The smallest dinosaurs. The smallest dinosaurs The weakest dinosaur in the world

Life publishes a rating of prehistoric giants compiled by Stepan Savelyev. This Moscow schoolboy became famous after his mother published a post on social networks asking him to support her son and like his posts. The fact is that his classmates called the boy a “loser” because he is interested in dinosaurs and does not play computer games, like everyone else. As a result, Styopa instantly became a star on the Runet and federal television channels. Life invited Styopa to try out as a freelance writer.

"I analyzed 10 dinosaurs that managed to distinguish themselves in some way. I hope no one will be offended that I allowed myself to joke a little."

1. Spinosaurus

Most big predator. It is easy to recognize by the sail that grows on its back. This sail reached 2-4 meters in height! Probably, if desired, Spinosaurus could become a hang glider! The spinosaurus was 16 meters long, 5-8 meters high, and weighed from 4 to 14 tons. Its long jaw allowed it to hunt fish and other aquatic inhabitants. During periods of drought, he ate other dinosaurs and did not disdain carrion. This comrade also managed to appear in films and cartoons. It was he who defeated the Tyrannosaurus in Jurassic Park 3.

Recommendation: if you put it on a chain and put it on a huge raft, then its sail will help it go on the right course, especially if it is turned in the right direction with the help of the stern. And if this sail is painted red, then you can at the same time remove “Scarlet Sails” in dinoversion. A sort of Godzilla from the ocean under scarlet sails.

2. Tyrannosaurus rex

Probably the most famous dinosaur in the world. In total, more than 30 individuals were found, including almost complete skeletons. This is a very large predator, reaching 13 meters in length and 4 meters in height, weighing almost 7 tons. He ran quite fast with such a weight - his speed was from 40 to 70 km per hour. A real car! At the same time, he was quite nasty and harmful in character. He is a cannibal, which means he ate his own kind.

True, you can laugh at him (from a distance, of course): he had very short front legs, like a crocodile from a cartoon about bad teeth. So, most likely, his teeth also hurt; he was unlikely to be able to brush them.

3. Torosaurus

My favorite dinosaur with one of the largest skulls. But I love him not only for this. It was found for the first time quite a long time ago, back in the 19th century. Its size was about 8 meters, and the skull was 3 meters long, that is, more than a third of the entire dinosaur was the head. This means he could be very smart! It was quite heavy. Herbivorous. And he also managed to appear in “Jurassic Park 3.” Torosaurus has a beak that helps it deftly bite leaves and branches. It was not aggressive in itself, but could defend itself well, having very large and strong horns. Not every predator would dare to contact a torosaurus - who wants to become a victim of a dinocorrida? Torosaurus also had a large bony collar, larger in size than Triceratops, which is similar in appearance to Torosaurus. Confused yet?

Recommendation: Due to its non-aggression and intelligence, it can be used as a large pet. For example, how some people keep elephants. Surely you can teach him some tricks and then perform with him.

4. Stegosaurus

A dinosaur with a very small brain, only about the size of Walnut! This is a very beautiful and unusual dinosaur. This is a common combination of beauty and intelligence for those times. It has plates on its back that helped it cool or heat its body. Some scientists think that he could move these plates like a butterfly's wings. It was a little short of the length of a tyrannosaurus, it was about 9 meters in length, and weighed about four and a half tons. Stegosaurus was a herbivore, usually grazing like a cow. He didn't give me milk. But his hind legs were stronger than his front legs, so he could pluck trees in search of food. Despite the fact that he was a herbivore, he was quite dangerous - there were spikes on his tail, and a blow from such a tail could be fatal for many dinosaurs! It is said that its plates could be painted in very bright colors. To attract the attention of female dinosaurs, and vice versa. In fact, scientists still don’t know what color dinosaurs actually were, so we can only fantasize.

