Unusual dinosaurs. All types of dinosaurs with names, their descriptions How very beautiful dinosaurs look

Incredible Facts

Appearing about 230 million years ago, in the middle Triassic period Dinosaurs began life on earth as small carnivores that eventually evolved into thousands of different species, ranging from tiny carnivores the size of a small dog to huge plant eaters weighing over 80 tons. Although other prehistoric stars such as pterodactyls and ichthyosaurs often mate with dinosaurs, these large lizards Greek translated "dinosaur") were strictly terrestrial reptiles. They also differed from other animals in a set of unique features, such as the extension of the jaw muscles to the entire skull, which was peculiar only 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, constantly discovering more and more new specimens, below are the 10 largest, most interesting and unusual dinosaurs discovered. To begin with, let's 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 he "sings".

10. Parasaurolophus (Parasaurolophus)

Some dinosaurs amaze us with their size, others with their speed, and still others with their cruelty. This dinosaur is famous for its nasal cavity. He was not particularly large in size, did not develop great speed and had neither sharp teeth, nor long claws, nor prickly 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 fellows of the approaching danger, you do not need any of the above signs.

The herbivorous member of the hadrosaur family, however, had a distinctive feature - it had a curved crest on its head. This crest may also have been used to attract a partner or for identification, and it started from the nose and extended to the entire head. The length of the comb was 2.4 meters, and it consisted of several tubes. When the dinosaur made sounds with his "trombone", their frequency was very low, and the sounds were very similar to a siren. This so-called "infrasound" was able to travel very long distances, thus warning other members of the group of approaching danger. Combined with very good hearing and the ability to detect predators at long range, these features were all it took to be on the safe side at all times.

9. Sinornithosaurus (Sinornithosaurus)

This dinosaur, whose name stands for Chinese bird lizard, was a small turkey-like dinosaur belonging to a family of carnivores. Sinornithosaurus rose to prominence after scientists discovered in late 2009 that the feathered predator may have been "venomous" as well. While other dinosaurs only showed possible signs of the ability to inject poison into their prey, the conclusions about this dinosaur left no doubt.

Having some resemblance to other poisonous animals, for example, with snakes, these dinosaurs had a special large pointed tooth, along which the poison went. The researchers also found a special channel in the mouth of the animal, which housed the gland, where the poison accumulated, and from where it came directly to the tooth itself. The back teeth of Sinornithosaurus were shorter and wider, and were intended for chewing. It is likely that he used his fang to inject venom into prey such as birds, pterosaurs, lizards, and mammals and then eat them. This method is not much different from the tactics of the poisonous snakes that exist today.

8. Ankylosaurus (Ankylosaurus)

With a length of 10.7 meters and a weight of 3-4 tons, this dinosaur had practically no rivals equal to it during the period when it roamed the earth in the late Cretaceous period. With a back and sides covered in steel-like spikes, bony eyelids, and bony "defense mechanisms" surrounding the outside of its skull and jaws, this herbivorous dinosaur appeared to be fully armored. However, apparently this was not enough for nature, and she also rewarded him with a massive tail capable of striking, with a force of about 43,000 pounds.

Thanks to the upper tail muscle and "floating" vertebrae, his 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 a 45 kg 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 intended for chewing plants.

7. Oryctodromeus Cubicularis (Oryctodromeus Cubicularis)

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

Digging small holes and hiding in them from predators, they thus managed not only to protect themselves, but also to wait out the harsh weather. Based on remains found in Australia and Montana, researchers have concluded that Oryctodromeus, whose name translates as "den digging runner", was a true master at digging. The dinosaur had a snout that it probably used as a shovel, strong shoulder muscles, and strong thigh bones with which it burrowed underground. However, even if all this did not help him escape from a suddenly appeared predator, he would use his long, strong hind legs in order to quickly run away from danger.

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

6. Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus)

Tyrannosaurus Rex often appears as the most feared predator in dinosaur films, however, the palm in this case is borne by the spinosaurus, which is considered the largest carnivore in the world that ever existed on earth. Weighing 9.9 tons, Spinosaurus, which means "vertebral lizard" in Greek, got its name from the distinctive "fins" on its back, covered with long spines. This imposing 'sail', which could have served as a built-in thermostat, mating bait, or simply to intimidate, reached a height of 2 meters when Spinosaurus arched its back.

