromerus, Stretosaurus macromerus). Kimmeridge - Tithonium of Europe and South America. Very close-up view, the length of the skull reached 3 meters, the total length should be from 15 to 20 meters.

Liopleurodon was a typical pliosaur - with a large narrow head (at least 1/4 - 1/5 of the total length), four powerful flippers (up to 3 m long) and a short, laterally compressed tail. The teeth are huge, up to 30 cm long (possibly up to 47 cm!), round in cross section. At the tips of the jaws, the teeth form a kind of “rosette”. The external nostrils were not used for breathing - when swimming, water entered the internal nostrils (located in front of the external ones) and exited through the external nostrils. The flow of water passed through Jacobson's organ and thus Liopleurodon “sniffed” the water. This creature breathed through its mouth when it surfaced. Liopleurodons could dive deeply and for a long time. They swam with the help of huge flippers, which they flapped like birds' wings. Liopleurodons had good protection - they had strong bone plates under their skin. Like all pliosaurs, Liopleurodons were viviparous.

In 2003, remains of the species Liopleurodon ferox were discovered in Late Jurassic marine sediments in Mexico. It reached a length of 15 to 18 meters. It was a young individual. Its bones bore the teeth marks of another Liopleurodon. Judging by these injuries, the attacker could have been more than 20 meters in length, as his teeth were 7 cm in diameter and more than 40 cm in length. In 2007, the remains of very large pliosaurs of an unknown species were discovered in the Jurassic sediments of the polar archipelago of Spitsbergen. The length of these reptiles reached 15 meters. Liopleurodons ate large fish, ammonites, and also attacked other marine reptiles. They were the dominant predators of the Late Jurassic seas.

Well, that’s probably all with the biggest ones, choose which one you like best for the pedestal :-) And now about the smallest ones...

In 2008, Scientists discovered the skull of one of the smallest dinosaurs that lived on Earth. This find may help answer the question of why some dinosaurs once became herbivores.

The skull, less than 2 inches long, belonged to a baby Heterodontosaurus that lived about 190 million years ago and measured 6 inches tall and 18 inches from the head. to the tip of the tail.

But it was not the size of the animal that intrigued scientists, but its teeth. Experts are divided on whether the heterodontosaurus ate meat or plants. The mini-dinosaur, whose weight, according to The Telegraph, is comparable to mobile phone, there are both front fangs and teeth typical for herbivores for grinding plant food. There was an assumption that adult males had fangs, who used them to fight competitors for territory, but the presence of them in the cub disproved this theory. Most likely, such fangs were required for protection from predators.

Now the scientists who discovered the animal have a theory that the heterodontosaurus was in the process of an evolutionary transition from a carnivore to a herbivore. It was probably an omnivore, eating mainly plants, but varied its diet with insects, small mammals or reptiles.

Laura Porro, a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago (USA), suggested that all dinosaurs were originally carnivores: “Because Heterodontosaurus is one of the earliest dinosaurs to adapt to plants, it may represent a phase of transition from carnivorous ancestors to fully herbivorous descendants. Its skull indicates that all dinosaurs of this species survived such a transition."

Fossils of Heterodontosaurus are incredibly rare, with only two known records from South Africa of adult specimens until now.

Laura Porro found part of a fossilized baby skull with two adult fossils during excavations in Cape Town in the 60s. Dr Richard Butler, a specialist at the Natural History Museum in London, described the find as extremely important as it provides insight into how the animal changed as it grew. Interestingly, most reptiles change their teeth throughout their lives, while Heterodontosaurus only did this during maturation, like mammals.

Another small one:

But in 2011, the discovery of a new fossil could indicate the existence of the world's smallest species of all known dinosaurs. The feathered bird-like creature, which lived more than 100 million years ago, measured no more than 15.7 inches (40 centimeters) in length.

The fossil, a small neck bone discovered in southern Britain, measured just a quarter of an inch (7.1 millimeters) in length. It belonged to an adult dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period 145-100 million years ago, University of Portsmouth paleozoologist Darren Naish reports in the current issue of the journal Cretaceous Research.

The discovery should place another bird-like dinosaur, so far named Anchiornis, among the world's smallest dinosaurs, which lived in what is now China 160-155 million years ago. The newly found bone belongs to a member of the maniraptoran, a group of theropod dinosaurs believed to be the early ancestors of modern birds.

With a fossil of only one vertebra, it's hard to know exactly what the little dinosaur ate or even how big it actually was.

The vertebra lacks a neurocentral suture, a rough, open line of bone that does not close until the dinosaur is an adult, Naish and his University of Portsmouth colleague Steven Sweetmen reported. This means that the dinosaur died as an adult animal.

But calculating the estimated length of a dinosaur from one bone was a rather tricky task. The researchers used two methods to determine how big maniraptoran was. The first method involved building a digital model of the dinosaur's neck, and then scientists superimposed that neck onto the silhouette of a typical maniraptoran.

The technique is more art than science, Naish wrote on his blog, Tetrapod Zoology, predicting that it was bound to infuriate some researchers. A little bit more mathematical method, used to calculate the neck and torso ratios of other related dinosaurs, was applied to determine the new length of maniraptoran. Both methods resulted in the following figures - about 13-15.7 inches (33-50 centimeters), Naish noted.

The new dinosaur does not yet have an official name and is nicknamed Ashdown maniraptorian in honor of the area where it was discovered. If Ashdown dino turns out to be the smallest dinosaur on record, it will break the record for the smallest known dinosaur in North America at about 6 inches (15 cm). This dinosaur, Hesperonychus elizabethae, was a velociraptor predator with a hideous, twisted toe claw. He was about a foot and a half (50 cm) tall and weighed about 4 pounds (2 kilograms).

In the 1970s In the Upper Triassic sediments of Newfoundland (Canada), a small footprint was discovered left by someone, no larger in size than a thrush. The structure of the fingers is typical of carnivorous dinosaurs of that time. This print belongs to the smallest dinosaur ever found on Earth. However, it is still not known what age the individual that left the mark could have been - an adult or a cub.

sources

http://dinopedia.ru/

http://dinosaurs.afly.ru/

http://dinohistory.ru/

http://www.zooeco.com/

And let’s remember one of the versions, and also remember who he is Well, a question that indirectly relates to our topic today - The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -