9 for 10 - Dinosaurs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Saltasaurus

The name Saltasaurus translates literally to "lizard from Salta" and was first excavated by Argentinian paleontologist Jose Bonaparte between 1975 and 1977 in the Salta Province of Argentina. Using these fossil remains, it has been estimated that the Saltasaurus was over 40 feet in length and weighed over 6 tons.

It is believed to have had stubby limbs and armoured plates within its skin. It has been suggested by some paleontologists, such as J.E. Powell, that the Saltasaurus may have been an aquatic creature due to its similar features to the modern day Hippopotamus.

Answer: Triceratops

The Triceratops is believed to have existed during the late Cretaceous period around 68 million years ago. First discovered near Denver, Colorado in 1887, the Triceratops has had several remains found in the Western parts of Canada and the United States including the Hell Creek Formation, Denver Formation, Laramie Formation, and Evanston Formation. With three horns on its head, it is believed that the horns served two purposes; combat and courtship.

As they were low lying creatures, it is believed that they were herbivores and fed off of the low ground on small plants or shrubs.

As one of the more popular and well known dinosaurs, they have been used in many pop-culture features including the popular film "Jurassic Park" and BBC documentary "Walking with Dinosaurs".

Answer: Edmontonia

The Edmontonia was founded in the "Edmonton Formation" (now known as the Horseshoe Canyon Formation) near Drumheller, Alberta in Canada in 1915 by American paleontologist Barnum Brown (best known for his discovery of the Tyrannosaurus rex in 1902). A unique oval shaped creature, the Edmontonia had sharp spikes on its sides, the largest of which came off its shoulders.

These spikes are believed to have been used to intimidate other predators, but also to help them avoid being flipped over (ultimately rendering them defenseless).

Answer: Guanlong

The remains of the Guonlong were discovered in the Dzungaria region of China in 2006 during a joint expedition put forth by two authorities, The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and George Washington University. It is thought that the Guonlong dates 90 million years earlier than its relative the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Through reconstruction, it is believed that the Guonlong had a crest on its head and may have had feathers.

It is estimated that it was over nine feet in length.

Answer: Oviraptor

The name Oviraptor comes from the Latin term meaning "egg taker" or "egg seizer". Paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn cautioned however, that this name is misleading as the name is not referring to its "eating habits", but rather the fact that the Oviraptor was most likely guarding its eggs at the time of its death.

The Oviraptor could best be described as a cassowary -flightless birds similar to the ostrich or emu. It is also believed that they had feathers that were possibly used to cover and protect their eggs similar to that of the Citipati, another dinosaur often confused with the Oviraptor.

Answer: Saltopus

The "Elgin Reptiles" is a name given to a series of fossils that were found in sandstone locations near the village of Elgin, Scotland. The village is within the geological region known as the Lossiemouth Sandstone formation which has been noted for many dinosaur findings.

Included in these fossil findings are the Saltopus, Gordonia, and Elginia. The Saltopus, or "hopping foot", is believed to have been about the size of an average domestic cat. Some sources suggest that the Saltopus was among the smallest meat eating dinosaurs and relied on small insects and other small creatures in order to survive.

Answer: Allosaurus

The Allosaurus is believed to have been alive during the late Jurassic period, a period that included many other famous dinosaurs including the Brachiosaurus, Brontosaurus, Pterodactyls, and Stegosaurus. The first fossils of the Allosaurus were discovered near Granby, Colorado in 1869 by Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden and by 1877, paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, using a collection of fossils and remains gave the Allosaurus an official title.

The Allosaurus was quite large at between 8.5 meters to 9.5 meters in length.

They are believed to have weighed up to 3000 lbs. They were believed to be predators of other large animals and were carnivores. With a strong jaw and saw-like teeth, it is believed that they would have used slash attacks on their prey to weaken and then finally defeat them.

Answer: Urbacodon

The Urbacodon is a partial acronym that represents the Uzbek, Russia, British, American, and Canadian scientists that collaboratively discovered this species of dinosaur. This species of dinosaur was discovered in Uzbekistan in 2004 and is believed to have lived mainly in the Dzharakuduk and ‬Bissekty geologic formations.

The initial holotype of this species was made primarily using dental findings. Unlike most dinosaurs, the Urbacodon has a unique trait known as a "diastema", a large gap between teeth.

Answer: Rugops

A skull of the Rugops was discovered in 2000 in the country of Niger and much of what is known about the Rugops has been based on this skull finding. Rugops is a name meaning "wrinkle face" and was given to this species due to the number of impressions found in the skull.

These impressions are believed to have been blood vessels. The purpose of these blood vessels may have been to provide a colorful facial display as a means to intimidate its predators. Other scientists believe that the Rugops may have had an armored cover over its face for protection.

They are believed to have been carnivores and were roughly 4.4 meters in length.

Answer: Stegosaur

The name Stegosaur means "roof lizard" and is a reference to the large plates that ran along its back. It was discovered and named in 1877 by paleontologist Othneil Charles Marsh. They were determined to have been large herbivores that lived in the Western United States including Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

There are many theories surrounding the plates that were the dominant visual feature of the Stegosaurus. One theory suggests that these spinal plates were used as a sexual display to attract others.

Another theory suggests that the plates were used to give the Stegosaurus a taller stature so as to intimidate other creatures. In more recent years, a third theory has been suggested by scientists and researchers that the spinal plates were not used physical or sexual leverage, but instead could have been used to help control the body temperature of the Stegosaur.