5. Allosaurus

This is one of the first dinosaurs found. His remains were discovered back in the 19th century, in 1877. This is also a movie star dinosaur, just like the Tyrannosaurus rex. He starred in the movie " lost World"(based on the novel by K. Doyle) and "A Sound of Thunder" (based on the novel by R. Bradbury). Allosaurus is a predatory and very big dinosaur. It is quite dangerous, but is smaller in size than the Tyrannosaurus rex and much lighter. He moved faster. It reached 9-10 meters in length, and its front legs were also small, like those of a tyrannosaurus, although longer. On his front paws he had three large and very dangerous dirty claws. It was dangerous for male allosaurus to quarrel with their females: they could scratch out their eyes. Interesting fact: Allosaurus could breathe like birds, not exhaling air from the mouth, but blowing it through special holes in the vertebrae. Unusual technical solution, but this helped him pursue prey for a long time without losing his breath. Which, as it were, never happened.

Recommendation: given the excellent physical fitness and the presence of special holes, it can be used to participate in a marathon race. True, he will have to release prey ahead, which he will pursue. It is unlikely that it will be possible to come to an amicable agreement with him. There's also a problem with the brain.

6. Argentinosaurus

One of the largest dinosaurs found. Its length is from 22 to 35 meters, and its height is 12-14 meters. Like a five-story building! Can you imagine? This “meat house” weighed about 70-75 tons. How much does the first American reusable transport vehicle weigh? spaceship Enterprise. Of course, it is impossible to feed such a monster with meat. He was a herbivore - he ate grass, leaves, twigs. Really, honey? Naturally, given his size, few could pose a danger to him at all, except that small predators, like piranhas, could swoop down on him in a flock and gnaw him. He wouldn’t have had time to run away from them, but he could have fought off for a long time, especially if the flock had been small. He did not move very quickly and on four legs; they were powerful and identical, like those of an elephant.

7. Seismosaurus

One of the longest dinosaurs. Reached a length of 50 meters. He is also one of the heaviest dinosaurs. Its weight reached 140 tons! It's like the E-100 tank, for those who understand. This cutie ate grass and leaves. He had a very Long neck and a oh-oh-very long tail. In general, this dinosaur walked on four legs almost parallel to the ground. Of course he couldn't climb hind legs, but could raise his neck upward to get to higher leaves, when he had already eaten everything below. Nobody messed with such a dinosaur, so he himself was not dangerous, and few people attempted to kill him. The main thing here is not to get caught in his paws or tail. If he wandered into a swampy area, he could get stuck, so he mostly wandered on land, sometimes reaching the surface of swamps and lakes, and could not even climb into forests due to his size. Poor!

8. Apatosaurus

Dinosaur with two names and the most big amount mistakes while studying. Scientists gave him someone else's name and attributed someone else's head. Skulls of herbivorous dinosaurs are rarely preserved because the bones of such skulls are usually small and decay more quickly. Its middle name is Brontosaurus. A very large dinosaur. Reached a length of 20 meters and weighed about 17- 20 tons. But at the same time, his brain weighed only 400 grams. Not the smartest dinosaur. But he could stand on his hind legs, which is all for dinosaurs with such a long neck. e -still a rarity. Apatosaurus lived in packs.They had a rather long neck and a long tail.They walked, lifting him off the ground, otherwise the comrades walking behind could push him away.

9. Eorpator

One of the earliest dinosaurs. Lived during the Triassic period almost 230 million years ago. He was very small, only 1 meter in length, and weighed only 10 kilograms. Almost like a dog. He was a predator, so, of course, it’s better not to keep one like that as a pet.

10. Compsognathus

One of the smallest dinosaurs. This baby was less than a meter long, usually 60-70 centimeters, and weighed up to 3 kilograms. Like a cat. True, he has more teeth than a cat - 68! It’s clear that you don’t need so many teeth to chew grass. It was a predator. Very harmful, like any small predators. Given its small size, it needed to live in a pack. One by one chances for good hunting These kids don’t have much, and it’s more fun to defend yourself in a crowd. It ate lizards and insects. He had a very mobile neck, like an owl’s, he could rotate it in a very large radius. A long tail helped him keep his balance when running fast. He ran on two hind legs, his front legs were short. He probably used them to hold his prey while eating, like a hamster. These little buggers also took part in Jurassic Park 2. The man was eaten. Mercenary.

