Let's Go For a Ride in Our Time Machine Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Our first stop is in the place that will one day become the country of Germany. The time clock has stopped at two hundred and eight million years, indicating that we're in the late Triassic. It's very hot and dry. On the edges of a sub-tropical rainforest is a herd of large dinosaurs. They have long necks and use their hands to pull leaves off the conifer trees. What are they?

Answer: Plateosaurus

Named in 1837, Plateosaurus is believed to be among some of the first large dinosaurs to evolve.

Thecodontosaurus, Massospondylus and Lufengosaurus were all smaller relatives of Plateosaurus, coming from various countries including England, South Africa and China.

2. Here we are in the place that will one day become the country of India. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and seventy five million years, indicating that we're in the early Jurassic. A herd of large dinosaurs with long necks and tails like whips graze in an open field. What are they?

Answer: Barapasaurus

Barapasaurus is one of only twenty five dinosaurs to be discovered in India. Its name means 'Big Leg Lizard'.

Rhoetosaurus was an early Sauropod from Australia while Nemegtosaurus was discovered in Mongolia.

Formerly known as Brontosaurus, Apatosaurus was discovered in North America in 1877.

3. We've arrived in the place that will one day become the U.S state of Kansas. The time clock has stopped at eighty five million years, indicating that we're in the late Cretaceous. We're on a beach, surrounded by a flock of noisy flying reptiles. They have long, thin crests on their heads and impressive seven-metre wingspans. What are they?

Answer: Pteranodon

During the Age of Dinosaurs, the skies were ruled by a group of animals called Pterosaurs. One of the largest was Pteranodon. Its diet consisted mainly of fish. The head crest is believed to have been used for display.

Quetzalcoatlus and Rhamphorynchus were also Pterosaurs. Rhamphorynchus was the size of a seagull while Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of twelve metres.

Teratornis was a giant vulture that lived in the U.S states of California, Argentina, Florida and Nevada about ten million years ago during the Pleistocene.

4. Our next stop is the place that will one day become the African country of Egypt. The time clock has stopped at thirty million years, indicating that we're in the early Oligocene. Wandering across a field is a herd of rhinoceros-like animals, each carrying a pair of massive horns on their faces. What are they?

Answer: Arsinoitherium

First discovered in 1902, Arsinoitherium was named after an Egyptian queen. The horns on its face were hollow and may have been used as a resonating chamber to increase the volume of their calls.

Brontotherium was similar to Arsinoitherium but was slightly smaller and had an unusual fork-shaped appendage on its nose.

Deinotherium was a species of elephant with large downward-pointing tusks while Megatherium was a giant ground sloth.

5. Here we are in the place that will one day become the African country of Zimbabwe. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and eighty eight million years, indicating that we've returned to the early Jurassic. Nearby, we see a pack of large predatory dinosaurs with unusual wedge-shaped head crests. What are they?

Answer: Megapnosaurus

Megapnosaurus used to be called Syntarsus, but this was changed because the name Syntarsus had already been given to an insect.

Coelophysis, Itemirus and Halticosaurus all belonged to a group of dinosaurs called Coelurosaurs.

6. We've arrived in the place that will one day become the country of Mongolia. The time clock has stopped at seventy five million years, indicating that we're back in the late Cretaceous. Plucking berries from the branches of a nearby tree are four large dinosaurs that look an awful lot like ostriches. What are they?

Answer: Gallimimus

Named in 1972, Gallimimus and its relatives Ornithomimus, Struthiomimus and Dromiceiomimus were similar to ostriches in size and appearance. Their long legs show that they were fast runners, possibly reaching speeds of up to sixty miles per hour.

Elaphrosaurus is the oldest known Ornithomimosaur while Oviraptor was small with a short head and a nose bump.

The only parts of Deinocheirus so far discovered are its enormous arms, found in Mongolia in 1967.

7. Here we are in the place that will one day become the country of China. The time clock has stopped at two hundred and fifteen million years, indicating that we've returned to the late Triassic. A tiny creature, no bigger than a mouse, scurries around under a low-growing bush. It has a long narrow snout and is covered with fur. What is it?

Answer: Morganucodon

Morganucodon is one of the oldest known mammals. It used its small sharp teeth to crush insects and may also have laid eggs, similar to today's platypus.

Kamptobaatar was another small mouse-like mammal. It had a pair of long chisel-like teeth for chewing wood and tough plants.

Moschops was the size of a cow and belongs to a group of animals called mammal-like reptiles. These animals were the ancestors of mammals.

Nothorotherium was a ground sloth similar to Megatherium but not quite as big.

8. We've arrived in the place that will one day become the African country of Tanzania. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and forty million years, indicating that we're in the late Jurassic. A herd of enormous dinosaurs is feeding on the tops of the tall trees. What are they?

Answer: Brachiosaurus

Brachiosaurus is the largest dinosaur known from a complete skeleton, discovered in Tanzania in the early 1900s. This skeleton now stands in the foyer of the Humboldt Museum in Berlin, Germany.