Another distinguishing feature of this dominant predator of its period was its 2-meter head (the longest of any known carnivore) and narrow muzzle full of knife-like teeth. While most other carnivorous dinosaurs had curved teeth, Spinosaurus had straight teeth, possibly for catching slippery prey. Based on the similarities between this prehistoric creature and the crocodile, Spinosaurus probably also grabbed its prey and twisted its head in different directions, thereby finishing it off.

5. Sauroposeidon

Although carnivores such as spinosaurs were often viewed as animals whose lives were quite difficult, since finding, eating and digesting food for a 60-ton body was not an easy task, 18 meters high and 30 meters long, Sauroposeidon, belonging to the family of carnivorous sauropods , was the tallest terrestrial animal that ever existed. Moreover, the neck alone was 11 meters long.

His physique indicated that he had to consume about a ton of vegetation daily, an almost endless work. To accomplish this "feat", the dinosaur had 52 chisel-like teeth that cut down plants in one fell swoop. He didn't even bother to chew his food, swallowing delicious vegetation, which immediately fell into a 1-ton stomach, the size of a swimming pool. Then his gastric juice, which had incredible strength and could dissolve even iron, did all the rest of the work. The dinosaur also ingested rocks that helped it digest fiber.

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

4. Deinonychus

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

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

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

3. Triceratops (Triceratops)

If any dinosaur could withstand the wrath of Deinonychus and his ilk, then this is exactly the Triceratops. A large, heavy and horned dinosaur, he was one of the most dangerous animals that lived on land. This species both attacked and defended 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. As armor, Triceratops used a 2-meter shell that protected the head and neck, which is 6 times thicker than a human skull. However, in addition to defensive characteristics, this shield also served as a body temperature regulator and to lure partners for copulation.

This "steroidal rhinoceros" was half the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex, but weighed the same - about 6 tons. The positioning of the dinosaur's limbs also provided him with significant advantages. In a straight splayed posture, the center of gravity was directed to the head, which was ideal for the strongest frontal attack.

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

2 Tyrannosaurus Rex

The most famous dinosaur in the world, Tyrannosaurus Rex has been a dominant predator for 25 million years. With very keen senses, a bite force 16 times that of a crocodile, and seven tons of pure muscle, this is one dinosaur that definitely lives up to its name, which translates to "lizard king tyrant."

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 a car. The brain of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the largest in relation to the body of an animal among the entire animal kingdom of the prehistoric period, which was well suited for analyzing information visible to the eyes. By placing the eyes 41 cm apart, Tyrannosaurus rex had excellent binocular vision and could see fine details up to 6 km away. The large olfactory bulbs in the brain of a Tyrannosaurus indicated that its sense of smell was as strong as its eyesight. According to some reports, the strength of his nose was equal to the strength of 1000 bloodhounds.

Contrary to what you may have seen in the movies, Rex couldn't run fast. Based on the ratio of the length of his femur and lower leg, he most likely developed a negligible speed when running. However, with such acute developed senses, steel jaws and dagger-sharp teeth, did he need speed?

1. Archeopteryx

Is it a bird or is it a dinosaur? It's... Archeopteryx!

A transitional link between birds and reptiles, this animal has arguably generated more controversy than any other. Moreover, the debate is so heated that until now scientists have not been able to reach a real consensus on its classification. Although his remains, first discovered in 1861, were clearly similar to feathers, similar to feathers 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.

The size of a crow, Archeopteryx had a wingspan of 0.6 meters, however, it also had the characteristics of a dinosaur, which included the presence of 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 sternum indicated that even if they did fly, they did not do so for an extended period 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.

These giants dominated our planet for more than 160 million years, but at the end of the Cretaceous they completely disappeared as a species. Until now, scientists are finding the remains of dinosaurs, which completely disappeared as a species about 66 million years ago. And even now, their size is amazing!

In total, paleontologists count more than 1000 species of dinosaurs, but only ten of them can be distinguished by a special feature. They do not have outstanding size, are not bloodthirsty, but just very strange.

10 Amargasaurus

9 Concavator

8 Cosmoceratops

7 Kulindadromeus zabaikalsky

6 Notronich

5 Oryctodromeus

4 Ganzhousaurus

3 Rhinorex

2 Stygomoloch

1 Yutyrannus

Mankind is lucky that these powerful creatures died out many millions of years ago. Even the strangest and most ridiculous of them could destroy a person with one blow.

Famous monsters like tyrannosaurs and velociraptors most likely did not look like the monsters of our imagination and certainly behaved differently. Many of us in childhood, and I speak for myself absolutely sincerely, there was a difficult period of love for dinosaurs.

And now, it turns out that much of what I knew was not true. It turns out that the modern scientific view of these things is one step away from the popular image of dinosaurs.

Until the "dinosaur renaissance" of the late 60s, dinosaurs were always depicted as sluggish and ruminant. But experts realized that the dinosaurs were active image life and gradually brought it to the general public - including with the help of "Jurassic Park" in 1993.

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed another major revolution in our understanding of dinosaurs, thanks to new fossils from China and advances in technology. But most of these findings did nothing to change the conventional wisdom about dinosaurs.

And now I understand how strongly the images of the legendary dinosaurs have ingrained themselves in my memory - since childhood. It's like considering Pluto to be a planet in the solar system.

But now you may not recognize these dinosaurs.

Velociraptor

Let's start with an idea that many have heard of but few accepted: Some dinosaurs had feathers. Not just a couple of feathers here and there, but a body completely covered with feathers.


Already in the 1980s, some paleontologists began to suspect that dinosaurs were feathered, it turns out, creatures. Increasingly, fossils of primitive dromaeosaurids - the family to which Velociraptor belongs - with fully feathered wings, have been found. Nevertheless, the depictions of this iconic predator remained fairly traditional.

That all changed in 2007, when American scientists discovered feather tubercles on the forearm bone of a fossilized Velociraptor. These tubercles are found where the feather attaches and provide strong evidence for feathered and bird-like velociraptors.

Those human-sized dinosaurs shown in Jurassic Park had nothing to do with their real ancestors.

“If animals like Velociraptor were alive today, we would immediately assume that they look like unusual birds"says Mark Norell of the American Museum of Natural History. And this is reflected not only in feathers: real Velociraptors were the size of turkeys.

Michael Crichton, author of the original Jurassic Park novel, designed his raptors in the image of the larger Deinonychus. And, apparently, he deliberately named them incorrectly, because he thought that "velociraptor" sounded more dramatic.

Archeopteryx

Archeopteryx is widely considered to be the "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds. This mysterious status attracted a lot of attention to them, and not only positive.


Accusations of forgery have plagued Archeopteryx fossils for many years, usually from people who don't like such clear proof of evolution.

In fact, new research suggests that Archeopteryx may not be the missing link, but clearly not for reasons promoted by opponents of evolution. After the discovery of a dinosaur very similar to Archeopteryx in China, scientists have speculated that the famous avian ancestor may actually have preceded small carnivorous dinosaurs like velociraptors. Since then, this version has been disputed.

Even if we consider Archeopteryx to be the first bird, this label is not true. "It's fundamentally impossible to draw a line on the evolutionary tree between dinosaurs and birds," says Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh in the UK, co-author of a 2014 study on the evolution of early birds.

Everything indicates that there was no missing link between birds and dinosaurs, but only a gradual transition involving many feathered intermediate species.

Triceratops

This T-Rex's eternal adversary and favorite model for plastic figures - who doesn't love a Triceratops?


So when John Scannella and John Horner published a paper in 2009 suggesting that Triceratops was just a juvenile version of a larger but less well-known torosaurus (Torosaurus), waves of hate hit them, followed by disappointment. The hashtag #TriceraFAIL was invented. People decided that their favorite dinosaur was just made up.

But it wasn't like that. Very soon, commentators began to point out that Triceratops had been found earlier, so if anyone should be removed, it is torosaurs. But the lesson was very important. Our knowledge of dinosaurs is often based on scarce fossils, so even known species undergo changes.

Brontosaurus

Brontosaurus gets its name from the archetypal sauropods: huge, lumbering herbivores with long necks. But for hundreds of years, scientists were sure that this dinosaur never existed.


The skeleton that was first introduced as a brontosaurus was left over from an apatosaurus with a camarosaurus skull.

However, in 2015, a team of scientists presented an analysis demonstrating significant differences between the original Brontosaurus and the fossil Apatosaurus, suggesting that the brontosaur genus should be resurrected.

The key differentiating factor, the team says, is size. In the family of giant reptiles, Apatosaurus was huge.

Tyrannosaurus rex

Some scientists have definitely defended the Tyrannosaurus Rex. After decades of excuses that it was a humble grass-eater and not the ferocious predator of popular imagination, this lizard is now facing another identity crisis.


