
Dinosaurs were some of the most fascinating creatures to ever walk the Earth, and there’s still so much to learn about them! For example, did you know that some dinosaurs had feathers? While we often imagine them with scaly skin, many species—especially those closely related to birds—were covered in feathers. This discovery helped scientists realize that modern birds are actually distant relatives of dinosaurs!
Another fun fact is that not all dinosaurs were giants. While the Argentinosaurus could grow over 100 feet long, some dinosaurs were as small as a chicken! The Microraptor, for instance, was a tiny, feathered dinosaur that could glide between trees. So, dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes, not just the huge, stomping beasts we see in movies.
Dinosaurs also had some very unusual features. The Stegosaurus had a brain the size of a walnut—even though its body was the size of a van! The Ankylosaurus had a tail like a giant club, which it could swing to protect itself from predators. And the mighty T. rex had a super strong bite—stronger than any land animal alive today—but tiny little arms that scientists still find puzzling.
Believe it or not, dinosaurs didn’t all live at the same time. The Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods spanned millions of years, and some dinosaurs lived so far apart in time that they would have never met. So, a Stegosaurus and a T. rex never actually walked side by side! Dinosaurs ruled the planet for over 165 million years, and their fossilized bones continue to teach us cool things about Earth’s ancient past.