13-18 meters

The largest land predatory dinosaur that lived on the planet 112 million years ago. Spinosaurus is not only the largest, but also the most dangerous land predator, which managed to wreak terror mainly in the territory of the current North Africa. According to available data, two skeletons dangerous creature were also found in Egypt and Morocco. Based on archaeological finds, its back was covered with long spines, approximately 10 times the diameter of its vertebrae. The length varies from 1.5 to 1.7 meters. Most likely, the spines allowed the “predator” to regulate its body temperature. Thus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur is not the Tyrannosaurus Rex at all. Modern paleontologists are sure that with the help of their “sails” spinosaurs scared away other predators. Although, based on its size, this creature had no enemies on land. The weight of representatives of the spinosauridae family ranged from 7 to 21 tons with a height of up to 4.5 meters.

The name for the representatives of this family of dinosaurs was invented by Savage in 1873 after the discovery of a small number of remains of the creature - 3 teeth of 7 centimeters each. Later it turned out that the paleontologist managed to find the remains of the largest marine dinosaur, Liopleurodon, in Northern France. It is known that the reptile also lived in the territory of present-day Germany and England. The viviparous species had first-class protection - very strong bone plates under the skin. The maximum length of teeth found throughout the entire existence of the planet is 30 centimeters. Most likely, the largest representative of the genus reached 20 meters in length.

It's about about the largest aquatic dinosaur, which is also the largest predator. Fortunately for other animals of the time, Pliosaurus never left the water. For a long time experts believed that the maximum length of the predator reached a maximum of 20 meters. Everything changed after the discovery of paleontologists in Mexico - an eighteen-meter skeleton, on which there were traces of the four-meter teeth of another predator. Consequently, the size of the second Pliosaur ranged from 25 meters. The fins alone, according to rough estimates, were 3 meters.

Among the largest herbivorous dinosaurs experts attribute Puertasaurus, whose length reached 120 feet. In 2016, a certain Matt Wedel conducted comparative analysis vertebrae of Puertasaurus with Notocolossus, as a result of which he found out that the weight of the plant-eating animal could reach 80 tons. Before this scientific work it was believed that Weight Limit the creature is 50 tons. Thus, we see that the study of dinosaurs is very relevant. It is possible that in a few years we will learn completely new data and important facts about the life of dinosaurs.

Now you know how much the largest dinosaur in the world weighed! Share your comments, and don't forget to stay tuned for new materials!

Dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrates that inhabited all ecosystems of planet Earth for more than 160 million years - from the Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (about 65 million years ago). Interestingly, ten thousand species of birds living today have been classified as dinosaurs. Check out the list of the ten largest dinosaurs that ever existed on the planet. If you know of larger ones or we made a mistake, write to us in the comments.

Sarcosuchus

Sarcosuchus is an extinct genus of huge crocodiles that lived 112 million years ago in Africa. Counts distant relative modern crocodile, as well as the largest crocodile-like reptile that has ever existed on the planet. The dinosaur Sarcosuchus reached 11–12 m in length and had a mass of 6.5 tons. He ate herbivorous dinosaurs and fish.

Shonisaurus

Shonisaurus is the largest known to science An ichthyosaur that existed about 215 million years ago. Fossils of Shonisaurus were first found in Nevada in 1920. And thirty years later, the remains of another 37 very large ichthyosaurs were excavated here. Research has shown that average length the length of the animal was 12 meters, and the maximum was 14 meters; the weight reached 30-40 tons.

Shantungosaurus

Shantungosaurus is a large herbivorous dinosaur that presumably lived in the late Cretaceous period. The first skeleton was found in 1973 in Shandong Province, China. Shantungosaurus reached 13-15 meters in length and weighed more than 15 tons.

Liopleurodon

Liopleurodon is a genus of large, predatory sea ​​dinosaurs, which supposedly existed 155 - 160 million years ago on the territory of modern Europe and, probably, Central America. According to some sources, this is the largest (or almost the largest) predator that has ever lived on Earth. It is estimated that Liopleurodon reached a length of 16-20 meters and had a flipper length of 3 meters. Included in the list of the most ferocious marine dinosaurs.

