1Giants of the Prehistoric World
Millions of years ago, the Earth was a very different place, ruled by incredible creatures known as dinosaurs. These amazing reptiles lived during the Mesozoic Era, long before the first humans ever walked the planet. While we often think of them as huge monsters, they were incredibly diverse. Some were true giants, like the Argentinosaurus, which weighed as much as 15 African elephants! On the other end of the scale, some dinosaurs were surprisingly small; the Microraptor was only about the size of a crow and had wings on both its arms and legs.
2Not All Dinosaurs Were Hunters
When we see dinosaurs in movies, they are often shown as scary meat-eaters like the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, the majority of dinosaurs were actually peaceful herbivores, meaning they only ate plants. These plant-eaters used different tools to survive: some had long necks to reach the tops of tall trees, while others had rows of hundreds of teeth to grind up tough ferns. Some dinosaurs were even built for speed, like the Gallimimus, which could sprint as fast as a modern racehorse to escape from predators.
3Solving the Fossil Mystery
Since no human was around to take a photo of a living dinosaur, scientists called paleontologists act like history detectives. They search for fossils, which are the remains or impressions of prehistoric life preserved in rock. When a dinosaur died, its bones were sometimes buried quickly by mud or sand. Over millions of years, minerals seeped into the bones, turning them into stone. By carefully excavating these fossils, scientists can determine how heavy a dinosaur was, what it ate, and even if it had feathers or scales!
