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Dinosaur Nomenclature Trivia Quiz

In this quiz I will give a dinosaur name, you must select the appropriate description based on the Greek or Latin roots of that name.

A multiple-choice quiz by chadgar25. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
chadgar25

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
219,948

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
806

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The first Diplodocus fossil was found by Earl Douglass and Samuel W. Williston in 1877. Many Diplodocus fossils have been found, including a skin impression. What does 'Diplodocus' mean? Hint

Long Neck

Long Lizard

Giant Reptile

Double Beamed

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Question 2 of 10

2. Deinonychus was a dromaeosaurid, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight) was the highest among the dinosaurs. What is the meaning of Deinonychus? Hint

Large Nail

Sharp Tooth

Terrible Claw

Giant Toe

3. Corythosaurus was named by Barnum Brown in 1914 from a fossil found in Alberta, Canada. Fossils have been found in North America, including Montana, USA, and Alberta, Canada. Fossilized skin with a pebbly texture has been found. What does the name 'Corythosaurus' mean? Hint

Flat Nose Lizard

Helmet Lizard

Duck Billed Lizard

Swampy Lizard

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Question 4 of 10

4. Another hadrosaur, Parasaurolophus, lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 76-65 million years ago, toward the end of the Mesozoic, the Age of Reptiles. What does the name, Parasaurolophus, mean? Hint

Giant Horn Lizard

Long Tube Lizard

Crested Lizard

Long Head Lizard

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Question 5 of 10

5. Pachycephalosaurus was discovered in 1938 by William Winkley on the family ranch outside of Ekalaka, Montana, USA. It was named Pachycephalosaurus in 1943 by Barnum Brown and Erich M. Schlaikjer. What does the name of the herbivore, Pachycephalosaurus, mean? Hint

Thick Headed Lizard

Fast Lizard

Herd Lizard

Hard Nosed Lizard

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Question 6 of 10

6. Styracosaurus lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 77-70 million years ago. It was among the last of the dinosaur species to evolve before the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction 65 million years ago. What does 'Styracosaurus' mean? Hint

Six-pronged Attack

Shielded Head

Spiked Lizard

Six-horned Lizard

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Question 7 of 10

7. Ankylosaurus fossils have been found in the western USA (Montana) and Canada (Alberta). Two Ankylosaurus skulls and three partial skeletons (including armor and a tail club) have been found. Ankylosaurus was named by Barnum Brown in 1908. What does the name, 'Ankylosaurus', mean? Hint

Tank Lizard

Stiff Lizard

Shield Lizard

Armored Lizard

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Question 8 of 10

8. The plant-eating ornithopod, Hypsilophodon, was a very fast bi-pedal (two-legged) runner; its back legs were long. It had a stiffened tail that helped it balance when running. What does the name, 'Hypsilophodon', mean? Hint

Strong-legged

Parrot Beak

High-ridged Tooth

Beak Tooth

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Question 9 of 10

9. The Jurassic Park villian, Spinosaurus, was a huge meat-eating dinosaur that had a series of spines on its back. This enormous dinosaur lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 98 to 95 million years ago, in what is now Africa. What does the name, 'Spinosaurus', mean? Hint

Sharp-Tooth

Large Spines

Large Sail

Spiny Lizard

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Question 10 of 10

10. Finally, what is the root-meaning of one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered, 'Iguanodon'? Hint

Iguana tooth

Giant Lizard

Spiked Thumb

Spiky Reptile

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The first Diplodocus fossil was found by Earl Douglass and Samuel W. Williston in 1877. Many Diplodocus fossils have been found, including a skin impression. What does 'Diplodocus' mean?

Answer: Double Beamed

The prefix 'di' is a Greek word that means 'two'. The suffix 'docus' is from the Greek word dokos, meaning 'beam, bar, or shaft'. Diplodocus is so named because its neck and tail are so long.

2. Deinonychus was a dromaeosaurid, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight) was the highest among the dinosaurs. What is the meaning of Deinonychus?

Answer: Terrible Claw

Deinonychus, like all raptors, had a very large claw on each foot to bring down prey. The prefix 'deino' is from the Greek word 'deinos', which means 'fearfully great, or terrible'. The suffix 'nychus', is a Greek word meaning 'clawed'.

Answer: Helmet Lizard

It is named 'Helmet Lizard', the prefix 'coryth' is from the Greek word 'koryth', meaning 'helmet'. The suffix 'saurus,' is from the Greek word 'sauros', meaning 'lizard or reptile'.

Answer: Crested Lizard

The answer lies in the Greek word 'lophus', which means 'crest or tuft'. Parasuarolophus had a large, tube-like, projection that jutted out the back of its head. The purpose was possibly to make loud, distinct, vocalizations.

Answer: Thick Headed Lizard

The prefix, 'pachy', is from the Greek word 'pachys', which means, 'thick'. 'Cephalo' is from the Greek word 'kephale', which means, 'head'. Pachycephalosaurus had a layer of 9-inch thick bone on its head. It is believed that pachys would head-butt each other for male dominance, much like rams do today.

Answer: Spiked Lizard

This dinosaur is known for its features including one horn on its nose, and a bony shield with six spikes protecting its neck.

Answer: Stiff Lizard

Anklosaurus was built like a living tank. A thick, spiky, bony armor covered its head and back. At the end of its tail was a heavy club used for defense. The Greek word 'ankylos' means 'hook, joint, fused, stiff or bent', giving this dinosaur its name. It is believed that much like turtles, ankylosaurs were not the swiftest of animals.

Answer: High-ridged Tooth

The prefix 'hypsi' is from the Greek word 'hypsos', meaning 'high'. Lopho we have already learned to mean 'crest', and 'don' is from the Greek word 'odon', which means 'tooth'. Hypsilophodon was given its name because of its unusual teeth. They had a beak made of horn, cheek pouches and 28-30 self-sharpening cheek teeth in a small skull.

Answer: Spiny Lizard

No trickery here, the prefix 'spino' is the Latin word that means 'thorn, or backbone'.

10. Finally, what is the root-meaning of one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered, 'Iguanodon'?

Answer: Iguana tooth

As shown earlier, 'don' means tooth. The prefix 'iguano' is from the Arawak word 'iwana', which means 'iguana'. Iguanodon was a plant-eating dinosaur that had a conical spike on each thumb. When it was discovered, in 1825, it was noticed that the teeth were just like an iguanas', only larger.

Source: Author chadgar25

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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