Some Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period

Tyrannosaurus (say tie-RAN-oh-SAW-rus)
The name means 'tyrant lizard'. It is probably the most famous of all the dinosaurs!

Tyrannosaurus lived about 65 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period (not the Jurassic as many people think).
Tyrannosaurus was a fierce carnivore (meat-eater) that stood up to 5 metres tall. It was about 14 metres long and weighed up to 5 tonnes.

Tyrannosaurus was the largest of the 'lizard-hipped' carnivorous dinosaurs in the group known as theropods. It was a fierce predator with a powerful tail, large head and tiny arms. It walked on its two back legs.

Tyrannosaurus had a massive mouth with 1.2 metre long jaws. When it opened its mouth wide, the gap was 1 metre. The jaws had huge, curved serrated teeth. Serrated means they were not smooth, but had grooves that made them sharper for cutting, not chewing. Tyrannosaurus swallowed its prey in huge chunks, probably able to gulp about 70 kgs in one swallow.

The front arms were small and two-fingered, but were probably extremely strong. They were too short to reach the mouth, but were probably used as meat hooks. Fossils show that Tyrannosaurus fought each other, as there are clear tooth marks as evidence.

Fossils have been found in the USA, Canada and East Asia (Mongolia). Until 1902, only small bits of fossils were found. Altogether, there have been about 20 Tyrannosaurus skeletons found, though only 3 had complete skulls.

Anatotitan (say an-AT-oh-TITE-an)
Its name means 'Giant Duck'. It lived about 67 to 65 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period.

Anatotitan was a 'bird-hipped' dinosaur from the group known as the duck-billed dinosaurs or hadrosaurs. The front of the jaw formed a long, wide beak, with hundreds of teeth at the back lining the cheeks.

Anatotitan had long, powerful back legs with three hoof-like toes. It had small front limbs, with a mitten-like covering on its hands. It stood on all fours to graze, but it could rear up on its hind legs. It had a strong tail and neck.

It was about 13 metres long and weighed up to 5 tonnes.Fossils have been found in the USA.

Parasaurolophus (say PA ruh SAW rul oh fuss)
It lived about 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period.

Parasaurolophus is a member of a group of duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs. Some hadrosaurs, like Parasaurolophus, had large, hollow crests on their heads and are known as lambeosaurs.

Palaeontologists are not sure what the crest was used for. Some believe it was a way they could recognise each other. However, the crest is full of passages that connect with the respiratory system, suggesting that it was a way the animal coped with heat. Others believe that the passages in the crest help echo the sounds the animal made.

Torosaurus (say TOR-oh-SAW-rus)
The name means 'Bull lizard'. Torosaurus was a 'bird-hipped' dinosaur from the group known as the horn-faced dinosaurs, or ceratopsians.

It was up to 8 metres long, weighing about 7 tonnes. It was a herbivore (plant-eater), and was apparently quite sociable. It had a powerful beak that could deal with tough vegetation, including branches. Its back legs were longer than its front legs.

Its skull was 2.6 metres long, including its long crest. It is the largest known skull of any land animal. It had two horns on its forehead, probably for defence and to house huge muscles needed for eating tough vegetation. There are two holes in the crest that would have been covered with skin. When the animal was courting a partner, excitement would have flushed the skin over the holes a bright red, so the crest was probably for attracting partners and put off opponents.

Fossils have been found in the USA and Canada.

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If you use any part of this, acknowledge it in your bibliography like this:
The Age of Dinosaurs (2002). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

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updated August 2006