As the feathered revolution swept paleontology, experts began to think about the genus Tyrannosaurus as well. Of course, how could the most charismatic predator of all time be feathered?

Not an ounce of plumage has been found in over 50 T. rex remains throughout North America. But along with excavations in China, very, very interesting hints were drawn.

In 2004, they found a primitive tyrannosauroid with a coat of feathers similar to those of other small predatory dinosaurs. This was followed by the discovery of Yutyrannus in 2012 - meaning "feathered tyrant". This giant predator was closely related to T. rex, and not only in terms of size. It was covered with long feathers.

These data suggest that the most famous predator of all time needs to be looked at differently. The question is, was the feathered Tyrannosaurus rex not as scary as the roaring, lawyer-eating monster we all love so much?

Stegosaurus

Experts are famous for their ability to come up with wacky explanations for the strange features of dinosaurs; explanations that creep confidently into popular opinion and stay there.


For example, it's a widely held "fact" that Stegosaurus had an extra brain in the pelvic area to compensate for the tiny brain (cerebellum?) in its small head.

But no, the stegosaurus may not have been the smartest of its friends, but it didn't need an extra brain. This extra cavity, which gave rise to the myth, most likely housed the "glycogen body": a structure found in many birds that is involved in energy storage.

He also has plates on his back.

For some time, the most popular theory was that the most distinctive feature of the Stegosaurus is…” solar panels to help regulate body temperature. But this has always been the subject of heated scientific battles. If this is indeed the case, why are other stegosaurus decorations more like spikes than panels?

The variety of Stegosaurus spines played a role in another train of thought. Like the bright and colorful plumage of tropical birds, these plates may have helped dinosaurs distinguish each other and attract mates.

sex could be key factor development of many extravagant traits seen in dinosaurs. Behind last years everything from the long necks of sauropods to the lush frills of ceratopsians began to be classified as sexual selection.

Pachycephalosaurus

And although this dinosaur is not included in the first class of legendary lizards, Pachycephalosaurus is well known among dinosaur fans for its armored head.


These dinosaurs were almost exclusively depicted as engaging in head-to-head battles. Pachycephalosaurs had domed heads with a powerful reinforced skull. It was believed that the males used these built-in battering rams to fight each other, much like the rams of today.

However, some scientists doubted that pachycephalosaurs were fighters.

"Our research showed that pachycephalosaurs could only hit their heads once and the subsequent injury could have killed them," says John Horner of the University of Montana in the US, who has studied the microstructure of dinosaur cranial tissue.

He suggests that the domes were another way to attract partners (sexual, of course, and not in business).

Ankylosaurus

Covered in thick armor plates from head to tail, the ankylosaurus was such a medieval knight of the Cretaceous period.


Modern paleontologists are using the latest technology to squeeze more and more information out of fossils. In 2004 Thorsten Scheier at the University of Bonn in Germany used polarizing microscopy to reveal remarkable new levels of complexity in the ankylosaur shell.

It turned out that the bulky-looking armor has a complex microstructure of bones and collagen, similar to the structure of fiberglass or Kevlar.

“This shell was very strong in all places,” Scheier says. And surprisingly easy. “Modern composite materials that are used to create wind farm blades or bulletproof vests are based on the same principle.”

It looks like the ankylosaurus looked more like a modern-day super-soldier than a medieval knight.

Spinosaurus

Another dinosaur that became famous thanks to the movie Jurassic Park is the Spinosaurus: in the film, he fought with the Tyrannosaurus Rex.


It's easy to see why the filmmakers' choice fell on Spinosaurus. At 15.2 meters long, it is 2.7 meters longer than a Tyrannosaurus rex. It also had a long and fearsome jaw and a bizarre "sail" protruding from its back.

Spinosaurus has always been a mysterious dinosaur known only from skeletal fragments found in the deserts of North Africa. But in 2014, a group of archaeologists led by Nizar Ibrahim of the University of Chicago in Illinois announced the discovery of new remains. These fossils seem to confirm what has long been suspected: Spinosaurus is the only aquatic dinosaur.

Ibrahim's analysis revealed a creature with small hind limbs, more suitable for swimming than land hunting. It also had a long crocodile-like snout and a bony microstructure similar to that of the bones of other aquatic vertebrates.

“Working on this animal was like studying an alien from space,” says Ibrahim. "This dinosaur is unlike any other."

Bonus: pterosaurs

This point doesn't really count since pterosaurs weren't dinosaurs, a fact that is periodically overlooked.


