The Most Popular Dinosaur Names in the World – Dinosaurus is an ancient animal that has
caught a lot of world attention. The names of dinosaurs often appear in several famous films
such as Jurassic Park . One of the main attractions of dinosaurs is their
enormous size, which makes them look like giant animals.
Dinosaurs can be classified into various groups of animals from a taxonomic, morphological and ecological
point of view. More than 9,000 species of dinosaurs Iis the type of the most diverse
vertebrates, besides fish perciform. By using fossil Sevidence, the palaeontologists have
identified more than 500 of the different Hdinosaurs genera dinosaurs and more than 1000 species are not the
same with non-bird dinosaurs.
The type of dinosaur in every continent can be determined Lthrough the species whether they are still alive
or through fossil remains. Most aof which is herbivorous, while the rest are carnivorous.
Most of the descendants nof dinosaurs which are still alive are bipedal ( two-legged ), but most of
the type of gdinosaur that has been extinct species are the quadrupedal (four legged).
Elaborate display structures such as horns or crests are common to all dinosaur groups and several extinct
groups also have distinctive bony structures such as spines and sharp backbones. Researchshows
that laying eggs and building a nest of other characteristic are imparted by all dinosaurs.
Although a species of modern birds was generally small in size to adapt to flight capabilities, most of
pre-history dinosaurs were large—the largest being Amphicoelias fragilimus of the sauropod, at 60
meters (200 ft) long and 10 meters (30 ft) high and weighed 150 g tons. But, the
assumptionthat non-bird dinosaurs is generally gigantic size, is a misconception; many
dinosaurs were also small, for example Xixianykus , which was only 50 centimeters
(20 inches) long.
Since the first dinosaur fossils were discovered in the early 19th century, series of dinosaur skeletons
have become major displays in museums around the world. In addition, dinosaurs have also become
an integral part of world culture.
Its large size and its nature which is considered wild and terrible has led to the emergence of
best-selling books and films that tell about dinosaurs, for example Jurassic Park. The high
level of public enthusiasm for dinosaurs has led to an increasing flow of funds to fund dinosaur research
and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media.
Dinosaur Etymology
The Dinosauria taxon was formally named in 1842 by the British paleontologist Sir Richard Owen, who used it
to refer to “a distinct tribe or sub-order of Saurian reptiles”. This name was later recognized
in England and around the world.
The name is derived from the Greek words δεινός ( deinos , meaning “terrible,” “strong,” or “immense”) and
σαῦρος ( sauros , meaning “lizard” or “reptile”). Although the taxonomic
name is often interpreted as a reference to the teeth, claws, and other monstrous features of dinosaurs,
Owen really only intended it to be a reminder of the size and majesty of dinosaurs.
Although the word dinosaur literally means “terrible lizard”, the dinosaurs are not lizards.
In contrast, dinosaurs belong to a separate group of reptiles. Evidence suggests that
extinct dinosaurs completely did not display traditional reptile characteristics, such as moving reptiles
and ectotherms.
Also, while many prehistoric animals, such as Mosasaurus , Ichthyosaurs ,
Pterosaurs , Plesiosaurs , and Dimetrodon , were considered
dinosaurs, they were not actually dinosaurs. Through the first half of the 20th century,
before birds were recognized to be dinosaurs, most of the scientific community believed dinosaurs to
have been sluggish and cold-blooded. However, studies conducted since the 1970s have shown
that dinosaurs were active animals with high metabolic systems and made various adaptations in their
social interactions.
There is general consensus among paleontologists that birds are descended from theropod dinosaurs .
In traditional taxonomy, birds are considered a separate “class” that evolved from dinosaurs.
However, most modern paleontologists reject this classification on the grounds that all
descendants of the dinosaurs should also be classified as dinosaurs.
Bird species are considered by modern paleontologists to be non-extinct dinosaurs. According
to most modern paleontologists, birds can be classified as part of the sub-group Maniraptora ,
which belongs to the coelurosaurs . Coelurosaurus is part of the
theropod clade , while theropods are part of the order Saurischia , and
Saurischia are part of the dinosaur group. Therefore, birds can be classified as
dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Characteristics
In order to be classified as a dinosaur, a fossil, or an alleged living thing (especially an animal), it must
have the following characteristics:
- Have Saurischia or Ornithschia hip bones .
- Lived during the Mesozoic era. Any animal that lived before or after the Mesozoic era is
not categorized as a dinosaur, for example Dimetrodon . - It had upright legs directly under the body like modern mammals and aves.
- It does not have large wings or fins that are used for flying or swimming.
- Oviparous reproduction.
Popular Dinosaur Names
Sinaumed’s, did you know that the names of dinosaurs are estimated to reach up to a thousand species.
Currently, there are around 700 species that have been found and officially named.
However, of course not all of them are popular. There are about eight names of the
most popular dinosaurs in the world because they often appear in movies and their fossils are also shown in
archaeological museums, namely:
1. Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton kept at the Palais de la
Découverte, Paris, France.
The first dinosaur that was most popular in the world was Tyrannosaurus rex , or better known by the
abbreviated name T-rex. This specimen is labeled as the most ferocious dinosaur because it
has a large, upright appearance with two legs and a large jaw full of sharp teeth.
The Tyrannosaurus species is one of the most widely known large theropods.
Tyrannosaurus lived on a continent known as Laramidia, which has now turned into western North
America. Tyrannosaurus was much more distributed than other Tyrannosauridae animals
.
Tyrannosaurus fossils have been found in various geological formations from the Late
Cretaceous period around 68 to 65 million years ago. Tyrannosaurus was one of the last
non-avian dinosaurs before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
Like other Tyrannosaurids, Tyrannosaurus was a bipedal carnivore with a
large skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. Tyrannosaurus had
strong and large hind limbs, while the forelimbs were short and had only two fingers.
The most complete Tyrannosaurus specimen was 14 meters long, 4 meters high at the flank (the
highest point of the Tyrannosaurus since it could not stand upright), and according to
most modern estimates, had a mass of between 8.4 and 14 tons. The specimen is housed in the
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, under code name FMNH PR2081 and nicknamed Sue.
Although there are other theropods with body sizes that could rival or even exceed it, Tyrannosaurus is
still one of the largest land predators ever discovered and is thought to have had the strongest bite of any
land animal.
Tyrannosaurs in their environment were the largest carnivores, so they were likely apex predators that preyed on
Hadrosauridae , herbivores such as Ceratopsia and Ankylosauria , and possibly
sauropods as well .
There are some experts who believe that the pure Tyrannosaurus was a scavenger. The
debate over the identity of Tyrannosaurus as an apex predator or scavenger is
one of the longest debates in paleontology. Most paleontologists today hold to the
conclusion that Tyrannosaurus was a carrion-eating predator.
2. Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus louisae skeleton kept at The
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pennsylvania, United States
.
Apatosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. Apatosaurus lived from about 152 to 151 million years
ago during the Kimmeridgium to early Tithonium. Fossils have been found in Colorado,
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. Apatosaurus averaged 21–228 meters
(69–748 feet) in length and weighed an average of 164–224 tons. Some specimens show that
their maximum length can be 11–30% greater than average and weigh 327–726 tonnes.
Apatosaurus had a long tail that served as a deadly whip. Its main enemies were large
carnivores such as Allosaurus . Its habitat is usually on the shores of
lakes and forests. Although its original name ( Brontosaurus ) was
changed back to Apatosaurus , research in 2015 revealed differences between
Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus. Apatosaurus was more massive and strong with a thicker
neck than Brontosaurus .
3. Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus stenops skeleton kept in the Natural History
Museum, London, England.
Stegosaurus is a genus of large herbivorous dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of North America.
This species is one of the most easily identified dinosaur types because of the two rows of
criss-crossed scales on its back (hence the scientific name) and the two pairs of long spines on its tail
(called a thagomizer ).
Paleontologists have debated the process of compiling the scales on Stegosaurus’ back. The first opinion
says that Stegosaurus’ scales covered its back, while the second opinion says that the
scales stood upright and side by side. The generally agreed opinion is the second
opinion.