Diplodocus was one of the longest dinosaurs, measuring twenty seven metres. Half of this length was made up from its neck and tail.

Alamosaurus was one of the last of the big dinosaurs. Contrary to popular belief, it was not named after Fort Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, USA, but rather after the Ojo Alamo, the geological formation in which it was found.

Discovered in 1922, Euhelopus was the first known Chinese dinosaur.

All these dinosaurs belonged to a group called the Sauropods, which were distinguished by their large size, elephant-like legs and long necks.

9. Here we are in the place that will one day become the country of New Zealand. The time clock has stopped at two hundred and thirty million years, indicating that we're in the middle Triassic. Sitting on the shores of a shallow sea, we watch a group of dolphin-like creatures with thin bodies and small flippers. What are they?

Answer: Mixosaurus

Named in 1887, Mixosaurus was one of the smallest of a group of marine reptiles called Ichthyosaurs. Contrary to popular belief, they were not dinosaurs as they belonged to a completely separate group of animals.

Ophthalmosaurus was a larger relative of Mixosaurus. It lived in England, Germany and France during the Middle and Late Jurassic.

Stagonolepis belonged to a group of animals called Thecodonts, which were the ancestors of dinosaurs and crocodiles.

Nothosaurus was a medium-sized long-necked marine reptile. It may have been the ancestor of the later Plesiosaurs.

10. We've arrived in the place that will one day become the country of England. The time clock has stopped at fifty million years, indicating that we're in the early Eocene. We spy a tiny, fur-covered creature sitting in the shade of a low-growing bush. It has a long tail, short pointed ears and what appears to be a stubby mane on the back of its neck. What is it?

Answer: Hyracotherium

Despite being no bigger than a house cat, Hyracotherium was actually the world's first horse.

Eomanis is the oldest known fossil pangolin (scaly ant-eater). It was discovered in Germany in 1978.

Icaronycteris is the oldest known bat. It lived fifty two million years ago in the USA during the early Eocene.

Moeritherium may have looked similar to a pigmy hippopotamus but it was actually an early elephant.

11. Here we are in the place that will one day become the U.S state of Colorado. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and fifty million years, indicating that we're back in the late Jurassic. As we wander through a forest, a group of dinosaurs no taller than ourselves, dashes past. They have long legs, short arms and a mouth like a parrot's beak. What are they?

Answer: Dryosaurus

Dryosaurus was named in 1894 by Othniel Charles Marsh. It lived alongside Apatosaurus, Coelurus, Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus, Diplodocus and Stegosaurus.

Heterodontosaurus means 'Different Toothed Lizard' in reference to its three different kinds of teeth: small chopping teeth at the front of the mouth, a pair of tusks in the middle and tall chewing teeth at the back.

When it was first discovered, scientists thought that Hypsilophodon lived in the tree-tops, but this is unlikely as it was unable to grasp branches.

Scutellosaurus had hundreds of small bony knobs set in the skin of its back and, so far, is the only Ornithopod known to have had this type of armour.

12. We've arrived in the place that will one day become South Africa. The time clock has stopped at two hundred million years, indicating that we're once again back in the early Jurassic. Under a shady tree, a small dinosaur appears to be guarding a pile of vegetation. It has large front teeth and squeaks loudly at us as we pass. What is it?

Answer: Lycorhinus

This particular Lycorhinus was guarding its nest and felt threatened by the presence of larger creatures. When this dinosaur was first discovered in 1924, it was thought to be an early mammal. It wasn't recognised as a dinosaur until the discovery of its relative, Heterodontosaurus, in 1962.

Segisaurus was named after Segi Canyon in Arizona, USA, where it was discovered in 1936.

Saltopus is one of the oldest known dinosaurs, discovered in Scotland in 1910.

The first fossils of Psittacosaurus were found in Mongolia in 1922. It was a distant relative of the more famous Triceratops.

13. Our next stop is in the place that will one day become the South American country of Argentina. The time clock has stopped at one million years, indicating that we're in the early Pleistocene. A large cat with enormous canine teeth sleeps under a shady tree. What is it?

Answer: Smilodon

Commonly called the Sabre-Toothed Tiger, Smilodon is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals. In some species, the canine teeth could measure up to thirty centimetres.

Toxodon was a large mammal, possibly related to elephants or rhinoceros. It's believed that they may have been hunted by prehistoric humans.

Thoatherium looked similar to a horse but was probably more closely related to camels.

Archaeotherium was an early species of pig that lived in Europe, North America and Asia, twenty five to fifty million years ago.

14. We've arrived in the place that will one day become central North America. Right now, however, it is covered with water. The time clock has stopped at eighty million years, indicating that we're once again back in the late Cretaceous. As we sit on the shore, the long neck of a marine reptile suddenly appears. What is it?