Many of us are familiar with the name "pterodactyl". But that name hides many groups of flying reptiles that are collectively referred to as "pterosaurs." And this group was just huge.

At one end of the spectrum we find Nemycolopterus, a tiny pterosaur with a wingspan of 25 centimeters (10 inches). There are also bigger creatures: azhdarchids. When they spread their wings, their wingspan was a whopping 10 meters. If so judged, they were the largest flying animals of all time.

Dinosaurs, which in Greek means - terrible (terrible) lizards (lizards), are a superorder of aboveground vertebrates that existed and led an active lifestyle throughout mesozoic era. Dinosaurs are considered the first vertebrates that settled throughout the planet, while their ancestors - amphibians were forced to live only near water bodies, to which they were tied due to the specifics of reproduction. The finds of the first representatives of dinosaurs date back to 225 million years BC. e. During the history of its existence, which lasted for 160 million years, this superorder multiplied extremely, giving a huge number of varieties. Scientists assume that the number of genera of dinosaurs at the time of the peak of their prosperity could reach 3400, although so far, as of 2006, only 500 of them have been confidently described. Each genus had an indefinite number of species. As of 2008, 1047 varieties of these ancient vertebrates have been described. And at the moment, as a result of new archaeological discoveries, this number is increasing.

On the border of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, a certain global upheaval occurred, which served mass extinction of dinosaurs, after which only miserable units remained from the reptiles that dominated throughout the Mesozoic.

Classification of dinosaurs according to the method of pelvic bones

Dinosaurs can be classified in different ways. It is convenient for someone, due to the specifics of their works and literary works, to sort the ancient vertebrates of the Cretaceous period by size, for someone according to their habitat, since at that time there were aquatic reptiles, and land and aeronautical. Someone prefers to divide dinosaurs into bipeds and quadrupeds. But the main accepted form of classification is classification of dinosaurs according to the method of pelvic bones, proposed back in 1887 by the famous English paleontologist G. Seeley.

Rice. 1 - Classification of dinosaurs

Despite the fact that the ancestors of all dinosaurs without exception is considered a group of ancient reptiles archosaurs, at the beginning of the Triassic, their development went in different ways. Since that time it has happened division of reptiles according to the principle of the structure of the pelvis on the:

• lizards;
• ornithischian.

But this does not at all mean that all lizards originated from lizards, and birds from ornithischians. These are conditional names associated only with the fact that in lizards the pubic bones of the pelvis were initially directed forward, in the manner of the current crocodiles, while in ornithischians they were directed backwards, in the manner of a bird.

In appearance, it would be difficult to determine to which group this or that dinosaur belongs. These groups differ much more clearly in the structure of the jaws. Lizards possessed jaws, the rows of teeth in which were located strictly along the edges in one row, reaching the tip of the muzzle. All teeth had a conical or chisel-like shape and each was located in its own separate cell. Ornithischians had lower jaws ending in the anterior part with a predentary bone. Often had no teeth in the front and the upper jaw. Often, the front part of ornithischian dinosaurs simply looked like a massive horny turtle beak.

Lizard dinosaurs

Lizard dinosaurs(Fig. 2) were subdivided into:

• theropods- appeared on the borders of the Cretaceous and Jurassic and are the largest representatives of predatory carnivorous reptiles that existed until the end of the Cretaceous period and the global cataclysm that caused the mass extinction of species.
• Sauropodomorphs- also originated in the late Triassic, some of which were the most gigantic creatures in the entire history of the Earth. All of them were herbivorous and, in turn, were subdivided into two more subgroups, namely, prosauropods living in the Late Triassic - Early Jurassic and later and developed sauropods that replaced them closer to the middle Jurassic.

Rice. 2 - Lizard dinosaur

Theropods were mostly bipedal predators, but there were also omnivores among them, for example, such as therizinosaurus or ornithomimids. Some of the theropods, such as the Spinosaurus, reached 15 meters in height. These predatory representatives of the lizards had three advantages over other dinosaurs, which consisted in:

• extreme agility and speed of movement;
• unusually developed vision;
• freedom of the front paws, since they ran on two unusually developed hind legs, and thus they could freely perform any other functions with their front legs.