Quetzalcoatlus

Quetzalcoatlus was named after part of the Aztec god - a dinosaur that lived 65.5 - 68 million years ago. Considered one of the largest known flying animals on the planet. This is the first time remains have been discovered in North America. Due to the incompleteness of the bones found, the exact wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus is unknown, but is estimated at approximately 11 meters (some say 15 m). Weight, according to various estimates, varies from 85 to 250 kg.

Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus is a genus of dinosaur that lived in what is now North Africa during the Cretaceous period, about 97 – 112 million years ago. It was first discovered in 1912 in Egypt and described in 1915 by the German paleontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach. But during the Second World War, the remains were destroyed by raid British aviation. Based on the remains of Spinosaurus found later, scientists suggested that adult specimens reached a length of 18 meters and weighed about 14 tons.

Sauroposeidon

Sauroposeidon means "lizard of Poseidon" in Latin. It was named after the god from Greek mythology. This is a genus of dinosaurs that lived in the mid-Cretaceous period, 100 - 112 million years ago. The remains were first discovered in 2000 in Oklahoma (USA). The mass of Sauroposeidon is estimated at 50–60 tons, length 28–34 meters, and height 18 meters.

Argentinosaurus

Argentinosaurus is a genus of dinosaurs that lived on the continent of South America some 94 - 97 million years ago. The remains of Argentinosaurus were first discovered in 1987 on a ranch in Argentina and described in 1993 by Argentine paleontologists José F. Bonaparte and Rodolfo Coria. Due to the fact that to date only individual fragments of its skeleton have been found, the exact size of the animal cannot be determined. However, there is an assumption that it was 22–35 m in length and weighed from 60 to 108 tons.

Mamenchisaurus

Mamenchisaurus is a genus of herbivorous dinosaurs known for their amazingly long necks, which account for half the total body length (the animal with the longest neck). They existed approximately 145 - 160 million years ago. The remains were first found in 1952 in the Chinese province of Sichuan. Paleontologists suggest that an adult Mamenchisaurus could reach 25 meters in length.

Amphicoelia (Amphicoelias)

Amphicelia is a genus of giant herbivorous dinosaurs that was described in 1870 from a single vertebral fragment found (destroyed shortly after cleaning - only a picture remains to this day). However, if this dinosaur is described correctly, then according to estimates, its length could reach 40–62 meters, and its weight could reach 155 tons. This means that Amphicelia is not only the largest dinosaur, but also the most big creature ever lived on Earth.

10

• Weight: 250 kg
• Body length: 7 m

Quetzalcoatlus- the largest representative of the pterosaur order known today. The Mesozoic plane lizard continues to excite the minds of contemporaries. In its winged splendor it blends amazingly with the local dinosaurs. Along with the Romanian Hatzegopteryx, it is currently the largest known pterosaur.

Quetzalcoatli existed at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 69 - 66 million years ago (end of the Maastrichtian stage). They were distributed throughout the United States of America, in the state of Texas. It should also be noted that a fragment possibly belonging to the "feathered serpent" was discovered in Montana.

9

• Weight: 8 – 14 t
• Body length: 11 – 15 m

Sarcosuchus- an extinct genus of giant crocodylomorphs, contrary to popular belief, not belonging to the order of crocodiles. It ate aquatic animals, such as fish, and various dinosaurs.

It lived in the territory of modern Africa at the beginning of the Cretaceous period and is one of the largest giant crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived on our planet.

8

• Weight: 9 – 12 t
• Body length: 15 – 18 m

Spinosaurus- a representative of the spinosauridae family, which lived on the territory of modern North Africa in the Cretaceous period (112-93.5 million years ago). This type of dinosaur was first described from remains found in Egypt by the German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915, who brought the skeleton to Munich.

Aquatic and terrestrial habitats. It is easily recognizable due to its bone “sail” on its back and its skull, which, like a crocodile, is extended forward. It has the longest skull of any existing carnivorous saur (up to 1.98 m in length).

7

• Weight: 15 – 20 t
• Body length: 15 – 17 m

Shantungosaurus is a genus of hadrosaurs of the subfamily Saurolophinae, found in the Late Cretaceous geological group in Shandong Province in China.