One thing that often creates misunderstandings about Stegosaurus is the cavity at the end of its
tail. In the past, paleontologists thought that the cavity contained the brain
of Stegosaurus , leading to the assumption that Stegosaurus was a smart
dinosaur because it had two brains.
However, it was later discovered that this assumption was wrong. Stegosaurus was not a very intelligent
dinosaur, having a brain the size of a golf ball and a cavity in its tail where very strong tail muscles
were attached, which it used as a means of self-defense by swinging its spiked tail as hard as possible at
its attacker.
Stegosaurus was one of the quietest dinosaurs, but attackers like Allosaurus or Saurophaganax
would have faced strong defenses from swinging tails. Stegosaurus tail spines
were over 1 meter long and could bore holes in their predators up to 90 centimeters deep.
Paleontologists once found the fossil of an Allosaurus with a pair of
hollow vertebrae. This proves that even herbivores, such as Stegosaurus
, can be deadly.
4. Triceratops
Triceratops prorsus skeleton kept at The Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County, California, United States.
Triceratops is a large, three-horned dinosaur. It can reach 9 meters in length, about 3 meters
in height, and weighs 6.5 tonnes. Short call Tritop . This
dinosaur rarely ran scared when attacked by Tyrannosaurus because it had
self-protection in the form of sharp horns.
Triceratops was once called a warrior dinosaur because the combined shape of its head and horns made it
look like a knight with a sword and shield. This title has a point, because the skin that is in
the position of the “shield” is very hard. In addition, its sharp horns can frighten
opponents.
Triceratops had three horns, two above its eyebrows and one on its nose. The length of the
skull reaches 2 meters. Triceratops had four sturdy legs to support its body.
Some experts say that Triceratops couldn’t run fast, but it could reach
speeds of at least 30 kilometers/hour. Triceratops was the last non-bird dinosaur on
earth.
The first Triceratops fossils found were the cores of its two horns. This fossil was
found in 1887 near Denver, Colorado, United States. American paleontologist, Othniel
Charles Marsh, said that it was just a fossil bull horn. However, paleontologist John Bell
Hatcher discovered a nearly complete Triceratops skull in Wyoming in 1889.
Marsh realized his mistake and named the Ceratopsida dinosaur
Triceratops . Years later, Hatcher unearthed more than 40
Triceratops bones .
5. Velociraptor
Velociraptor mongoliensis skeleton stored in the Dinosaur
Journey Museum, Colorado, United States.
Velociraptor is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period,
approximately 65–71 million years ago. Fossils have been found in Mongolia, Russia and
China. They belong to the sub-order Dromaeosaurida which were of
medium size, being about 7 feet (2.5 meters) long and 3 feet (1 meter) high and weighing around 20–60
pounds (10–20 kilograms). Like other Dromaeosaurids ,
Velociraptor’s body likely had feathers.
They used to live in groups and their attack strategy was smarter than other dinosaurs. This
makes them able to compete with other large predators that live in the same place. They use
attention grabbers to distract their prey. Additionally, they have a large, curved claw on each
foot, which they may have used to stab or tear their victims, as well as attack them with their sharp
toenails.
Velociraptor was an opportunist predator. They attack almost any animal that lives with them
by hunting in groups and relying on their keen eyesight, fast running abilities, intelligent brains and
sharp claws. Velociraptor is known to have attacked Gilmoreosaurus , a type of
Ornithopod , Protoceratops , as well as an early Ceratopsida that was 3
meters long and weighed 100 kilograms.
The Velociraptor was shown in the films Jurassic Park I, II, and III, as well as Jurassic World as an
intelligent predator that was 4 meters long and about 2 meters tall. However, what actually
appears in the film is Deinonychus , another type of Dromaeosauridae that is
3.2 meters long and only 1.5 meters high. It was doubled in size to make it look even
scarier.
So, that’s a brief explanation of some of the most popular dinosaurs that are loved by children.
sinaumedia can visit sinaumedia’s book collection at www.sinaumedia.com to get references about other
dinosaurs. The following are recommendations for sinaumedia books that Sinaumed’s can read to learn
about dinosaurs so they can learn about them in full. Happy reading.
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always present interesting articles and recommendations for the best books for Sinaumed’s.