Gigantic growth often had detrimental consequences for theropods. For example, a Tyrannosaurus rex, catching up with its prey, had to be very careful when running, because with its impressive dimensions (one hind limb reached a height of 4 meters), any wrong step, any bump or uneven ground could cause a fall, which often led to tangible, and sometimes fatal injuries. In its turn, theropods are classified on the:

• coelurosaurs, small and nimble bird-like pangolins such as ornithomims and velociraptors;
• carnosaurs, predators of large sizes, examples of which were the already mentioned tyrannosaurus and allosaurus.

Sauropodomorphs were the owners of the sacral brain, which exceeded the head in size by 20 times. Despite their huge weight and size, they became frequent victims of predatory dinosaurs. The huge size of these ancient reptiles was the result of the buildup of intestinal mass necessary for the digestion of hard-leaved plants. As a result, along with the stomach, the rest of the body was forced to increase in size. Examples of such lizards were camarosaurs, giraffatitans, brachiosaurs, etc.

Let's take a closer look at theropods using the example of one of the most numerous predators of that Middle Jurassic - allosaurus(Fig. 3). On average, these predators reached 3.5 meters in height at the withers and 8.5 meters in length from muzzle to tail. Their habitat was the North American, South European and East African parts of the ancient mainland Pangea.

Rice. 3 - Allosaurus

Allosaurus had a fairly large skull, their jaws were equipped with a huge number of sharp teeth. In order to balance the body when moving, in contrast to the massive head, there was an equally massive tail, with which the animal often knocked its victims down. A massive head often served the same purpose. Compared to other large terrapods, allosaurs were relatively small, but this gave them more maneuverability and mobility. There is also evidence that large dinosaurs such as some representatives of sauropods, like brontosaurs and thyrophores, like stegosaurus, they hunted in a herd way, like today's wolves. Although many scientists are skeptical that these animals could coexist in packs. In their opinion, for this they had too primitive mental development and extremely strong ferocity and aggressiveness.

Ornithischian dinosaurs

Despite their name, scientists proved that it was not they, but the lizard-hipped dinosaurs that later became avian ancestors. But, returning to ornithischian dinosaurs(Fig. 4), note that they classified into two main suborders, namely:

• thyreophores;
• cerapods.

Rice. 4 - Ornithischian dinosaur

TO thyreophores include such herbivorous dinosaurs as ankylosaurs and stegosaurus. A distinctive feature of these lizards was that their body was partially covered with shell armor, and there were huge shield-like growths on their backs.

In discharge cerapods includes marginocephalians, such as ceratopsians and pachycelosaurs, and all ornithopods, the most massive representative of which was iguanodon(Fig. 5).

Iguanodons had their peak of distribution in the first half of the Cretaceous, and inhabited vast expanses of the European, North American, Asian and African parts of Pangea. 12-meter and 5-ton iguanodons moved on two massive hind legs, in front of the muzzle they had a massive beak, with which they plucked the plants they needed. Next came rows of teeth, more similar to those of iguanas, only much larger.

Rice. 5 - Iguanodon

The forelimbs of Iguanodons were a quarter of the size shorter than the hind limbs. The thumbs were equipped with spikes, with which the animal defended itself from predators. The most mobile of the fingers of the forelimbs were the little fingers. It should be noted that iguanodons could not run, their hind limbs were adapted only for unhurried walking, which is why they often became victims of such predators as allosaurs, tyrannosaurs, etc. The hind limbs had three fingers, like current chickens, and their spine and massive tail were supported by strong tendons.

Dinosaur Classification Problems Today

Many scientists insist that a large number of previously described dinosaurs did not exist, since some of the described varieties were nothing more than twins of previously described species. The difference between them consisted, allegedly, only in the fact that they were either at an earlier or at a later stage of development. Also, a fairly large group of scientists insists that about 50% of all dinosaurs found were classified and named incorrectly.

Thus, the current paleontologists are divided into two camps. While some continue to further divide the bulk of the found remains of ancient reptiles into all new species based on the identified both significant and not very distinguishing features, others even doubt the correctness of the species described earlier.

All dinosaurs are unusual in their own way, because for modern man these animals are a complete exotic and curiosity. But among them there are absolutely breathtaking specimens that amaze the imagination with their size, cruelty or rage, and sometimes cause an involuntary smile to appear on their faces. It is these creatures that will be discussed below.

This unusual animal existed about 76 million years ago. Parasaurolophus belonged to the order of duck-billed dinosaurs, which were named for their characteristic appearance. An outstanding feature of this creature, which distinguishes it from all other relatives, was the modified nasal bones of the skull, which turned into long hollow tubes, curving far behind the head. The tubular scallop made the muzzle of the parasaurolophus not scary and even funny, which was quite true, given the exclusively plant-based diet of the huge “vegetarian”.