Shantungosaurus is one of the largest representatives of ornithischian dinosaurs. Like other hadrosaurs, the animal's beak was toothless, but its jaws bore about 1,500 tiny chewing teeth. The large hole near the nostrils may have been closed by a membrane that the lizard inflated to make sounds.

6

• Weight: 30 – 40 t
• Body length: 12 – 14 m

Shonisaurus- the largest creature of the Late Triassic era, the largest ichthyosaur known to science. Fossils of Shonisaurus were first found in 1920 in Nevada.

All skeletons belong to adults or relatively adult individuals. It was initially believed that a herd of shonisaurs washed ashore and died there. It is now assumed that all individuals were buried in relatively deep shelf waters. All skeletons are oriented in the same direction (from south to north), which reflects the direction of the currents.

5

• Weight: 25 – 45 t
• Body length: 15 – 20 m

Liopleurodon- a genus of pliosaurs from the Middle Jurassic period. It is a relative of pliosaurs and was practically no different from them, but it is considered one of the largest predators that ever lived on planet Earth.

Habitat: present-day Central America and Europe. We ate small fish, sharks, varieties of octopuses and even some aquatic dinosaurs, such as the family of ichthyosaurs and small elasmosaurs. He hunted and lived alone.

4

• Weight: 60 t
• Body length: 34 m

Sauroposeidon- a genus of giant sauropods that lived in the mid-Cretaceous period (125 - 100 million years ago). In 1994, in the state of Oklahoma (USA), unusual fossils were found in a prison yard, which turned out to be the vertebrae of a previously unknown lizard (the vertebrae found were initially mistaken for the trunk of a giant tree).

The female laid about a hundred eggs; after hatching, the cub was in many dangers: it had no means of defense other than its size. The young individuals lived alone in the forest; they ate around the clock to grow. Usually, mature age reached 3-4 sauroposeidons, after which they entered herds of adult animals.

3

• Weight: 60 – 108 t
• Body length: 22 – 35 m

Argentinosaurus- one of the largest dinosaurs that ever lived in South America. The fossils were discovered in Argentina by local paleontologists José Fernando Bonaparte and Rodolfo Coria and described as the new kind Argentinosaurus huinculensis in 1993.

The Argentinosaurus moved on four powerful limbs, and, unlike diplodocids, the front legs were practically as long as the hind legs. IN documentaries Argentinosaurs are often shown easily and naturally standing on two legs, but given the estimated size of the front legs and the general volume of the frontal part of the body, this is extremely unlikely.

2

• Weight: 60 – 120 t
• Body length: 25 m

Mamenchisaurus- a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs from the family Mamenchisauridae, which lived in the Upper Jurassic era (Malmo) in the territory of modern East Asia. It is the dinosaur with the longest neck, which, according to some sources, reached 15 meters in length.

Such a long neck, similar to a crane, helped Mamenchisaurus get leaves from big trees, inaccessible to other herbivorous relatives. All the vertebrae in the neck were fastened together by rows of strong ligaments, thanks to which the neck was very strong and motionless. Bony skeleton It was very strong and had a small mass, thanks to the cavities in each bone.

1

• Weight: 160 t
• Body length: 40 – 62 m

Amphicoelia (Amphicoelias)- the largest dinosaur on our planet, belonging to the genus of herbivorous giants. This type of dinosaur was first described in 1870, helped in this only by a single fragment of vertebral remains found. From this piece, scientists were able to conclude that the amphicelia reached a length of 62 m and weighed more than 160 tons.

Thus, Amphicelia is not only the largest representative of giant dinosaurs, but also, in general, the largest creature that has ever existed on the planet.

Dinosaurs belonged to the vertebrates, they dominated for over 160 million years in all terrestrial ecosystems - on land, in water and air until the end of the Cretaceous period. The history of dinosaur research is approaching its 200th anniversary, as the first dinosaur remains were discovered in 1822. During this time, paleontologists have done impressive work: they were able to restore the appearance of many lizards, make assumptions about their behavior and establish their diet. Next, the top 11 largest dinosaurs in the world, based on their established or estimated length.

Hundreds of thousands of species of animals live on earth different sizes, among which there are real giants, the sizes of which, although inferior to prehistoric...

