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Stegosaurus
No one knows exactly how the back bony plates were arranged since no plates have been found attached to the skeletons.
Some paleontologists maintain that they laid flat against the skin while most others believe they stood straight up. A thin layer
of blood rich skin could have covered these plates. The long sturdy spikes of the tail were used in defense. This dinosaur
lived during the Late Jurassic and it's area of discovery is Northern United States. It is the state fossil of Colorado USA.
On average, it was up to 30ft/ 9m long. The skull of this dinosaur was narrow and tiny- about 16 in/ 40 cm long. The brain was
correspondingly small, about the size of a walnut! Family of Stegosauridae.
Model Size: 7" long (178mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Stegosaurus-8A
Amargasaurus
had unusually long, paired spines on its neck, back, and tail, giving it a sail-like mane. Scientists are uncertain whether the
spines formed one thick sail or two parallel sails, and the mane's purpose remains a mystery.
Model Size: 7.5" long (109mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Amargasaurus-8A
Triceratops
The Triceratops was the most abundant horned group of dinosaurs as well as the largest, weighing up to 11 tons/ 10 tonnes.
Great herds of these horned dinosaurs lived throughout what is now Northern America. They lived during the Late Cretaceous. The name
"triceratops" means "3-horned face". This head plate acted as a defensive shield for protection against predators. Family of Ceratopidae.
Model Size: 7.5" long (190mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Triceratops-10A
Gallimimus
This is the largest ostrich-like dinosaur to be discovered. It was up to 13ft/ 4 m long. It was one of the fastest running
dinosaurs. Curious to paleontologists is that this dinosaur had poor grasping hands. Perhaps it was a special feeder; using it's
hands like flat shovels as it dug through the sand looking of eggs to eat! It lived during the Late Cretaceous and it's location of discovery is Mongolia Asia. Family of Ornithomimidae.
Model Size: 5½" long (140mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Gallimimus-6A
Dilophosaurus
The skull of this dinosaur was unusual for any group. A pair of bony crests rose up vertically on both sides of the skull. The function of these
head crests remain a mystery. Some paleontologists believe that only the males had them and that they were used to attract females.
They lived during the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous and locality of discovery is England Europe. They grew up to 23 ft/ 7m long. Family of Megalosauridae.
Model Size: 4" tall (102mm)
Item#:museumofscience-Dilophosaurus-5
Diplodocus
This was a huge dinosaur reaching lengths of 100ft/ 30m long. Despite it great size it only weighed 11 tons/ 10 tonnes- about one third
the weight of a Brontosaurus (which was shorter in length). The reason for this light weight was that it had hollow vertebra. It was probably
habit for this dinosaur to rear up on it's hind legs using it's tail to balance so that it could reach high into the trees for food.
It lived during the Late Jurassic and it's location of discovery is North America. Family of Diplodocidae.
Model Size: 15" tall (381mm)
Item#:museumofscience-Diplodocus-22
Styracosaurus
Was one of the most spectacular of the short horned dinosaurs. It had an enormous horn on it's snout and two smaller horns that grew above it's eye's.
The remarkable neck frill had six main spikes arrayed around it's top. This dinosaur certainly could have defended itself well.
Charging head-down this dinosaur could have easily ripped open the soft belly of the T-Rex.
It lived during the Late Cretaceous and it's location of discovery is North America. Family of Ceratopidae.
Model Size:6" long (153mm)
Item#:
museumofscience-Styracosaurus-7
Ceratosaurus
Had a heavier skull than other
crosiers due a bony pair of ridges above it's eyes and a low horn on it's nose.
This dinosaur was an active predator with massive jaws that had sharp curved teeth. It's short arms had four clawed fingers.
It had an unusual bony ridge that ran down the middle of it's back. It grew up to 20ft/ 6m long.
It lived during the Late Jurassic and it's location of discovery is North America. Family of Ceratosauridae.
Model Size: 6" long (153mm)
Item#:museumofscience-ceratosaurus-9
Ouranosaurus
Two complete skeletons were found in 1965, in this southern Sahara of Niger Africa. It had an unusual tall wall of spines that arched down
the middle of it's back. These spines were out growths from the vertebrae bones and were covered with skin. Some paleontologists
believe that the function of this spine was to regulate body temperature where the blood flowing through the spine could be cooled by the air.