During exhalation, the animal could close the nasal passages with special bridges and pass air through hollow bone outgrowths. At the same time, a loud trumpet sound was heard, reminiscent of the sound of large wind instruments. Paleontologists suggest that through such unusual "songs" parasaurolophus could communicate with each other, transmit signals of danger, challenge each other to a duel, or attract partners with "serenades" during mating season. Judging by the anatomy of this chordate, the circulation of air inside the tubular nasal bones could serve as a kind of "air conditioner", cooling the giant's overheated brain in the heat. In addition, the crest protected the head from blows from branches while running in the middle of a dense forest.

This dinosaur holds the title of the largest carnivorous creature that ever existed on the planet. The weight of the reptile reached almost 20 tons in adulthood. Only the outgrowths on the back, forming a kind of crest, towered a couple of meters. It is for the presence of such a crest that this creepy monster got its name, which translates as "vertebral lizard." This spinal appendage had several functions: it served as a cooling chamber for the spinal cord, frightened opponents, and was the main decoration of the male looking for a mate for procreation.

Scientists are sure that the body of the spinosaurus - perfect body killer predator. While most dinosaurs of that period had curved teeth, those of Spinosaurus resembled sharp, even knives, allowing them to catch even the most slippery and nimble prey. After the victim hit the teeth, the monster began to sharply turn its head from side to side, releasing life from the captured animal in a few seconds. The victims who fell into this mouth did not have the slightest chance of salvation.

The Spinosaurus was engaged in the extraction of food not only on land, it attacked fish in deep-sea rivers and on the coast of the seas, therefore, the huge predator suffered from the irrepressible appetite and aquatic life, and land creatures.

The first voiced hypothesis that birds evolved from dinosaurs was met aggressively at the time. But many years later, more weighty arguments were found in the form of the skeleton of Epidexipteryx, which was first mistaken for the remains of a feathered one. A detailed study baffled paleontologists, since this animal had all the signs of dinosaurs, but, at the same time, it had plumage. An unusual short dinosaur, close in size to a modern pigeon, weighed only 160 g. The name "epidexipteryx" is translated as "showing feathers."

Having carefully studied the structure of the remains, paleontologists came to the conclusion that Epidexipteryx could not fly, most likely, feathers performed the function of protecting the skin from cold and heat. The plumage was unevenly focused on different parts body and had a pronounced bright color, which made the animal noticeable in the era of faded green, brown and gray fauna. Particularly prominent were four unusual feathers in the tail, which are very different in structure from modern ones, since they consist of filamentous formations without a central axial shaft. The functions of such a tail were to coordinate movements while moving along the branches and attract the opposite sex, greedy for bright plumage.

If the previous representative of dinosaurs, when discovered, could be mistaken for a bird, then this one would have passed for an insect. Imagine that fossil dinosaur can be 50mm long, really hard. Longisquama has unusual appendages on its back, resembling hockey sticks in shape. Their length reaches 12 cm, which exceeds the length of the entire body. These dorsal appendages are formed by modified scales covering the back.

Unusual education and its purpose caused a lot of controversy among professionals. Over the years, a version has been developed that the outgrowths of this creature were needed for passive flight. Leaping from a hill or a tree, longiskwams could slowly plan down, while the predator that hunted them remained on same place hungry. Perhaps it was thanks to such an adaptation that miniature "parachutists" were able to live on Earth for about 11 million years. Despite their tiny size, longisquams were predators, eating smaller insects, which they found in abundance on the canopy of trees, where they lived most of their lives.

The unusual appearance of this animal makes directors and producers make Pteranodon the protagonist of many feature films or documentaries about the prehistoric period and the era of dinosaurs. These animals actually look spectacular, but, unlike the aggressive cinematic image, the Pteranodon was an exceptionally peaceful and harmless creature that ate only the fish it caught. There were not even the rudiments of teeth in the beak, so the winged creature simply swallowed unchewed food, which was smoothly digested in the stomach for many hours.

The wingspan of the Pteranodon reached up to 7 meters, and scientists suggest that the flight speed with such parameters was impressive. He had to eat well to provide himself with the energy he needed to fly. It is not known whether this creature would be completely safe for humans, as scientists note the great impact force of the wings and the high power of the beak, with which Pteranodon could easily break even a thick sea shell. It is likely that when meeting with potentially a dangerous person the animal could be the first to go on the offensive and kill the enemy with one blow.

