Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs were a diverse group of reptiles that dominated Earth for over 160 million years, from the Late Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) until their sudden decline at the end of the Cretaceous period (about 66 million years ago).
🦕 What Dinosaurs Were
Dinosaurs weren’t just giant lizards—they were a unique branch of reptiles with upright limbs, allowing them to move more efficiently than many animals of their time. They included everything from small, bird-like hunters to enormous long-necked plant-eaters.
🦖 Two Main Groups
- Saurischians (“lizard-hipped”)
Theropods: Mostly meat-eaters like T. rex and Velociraptor; also the ancestors of today’s birds.
Sauropodomorphs: Huge, long-necked herbivores such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.
- Ornithischians (“bird-hipped”)
Plant-eaters with varied body shapes, including armored dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus, horned dinosaurs like Triceratops, and duck-billed dinosaurs like Hadrosaurus.
🌍 How They Lived
Dinosaurs filled almost every kind of environment—forests, floodplains, and even deserts. They had complex social behaviors; some nested in colonies, some cared for their young, and others likely lived in herds.
☄️ The End of the Dinosaurs
Most dinosaurs went extinct due to a massive event—likely a combination of a huge asteroid impact and intense volcanic activity—which drastically changed Earth’s climate. However, one group survived: birds, the direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs.
🐦 Dinosaurs Today
Every sparrow, ostrich, or penguin is technically a living dinosaur. So while T. rex is gone, their evolutionary line still thrives.