1. Amphicelia

It was this monster that topped the list of TOP 10 largest dinosaurs in the world. This herbivorous giant was one of the first to be discovered - in 1878 thanks to the efforts of archaeologist E. Cope. He had to make a sketch of the vertebra he found, since it fell apart during cleaning. Traces of amphicelia have also been found in Zimbabwe and the USA. This supergiant had a body length of 40-65 meters and weighed up to 155 tons! Thanks to its light cervical vertebrae, it could support its long neck, at the end of which was a disproportionately small head.
The giant size did not bring big dividends to the amphicelia - their young, clumsy offspring became easy prey predatory species dinosaurs. To grow, they had to literally destroy all surrounding vegetation, so their habitat was constantly shrinking. Its gigantic size hardly allowed the herbivorous monster to run - it could only walk sedately. It was not difficult for adult individuals to defend themselves from enemies, since their very size kept most predators from attacking. Paleontologists currently believe that two species of these sauropods existed 165-140 million years ago.

2. Argentinosaurus

This monster was attributed to Argentina, since at one time its remains were discovered in this country. Perhaps the largest dinosaur that lived in the territory South America over 98 million years ago. Unfortunately, few remains of this species were found, so its size can only be speculated. But even a single vertebra measuring 1.6 meters in height already shows how large this sauropod was. In the Argentinean Carmen Funes Museum there is a reconstruction of the Argentinosaurus skeleton, which is almost 40 meters long. Scientists suggest that this is not too much of an exaggeration, since they themselves estimate the possible size of the Argentinosaurus at 23-35 meters and weight at 60-180 tons.
This typical long-necked sauropod rested on four legs and relied on tree crowns for its diet. tall trees, where his head calmly reached. To make food grind better in the stomach, Argentinosaurs swallowed stones. These sauropods lived in groups of 20-25 individuals.

3. Futalognkosaurus

This is a neighbor of the Argentinosaurus, which lived in the Upper Cretaceous period (94-85 million years ago) in South American territory. His remains were found in the Argentine province of Neuquén as recently as 2000. The name was given to it in the language of the local peoples, and it can be translated as “main giant”. With a body length of 32-33 meters, this lizard weighed about 80 tons, and could raise its head to a height of 15 meters.
Scientists who carried out excavations at the beginning of this century were very lucky - they found an almost complete skeleton of this monster, only a few vertebrae from the tail were missing. In the entire 200-year history of hunting for dinosaur bones, this discovery was the most complete. Scientists took a closer look at the fossils around the skeleton, and realized that in those days there was a wooded area in which various types bushes and trees. Nowadays there is almost a bare desert here - have dinosaurs really eaten everything?

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4. Diplodocus

Huge diplodocus lived during the Jurassic period (150-138 million years ago). They belong to the lizard-hipped dinosaurs. Its name can be translated as "double ray", as the bones of its tail had the characteristic double-rayed processes that distinguish the species. With a body length of 28-33 meters, diplodocus reached 10 meters in height and weighed 20-30 tons. He used four powerful legs to move, and he kept his balance by balancing with his tail. The tail of the diplodocus, according to paleontologists, also served him as a means of communication in a flock of relatives, and with it he skillfully defended himself from attacks by predators.
In order to consume the amount of calories necessary to maintain such a mass, diplodocus had to eat not only low-calorie vegetation and algae, but also mollusks. Their teeth were poorly developed, so diplodocus did not chew plants, but ground them. At the end of the Jurassic period, 135-130 million years ago, this type of giant dinosaur came to an end.

5. Sauroposeidon

This lizard was named after ancient Greek god seas of Poseidon. This is another giant sauropod that lived 125-100 million years ago in the mid-Cretaceous period. His bones were discovered in the yard of an Oklahoma prison in 1994. Based on these finds, the appearance of Sauroposeidon was reconstructed: with a height of 18 meters, the body length was 31 meters, and the herbivorous giant weighed up to 60 tons.
In terms of height, this lizard is second only to one species of dinosaur - Breviparopus. The females of these giants could lay up to hundreds of eggs. The young animals were forced to live separately and constantly eat in order to grow faster and be accepted into equal rights into the common flock. But out of hundreds of those who started, only 3-4 sauroposeidon individuals reached adulthood. In addition to changing the types of vegetation on the planet, it was this factor that most likely was fatal for this type of dinosaur.

