by A W Drake

Created on: April 13, 2009

There are almost as many reasons why popular myths about dinosaurs appear as there are myths. Just about all knowledge that can be gained from dinosaurs comes from fossil records and this to some extent leads to speculation about how dinosaurs lived and interacted. However, there are some established facts and these should not be obscured with popular myths about dinosaurs.

1/ All Fossil Finds Are Dinosaurs

The fossil record has brought to light many species from all periods of the planets history. It is the skeletal characteristics that separate the dinosaur fossils from other species such as plesiosaurs and pterosaurs. For instance the skeletons in many dinosaurs were designed to allow them to stand erect whilst their front legs were adapted for either supporting their weight or for slashing or grasping prey.

The skulls of dinosaurs were designed for maximum strength and minimum weight, and in carnivores for holding and tearing prey.

2/ Humans Coexisted With Dinosaurs

Although small mammals, including a shrew sized primate existed alongside dinosaurs, humans did not evolve until 65 million years after dinosaurs were extinct. The first genus of primitive apes appeared 23 million years ago and Homo erectus around 1.6 million years ago. Modern humans or Homo sapiens did not exist until 130,000 years ago.

Apart from some questionable evidence such as the Icas stones which appear to depict images of large dinosaurs and humans coexisting, there is no reason to believe humans have encountered dinosaurs.

3/ All Dinosaurs Existed At The Same Time

Dinosaurs existed during the Mesozoic Era which lasted for 186 million years and ended 65 million years ago, and is further divided into the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Eras. At the beginning of the Mesozoic Era Earth consisted of one large land mass called Pangea, and many dinosaur species ranged across it.

As Pangea broke up to form continents dinosaurs became scattered and separated, and each geographical area evolved its own dinosaur species over millions of years. Different species lived in different eras and in different geographical locations.

4/ Tyrannosaurus Rex Was the Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur

Tyrannosaurus rex was 12.8 metres long and weighed around 7.2 tons. Its teeth were 16 centimetres long which is twice the size of a lion's canines. Tyrannosaurus was not however the largest carnivorous dinosaur.

In 1993 an even larger carnivore was discovered in Argentina
and was named Gigantosaurus. It was about 13.2 metres

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