Answer: Elasmosaurus

Elasmosaurus was the largest known Plesiosaur. It hunted fish by swinging around its tiny head on the end of a seven-metre-long neck.

Plesiosaurus and Cryptoclidus were smaller relatives of Elasmosaurus but lived during the early Jurassic, well before their larger cousin.

Named after a European river, Mosasaurus was one of the largest marine reptiles. Its pointed teeth were used for piercing the shells of coiled swimming molluscs called Ammonites.

15. Our next stop is the place that will one day become the U.S state of California. The time clock has stopped at seventy million years, indicating that we're still in the late Cretaceous. Two large dinosaurs with pointed head crests are nipping at the leaves of a tall pine tree. What are they?

Answer: Saurolophus

Named by Barnum Brown in 1912, Saurolophus belonged to a large group of dinosaurs called Hadrosaurs. In its flat duck-like mouth it had approximately one thousand small teeth used to grind up vegetation.

Lambeosaurus, Corythosaurus and Hypacrosaurus also belonged to the Hadrosaur group and each had its own uniquely-shaped head crest. Scientists believe the crests may have been used for a variety of purposes, including magnification of sound, improvement in the sense of smell and attracting a mate.

16. We've arrived in the place that will one day become the U.S state of Montana. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and ten million years, indicating that we're in the early Cretaceous. We've come across a pack of small predatory dinosaurs feeding on the remains of a large herbivore. They all have long arms with grasping hands and on the second toe of each foot is a six-inch claw. What are they?

Answer: Deinonychus

Deinonychus means "Terrible Claw" and for good reason. The six-inch claw on the second toe of each foot was the main weapon, used to stab and slash at its prey. The first Deinonychus skeletons were found in 1964 and were lying beside the twenty-foot-long skeleton of the herbivore Tenontosaurus, leading some palaeontologists to suggest that Deinonychus lived and hunted in packs, similar to modern-day wolves.

Troodon, Velociraptor and Utahraptor were close relatives of Deinonychus, but while Velociraptor and Troodon were smaller, Utahraptor was as tall as a polar bear.

17. Our next stop is in the place that will one day become the country of France. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and fifty five million years, indicating that we're back in the late Jurassic. On the edge of a stream, a group of tiny dinosaurs, no bigger than a house cat, are chasing insects. What are they?

Answer: Compsognathus

Named in 1861, Compsognathus is one of the smallest known dinosaurs. It was a carnivore, feeding on insects, lizards and small mammals.

Despite their names, Clevosaurus and Claudiosaurus were not dinosaurs. Clevosaurus was a small lizard, similar to the modern Tuatara while Claudiosaurus was a fish-like marine reptile.

Ichthyornis was a late Cretaceous seabird, similar to today's seagull.

18. Here we are in the place that will one day become the U.S state of South Dakota. The time clock has stopped at one hundred and thirty five million years, indicating that we're still in the late Jurassic. A large dinosaur is standing under a tree, nipping at the spiky leaves of a low-growing cycad with its pointed beak. What is it?

Answer: Camptosaurus

Discovered in 1879, Camptosaurus was similar to its larger relative, Iguanodon. It had hundreds of teeth and may have lived in herds that grazed on both high and low-growing vegetation.

Othnielia was named after American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh.

Geranosaurus and Fabrosaurus were small herbivores from the early Jurassic of South Africa.

19. We have arrived in the place that will one day become the Canadian province of Alberta. The time clock has stopped at seventy-four million years, indicating that we've returned to the late Cretaceous. Two large dinosaurs with long, flat heads and duck-like mouths, are wallowing in a lake, eating water lilies. What are they?

Answer: Edmontosaurus

Measuring up to thirteen metres long, Anatosaurus was first discovered in 1917 and has been known by a selection of different names including Diclonius and Trachodon.

Maiasaura means 'Good Mother Lizard' after scientists discovered evidence that it cared for its young, feeding them until they were large enough to leave the nest and join the herd.

In 1858 Hadrosaurus became the first North American dinosaur to be named.

Parasaurolophus was one of the most bizarre dinosaurs. Its hollow tubular head crest measured almost two metres long.

20. Our last stop is in the place that will one day become the African country of Ethiopia. The time clock has stopped at four million years, indicating that we're in the late Pliocene. Sitting under a tree, eating nuts and berries, is a troop of creatures similar to modern humans. What are they?

Answer: Australopithecus

Named in 1925, Australopithecus is the oldest known fossil human. It fed on fruit, nuts and small mammals.

Ramapithecus was a smaller relative of Australopithecus, but lived eleven million years earlier during the middle Miocene.

Purgatorius was a small primate, similar to monkeys and lemurs

Standing four metres tall, Mammuthus was the largest known elephant, twice the height of the more famous Woolly Mammoth.

Source: Author ElusiveDream

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Hi! I'm Bella Dalton! This is my little brother, Matthew. We're going for a ride into Earth's past in our time machine. Why don't you come with us and see if you can identify the different creatures that we see?

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