10 Facts About... Dinosaurs

1. Dinosaurs lived on earth for 165 million years

Humans have only existed for around 300,000 years. That means dinosaurs wandered the earth for 550 times longer than humans… so far!

2. The word ‘dinosaur’ – or ‘terrible lizard’ – was not coined until 1842

British palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen coined the word ‘dinosaur’ in the nineteenth century in reference to their terrible size. He also founded the Natural History Museum in London.

3. Birds are dinosaurs! 

What does a chicken have in common with a T-Rex? Its DNA!

Despite their towering reputations, dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes like birds today. The Microraptor – meaning ‘small thief’ – was as small as a crow.

4. Dinosaurs built nests and laid eggs just like birds

The Maiasaura – or ‘good mother lizard’ – are thought to have provided food and protection for their young. Do you think dinosaurs would make good parents?

5. The largest dinosaur weighed nine times heavier than an elephant

The largest dinosaurs were called Titanosaurs. Like Patagotitan, who was discovered in Argentina in 2010. He weighed 57 tonnes but he was a herbivore, so he only ate plants! 

6. A Tyrannosaurus rex had 60 teeth, which were all 20cm long!  

A T-Rex had three times the number of teeth as children, who only have 20 teeth (adults have 32). Each was the length of a pencil but much sharper…

7. Researchers are still discovering new dinosaur species

In 2026, a team of researchers discovered a new predator to rival the dangerous T-Rex hiding at the Natural History Museum! The Invictibellatrix amberina – or ‘unconquered female warrior’ – was a long-clawed predator first discovered on the Isle of Wight.

8. Manchester has its own dinosaur… Stan the T-Rex! 

Stan is one of the world’s most complete T-Rex skeletons. Excavated in South Dakota, US, in 1992 before finding his home at Manchester Museum, Stan would have been the size of a double-decker bus.

9. Steven Speilberg’s epic film Jurassic Park was the highest grossing film of all time

Dinosaurs are embedded in our popular culture thanks, in part, to Jurassic Park. Released in 1993, Jurassic Park spawned a box-office dominating franchise that continues today. It lost the top spot to Titanic in 1997.

10. There is a dinosaur named after David Bowie! He’s called Stellasaurus or the ‘star lizard’

In 2020, scientists discovered a dinosaur with a star-shaped skull. They named him Stellasaurus in honour of Bowie’s hit song ‘Starman’.

Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs runs at Aviva Studios from 8 December 2026 to 6 January 2027. Find out more here.