EXPLORE THE
PREHISTORIC WORLD
Millions of years ago, giants walked the Earth. Some were taller than houses. Some were covered in feathers. And some of the creatures we call dinosaurs weren't actually dinosaurs at all.
There's a whole prehistoric world waiting to be discovered.
WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH
Dinosaurs lived on Earth for an incredibly long time. Their story stretches across three major periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
But here's where the timeline gets wild.
Tyrannosaurus rex lived closer in time to humans than it did to Stegosaurus.
When we picture dinosaurs, it's easy to imagine them all roaming around together. In reality, millions upon millions of years separated some of the dinosaurs we know best.
DINOSAUR OR NOT?
Think you know a dinosaur when you see one? Some prehistoric creatures may surprise you.
PTERANODON — NOT A DINOSAUR
Pteranodon was a flying reptile called a pterosaur. Pterosaurs lived alongside dinosaurs, but they belonged to a different branch of the reptile family tree.
MOSASAURUS — NOT A DINOSAUR
Mosasaurus was a massive marine reptile. It lived in the seas during the Late Cretaceous, but it wasn't a dinosaur.
DIMETRODON — NOT A DINOSAUR
Dimetrodon wasn't just not a dinosaur. It lived tens of millions of years before the first dinosaurs appeared.
TRICERATOPS — DINOSAUR!
This one really was a dinosaur. Triceratops lived during the Late Cretaceous and was one of the last non-bird dinosaurs to roam the Earth.
BUILT FOR SURVIVAL
Dinosaurs evolved some incredible features over millions of years. From constantly replacing teeth to feathers and built-in defenses, their bodies were made to survive.
TEETH MADE TO BE REPLACED
Dinosaurs didn't have to make one set of teeth last a lifetime. Many species continually replaced worn or broken teeth, and some plant-eating dinosaurs could have hundreds of teeth ready for the job.
FEATHERS BEFORE FLIGHT
Feathers weren't exclusive to birds. Fossils show that many non-avian dinosaurs had feathers or feather-like coverings, which could serve purposes such as insulation and display.
BUILT-IN DEFENSE
Some dinosaurs carried their defenses everywhere they went. Ankylosaurs had armored bodies, and some species evolved heavy tail clubs that could deliver powerful blows.
MEET THE KING
TYRANNOSAURUS REX
T.rex wasn't just big. It was built to dominate.
Its massive skull was packed with thick, bone-crushing teeth. Scientists estimate that an adult T.rex could bite with thousands of pounds of force, enough to crush and fragment bone.
But brute strength wasn't its only advantage. T.rex had large olfactory bulbs in its brain, evidence that it had a keen sense of smell that may have helped it detect prey.
And those famous tiny arms? They were small, but powerfully muscled, with two clawed fingers. Scientists still aren't sure exactly how T.rex used them.
KEEP THE DISCOVERY GOING
Dinosaurs are full of surprises, and these are only a few of them.
Little Known Truths Dinosaur Trivia Cards bring fascinating prehistoric facts into kids' hands through 20 trivia cards featuring realistic imagery and bite-sized facts made for curious minds.
WHERE WILL YOU EXPLORE NEXT?
There's always something new to discover.