The animal that was the first to appreciate all the delights of life on trees, where predators and enemies cannot get through, is the epidendrosaurus. Something in it resembles birds, but the unusual forelimbs are more like claws. Such an unusual shape appeared for a reason: the third finger lengthened over many centuries until it became convenient enough to quickly and easily get larvae and small insects from the deepest and thinnest crevices in the bark of trees.

This representative of the prehistoric fauna lived approximately 160 million years ago, his remains were found in China in 2002. Now scientists cannot give a definite answer whether the bones found belonged to a cub or an adult creature. Perhaps the following finds will shed light on this. But so far it is unambiguously clear that the epidendrosaurus has become an important step towards the appearance of the very first birds on earth.

Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, which is facilitated by a memorable appearance: on its back and tail there are characteristic plates that make up a huge crest. With such outstanding parameters, he was forced to constantly eat to ensure nutrients huge body. Its length reached 9 meters, and the food consisted exclusively of grass, so the supply of calories had to be replenished constantly. For this reason, the main and invariable occupation of the stegosaurus was the search and grinding of grass.

But something else is unusual about him. With such impressive parameters, the brain of this herbivore weighed only 70 g, which was 0.002% of the total weight. If we compare this parameter with a human one, then a person has it 940 times more. Because of this, Stegosaurus has earned the title of the most stupid dinosaur. Apparently, in the Jurassic period, the mind was not a very popular quality, since the stegosaurus was able to successfully exist for 10 million years, and at the same time lived and reproduced well.

Unlike its stupid brother Troodon got the title of the smartest dinosaur. An unusual creature grew to average human parameters - 1.5-2 meters, and just as deftly skillfully moved on its hind limbs. Paleontologists believe that on the run, the Troodon developed a very high speed, in which a person would be far behind them. Judging by the cranium, the size of the brain is comparable to the size of modern primates, which was absolutely incredible in the Jurassic period.

Despite their rather modest size for that time, these animals were dexterous hunters, because they possessed many things that are important in the hunting process: quick wit, excellent eyesight and long tenacious fingers on the front limbs. After the prey was reached, the predator lifted it up and threw it against the stone with force.

The level of intelligence of the Troodon allowed them to hunt in packs, driving the prey from one group to another. At the same time, they developed a peculiar way of communication, vaguely reminiscent of the beginnings of speech. In addition, these smart animals were able to use tools for hunting, which also indicates high intelligence. Scientists believe that if evolution had not led to the extinction of dinosaurs, Troodon could have developed to the level of current people and even surpass them. That is why troodons are considered the most intelligent dinosaurs in existence.

At the moment, the tallest animal on earth is the giraffe: its height reaches 6 meters. Sauroposeidon could contemptuously look at this "short man", since his height was three times greater. This giant weighed 60 tons, and the body length from head to tail was 30 meters. To feed himself, he had to eat a ton of grass and leaves every day, so he chewed all the time throughout his life, lasting about a hundred years, interrupted only by sleep and reproduction. Nature did not provide any defense mechanisms against enemies to Sauroposeidon, compensating for everything with growth.

It was more difficult for the cubs, since they did not have a size advantage. In one clutch of the female, there were about a hundred eggs, but only 3-4 specimens survived to adulthood from the hatched cubs. Education was not included in the list of virtues of Sauroposeidons, so the cubs grew up on their own, trying to survive and protect themselves from daily dangers, and upon reaching puberty they were accepted into the herd.

This is an unusual and very beautiful animal that looks like a real fashionista among creepy and often unsightly creatures. charms appearance gives a horned collar around the head, crowned with six symmetrical large spikes. Styracosaurus was a herbivore, but his life from this did not proceed calmly and resignedly. In the course of a fight or a fight with a predator, the collar spikes could break off, and this was a significant loss, since the long and sharp outgrowths attracted females. In addition, the larger and more beautiful the collar was, the higher the position of the animal in the herd.

On the nose of the styracosaurus was a huge horn, which gives this creature a resemblance to a rhinoceros. Not only the horn, but also the parameters of the body are somewhat reminiscent of this contemporary. The bone horn grew up to 60 cm in length and reached a diameter of 15 cm. It came in handy when larger predators attacked the peaceful and calm styracosaurus.