It grew up to 23ft/ 7m long and lived during the Early Cretaceous. Family of Iguanodntidae.
Model Size: 7" long (178mm)
Item#:museumofscience-Ouranosaurus-8
Edmontonia Rugosidens
It's tank-like armor probably protected
it from predators, such as the Tyrannosaurus, and from territorial disputes with its own kind. Family of Ankylosauridae.
Model Size: 7" long (178mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Edmontonia Rugosidens-9
Utahraptor
was a much larger and more powerful version of the infamous Velociraptor. Utahraptor not only had a "terrible
claw" on the inside toe of each foot, but the three fingers on each of it's hands were tipped with deadly
claws that may have been as large or larger than it's toe claws. These anatomical features lead paleontologists
to believe Utahraptor may have been one of the fiercest of the meat-eating dinosaurs. Utahraptor is a recent discovery.
They lived during the Early Cretaceous and grew up to 20 ft/ 6m long. Family of Dromaeosauridae.
Model Size: 4 1/2" high (113mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Utahraptor-6
Parasaurolophus Walkeri
This duckbill had a shorter snout than other hadrosaurs, and a single backward pointing hornlike crest mounted on the back of it's head.
This hollow crest may have been used as a vocal resonating chamber used to communicate to others or call to females.
The sound probably resembled a foghorn. Both sexes had crests but of different sizes.
Hadrosaurs could move their upper and lower jaws independently of each other which created a grinding motion.
They lived during the Late Cretaceous and grew up to 33ft/ 10m long. Family of Hadrosauridae.
Model Size: 9" long (228mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Parasaurolophus-9
Carnotaurus Sastrei
Had several distinguishing characteristics that
separate it from the other theropods. The first are the pair of large bony horns above the eyes. Other notable
features are the short snout and the extremely small forearms. Carnotaurus is one of the unusual dinosaurs paleontologist
have been uncovering in South America. They lived during the Mid Jurassic. Family of Abelisauridae.
Model Size: 7" long (178mm)
Item#:museumofscience-Carnotaurus-750
Pachycephalosaurus
Was a giant among the bonehead dinosaurs. It had an enormous solid bone dome on top of it's head that was as thick as 10in/ 25cm.
Like a great crash helmet, the thick skull could have absorbed tremendous impact as it head-butted it's enemies! It was the last to live
after all of it's plant-eating relatives had become extinct. It lived until the Late Cretaceous and grew up to 15ft/ 4.6m long.
Family of Pachycephalosauridae.
Model Size: 6" long (152mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Pachycephalosaurus-750
Maiasaura Peeblesorum
This duckbilled dinosaur was discovered in 1978 and gave paleontologists new insight into the social family life
of dinosaurs. In that year a complete nesting site was found in Montana USA- a 75 million year old nursery!
This nursery show nests made of dirt mounds that had craterlike depressions in the center where the eggs were laid.
It also showed spacing between nests to be about 23ft/ 7m apart, which meant mothers nested close together. The eggs
were also laid with care and arranged in circles within the nest. They lived until the Late Cretaceous and grew up to 30ft/ 9m long.
Family of Hadrosauridae.
Model Size: 9" long (229mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Maiasaura-950
Euoplocephalus Tutus
Most of what paleontologists know about the family Ankylosauridae is based on studies of this dinosaur that was carried out in
the 1970's and 80's. Bands of armor were embedded in the skin of the back and dotted with huge bony horns.
The skull was a heavy box of bone. Even there eyelids were armor plated! They had a toothless beak in for a mouth opening
which may have helped to cut vegetation. They lived until the Late Cretaceous and grew up to 18ft/ 5.5m long.
Family of Ankylosauidae.
Model Size: 6" long (153mm)
Item#: museumofscience-Euoplocephalus-8
Acrocanthosaurus Atokensis
These enormous flesh-eating dinosaurs were found in what is now North America. It's name means "top spiny lizard"
and refers to the elongated row of spines that grew up from it's backbone and was covered by skin. They lived until the Early Cretaceous and grew up to 43ft/ 13m long.
Family of Allosauridae.
Model Size: 7" long (178mm)
Item#:museumofscience-Acrocanthosaurus-9