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6. Brachiosaurus

Brachiosaurus also belongs to the genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs; it lived at the end of the Jurassic period 161.2 - 145.5 million years ago. The habitats of brachiosaurs were North America, Europe and Africa.
Based on the results of studies of the found remains, it was revealed that the adult individual reached an average of 26 meters in length and weighed about 56 tons.
Despite the fact that Brachiosaurus is only sixth on our list, it is considered one of the tallest dinosaurs.

7. Mamenchisaurus

This sauropod, which lived in East Asia, had the longest neck, reaching 15 meters. Of course, he was also a herbivore. It differs from other similar dinosaurs in its cervical vertebrae, of which scientists counted 19. The length of adult individuals could reach up to 25 meters, and weight - up to 60-120 tons. Being a sauropod, Mamenchisaurus had a typical small head in comparison with the impressive dimensions of the body. He walked on 4 legs and may even have frightened other lizards with his size. However, Mamenchisaurs, who lived 145 million years ago, posed a danger only to flora.

8. Shantungosaurus

In 1973, the remains of another were found in the Chinese province of Shandong. giant dinosaur. This one is largest species Ornithischian lizards trampled the ground with their heavy tread at the end of the Cretaceous period. The length of this herbivorous creature reached 15 meters, and its weight was 15 tons. Its massive jaws were armed with 1,500 small teeth, suitable only for grinding fiber. There was a special membrane in his nostrils, thanks to which he was able to make sounds.

9. Sarcosuchus

Sarcosuchus belongs to crocodylomorphs, but not to the order of crocodiles, although it significantly resembles them appearance except for the sizes. They lived about 110 million years ago in Africa. During the Cretaceous period, it was the largest crocodile-like reptile, and its diet consisted of fish and not the most large dinosaurs. As for size, the largest modern crocodile would be two times smaller than Sarcosuchus.
Its length was 12-15 meters, and its weight could reach 14 tons. His huge skull was 1.6 meters long, and his powerful jaws he could squeeze with a force of up to 20 tons, which was quite enough to bite a comparable dinosaur in half. However, it did not have the death-spinning skill with captured prey that modern crocodiles possess. The bones of this monster were repeatedly discovered (1966, 1997, 2000) in various geological deposits.

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10. Liopleurodon

Liopleurodon, along with other pliosaurs, ruled the seas in Jurassic period(approximately 227-205 million years ago). Very few remains of this waterfowl reptile were found - a few teeth in England, France, and fragments in Mexico and Russia. It was difficult for scientists who had so little material to guess the parameters of this aquatic predator. It is possible that adult individuals grew up to 14 meters in length, while they had a one and a half meter narrow head, and weighed 25-45 tons. Although in the BBC popular science film the size of Liopleurodon is indicated as 29 meters, scientists consider this to be a gross exaggeration.
Moving its four muscular flippers, this underwater creature could quite quickly ambush its prey. Their diet was big fish, mollusks (ammonites), they did not disdain to attack others marine reptiles. Scientists suggest that Liopleurodons had a well-developed sense of smell in aquatic environment. These sea ​​predators left the historical arena approximately 80 million years ago.

11. Shonisaurus

Shonisaurus was the largest known this moment scientist ichthyosaur that lived in the Late Triassic era (250-90 million years ago) in the ocean depths. The dimensions of this fish lizard were approximately 14 meters, and it weighed 30-40 tons. He had a huge skull with narrow, elongated jaws, reaching 2 meters in length. The largest burial of these prehistoric monsters was found in Nevada. Miners extracting gold and silver unexpectedly unearthed huge skeletons, which were immediately preserved pending further study. But the bones of one of the monsters were transported to a Los Angeles museum, where a skeleton was reconstructed from them.
It is not entirely clear what these rulers of the ancient seas ate - perhaps they hunted for big fish, attacking her from ambush and tormenting her with sharp teeth. In total, the remains of 37 shonisaurs were discovered in Nevada; for this reason, they were even recognized in 1977 as the official fossil of this state.

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