10 Fascinating Dinosaur Facts: From Their Origins to Extinction Insights

In addition to the names and characteristics of dinosaurs, there are many other interesting facts that you need to know:

1. Origin of the Name “Dinosaur”

The word “dinosaur” was coined by Sir Richard Owen in 1842. The word comes from the Greek “deinos” meaning “terrible” or “very large”, and “sauros” meaning “lizard”. So, “dinosaur” literally means “terrible giant”.

2. Dinosaurs and Birds

Modern research shows that birds are direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs. This means that technically, birds are dinosaurs that are still alive today. Some dinosaurs such as Velociraptor even had primitive feathers.

3. Dinosaur size

Dinosaurs had a very wide size range. The smallest, such as Compsognathus, was only the size of a chicken. At the same time, it is estimated that the largest one, such as Argentinosaurus, is up to 30-40 meters long and weighs 80-100 tons.

4. The Mind of Edinburgh

Some dinosaurs, especially from the theropod group such as Velociraptor and Troodon, are considered to have a very high level of intelligence. They may have had the ability to hunt in groups and use elaborate strategies.

5. Color Dinosaur

For many years, the color of dinosaurs could only be guessed. However, the discovery of fossils with preserved pigments has provided information about the coloration of some species. For example, Sinosauropteryx is thought to have had a feathered tail with a striped pattern.

6. Dinosaur extinction

The most widely accepted theory about the extinction of the dinosaurs is the impact of a large asteroid that hit the Earth about 66 million years ago. However, some scientists argue that other factors such as volcanic activity played a role in this mass extinction.