FILE 001Dino🐣eutherian mammals and precocial birdsBone histology shows dinosaurs grew at accelerated rates versus living reptiles — large species reached rates comparable to eutherian mammals and precocial birds.SrcErickson et al., Nature (2001)Pass the claimOpen file
FILE 002Dino🦕Share22 metresBrachiosaurus had front legs longer than its hind legs — giving a giraffe-like upward tilt for browsing tall trees; NHM lists it at about 22 metres long.SrcNatural History Museum (London)
FILE 003Dino🦴Sharepermineralization and mineral replacementMost dinosaur “bones” on display are fossils formed by permineralization and mineral replacement — original bone pores and tissue swapped or infilled by silica and other minerals.SrcU.S. National Park Service
FILE 004Dino🦕Sharechestnut to reddish-brownFossilized melanosomes in Jehol theropods show Sinosauropteryx's dark tail stripes were likely chestnut to reddish-brown — not unknown color forever.SrcZhang et al., Nature (2010)
FILE 005Dino🌊Sharemarine reptilesMosasaurs dominated Late Cretaceous seas as large carnivorous marine reptiles — related to lizards and snakes, not dinosaurs.SrcNatural History Museum (London)
FILE 006Dino🏃Share0.7 metersCompsognathus is listed by the Natural History Museum at only about 0.7 meters long — one of the smallest known dinosaurs.SrcNatural History Museum (London)
FILE 007Dino🦕Sharetail clubAnkylosaurs were covered in bony armour plates, and some species also swung a heavy bony tail club.SrcNatural History Museum (London)
FILE 008Dino🦕ShareArgentinosaurusThe Natural History Museum estimates the titanosaur Argentinosaurus at about 35.0 meters long and 70,000 kilograms.SrcNatural History Museum (London)
FILE 009Dino☄️Share10–15 km wideThe asteroid that ended the non-avian dinosaurs ~66 million years ago was roughly 10–15 km wide and carved the Chicxulub crater.SrcNature Communications / PMC
FILE 010Dino🦴Share59 metric tonnesDreadnoughtus was estimated at about 59 metric tonnes (~65 short tons) when described — and the specimen may not have been fully grown.SrcScientific Reports (Lacovara et al., 2014)
FILE 011Dino🦕Shareair-filled diverticulaSauropod neck vertebrae were riddled with air-filled diverticula that lightened the skeleton — the same pneumatic design birds use.SrcProceedings of the Royal Society B
FILE 012Dino🌍Shareon every continentCryolophosaurus fossils from Antarctica were the first named non-avian dinosaur from the continent — proof dinosaurs lived on every continent.SrcU.S. Antarctic Program
FILE 013Dino🥚Shareavian brooding postureFossils show oviraptorids sitting over nests in an avian brooding posture — forelimbs around the clutch like modern birds.SrcNature (Norell et al., 1995)
FILE 014Dino🦕Share69 metric tonnesPatagotitan is estimated at about 69 metric tonnes (±17) — among the heaviest land animals ever measured from fossils.SrcProceedings of the Royal Society B (Carballido et al., 2017)
FILE 015Dino💎Sharecurled inside its eggA Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaur embryo nicknamed Baby Yingliang was found curled inside its egg in a bird-like tucking posture — a pose once thought unique to modern birds.SrciScience (Xing et al., 2021)
FILE 016Dino🐊Sharefin-like paddle tailSpinosaurus had a vertically expanded, fin-like paddle tail that generated more thrust in water than typical terrestrial dinosaur tails — direct evidence of aquatic propulsion.SrcNature (Ibrahim et al., 2020)
FILE 017Dino🔬Shareflexible soft tissue and vessel-like structuresIn 2005, researchers recovered flexible soft tissue and vessel-like structures from a ~68-million-year-old T. rex femur after dissolving the mineral matrix.SrcScience (Schweitzer et al., 2005)
FILE 018Dino🦖Share12,800 poundsAdult T. rex bite force has been estimated at up to about 12,800 pounds (≈57,000 N) at a rear tooth — among the highest figures modeled for any land animal.SrcRoyal Society Biology Letters (Bates & Falkingham, 2012)
FILE 019Dino🦖Shareserrated teeth up to 12 inches longT-Rex had serrated teeth up to 12 inches long — each one was like a steak knife.SrcAmerican Museum of Natural History