Prehistoric Who am I? Part 3 Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I was a Sauropod dinosaur. I lived in Africa during the Hettangian stage of the early Jurassic period and my name means "Volcano tooth". Who am I?

Answer: Vulcanodon

Named by Michael Raath in 1972, Vulcanodon is known from only from a partial skeleton consisting mostly of vertebrae, hip and legs bones. When first discovered, it was originally regarded as a Prosauropod.

Of the other animals listed, two (Barapasaurus and Kotasaurus) were Sauropods and one (Yimenosaurus) was a Prosauropod. Kotasaurus means "Lizard from Kota Formation", Yimenosaurus means "Lizard from Yimen" and Barapasaurus means "Big-legged lizard".

2. My name means "Different toothed lizard". I lived in South Africa during the Hettangian and Sinemurian stages of the early Jurassic period. I was a small Ornithopod dinosaur. Who am I?

Answer: Heterodontosaurus

Named by Alfred Crompton and Alan Charig in 1962, Heterodontosaurus had sharp stabbing teeth at the front of the mouth, a pair of canine tusks in the middle and closely-packed grinding teeth at the back.

The other animals listed were also small Ornithopods. Lanasaurus means "Woolly lizard", Abrictosaurus means "Wide-awake lizard" and Lesothosaurus means "Lizard from Lesotho".

3. I was a primitive armoured dinosaur with a name that was created from an acronym. I lived in Germany during the Toarcian stage of the early Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Emausaurus

The name Emausaurus comes from the acronym of Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University with the word 'saurus', meaning "lizard", attached. The name was created by Harmut Haubold in 1990. It's known from a partial skeleton consisting of the skull and a few pieces of armour plating.

Of the other animals listed, one (Gongxianosaurus) was a Prosauropod and two (Scelidosaurus and Scutellosaurus) were primitive armoured dinosaurs. Scelidosaurus means "Leg lizard", Gongxianosaurus means "Lizard from Gonxian County" and Scutellosaurus means "Little shield lizard".

4. Who am I? I was a tiny insectivorous mammal that looked something like a mouse. My name means "Big head" and I lived in China during the Sinemurian stage of the early Jurassic period.

Answer: Hadrocodium

Named by Ai-Lin Sun, Zhe-Xe Luo and Alfred Crompton in 2001, Hadrocodium is the smallest known mammal. The only part of its skeleton so far discovered is its skull.

The other animals listed were also early mammals. Oligokyphus means "Small and curved", Kuehneotherium means "Kuhne's beast" and Megazostrodon means "Large girdle tooth".

5. Who am I? I lived in Southern England during the Callovian stage of the middle Jurassic period. My name means "Well-curved vertebrae" and I was a large Theropod dinosaur.

Answer: Eustreptospondylus

Named by Alick Walker in 1964, Eustreptospondylus is known from an almost complete skeleton discovered in 1871. This skeleton is now on display in the University Museum in Oxford, England.

The other animals listed were also large Theropod dinosaurs. Megalosaurus means "Big lizard", Magnosaurus means "Huge lizard" and Poekilopleuron means "Varying side".

6. Who am I? I was a medium-sized Theropod dinosaur with a hollow crest on my head. My name means "Single crested lizard" and I lived in China during the Oxfordian stage of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Monolophosaurus

Named by Philip Currie and Zhao Xijin in 1994, the crest of Monolophosaurus may have been used as a signalling device to communicate with others through sound or to attract a mate.

Of the other animals listed, two (Gasosaurus and Xuanhanosaurus) were Theropods and one (Lufengosaurus) was a Prosauropod. Gasosaurus means "Gas company lizard" (it was discovered by workers from a Chinese gas company), Lufengosaurus means "Lufeng lizard" and Xuanhanosaurus means "Lizard from Xuanhan County".

7. I lived in Argentina from the Callovian stage of the middle Jurassic period to the Oxfordian stage of the late Jurassic period. I was a large Theropod dinosaur with a name meaning "Piatnitzky's lizard". Who am I?

Answer: Piatnitzkysaurus

Piatnitzkysaurus was named by Jose Bonaparte in 1986 in honour of his friend and Geologist, Alejandro Piatnitzky. It's known from two partial skeletons discovered in the 1970s.

The other animals listed were also Theropods. Kaijiangosaurus means "Lizard from the Kiajiang River", Proceratosaurus means "Before Ceratosaurus" and Ozraptor means "Australian thief".

8. I was a Sauropod dinosaur. My name means "Chieftain lizard" and I lived in China during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the middle Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Datousaurus

Named by Dong Zhiming and Tang Zhilu in 1984, Datousaurus is known from two incomplete skeletons discovered in central China.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Mamenchisaurus means "Lizard from Mamen Brook", Omeisaurus means "Lizard from Mount O-mei" and Shunosaurus means "Shu lizard".

9. My name means "Almond tooth". I was a Sauropod dinosaur and I lived in Argentina during the Bajocian stage of the middle Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Amygdalodon

Named by Angel Cabrera in 1947, Amygdalodon is known from two partial skeletons consisting of vertebrae, ribs, teeth and hip bones.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Amphicoelias means "Bi-concave", Patagosaurus means "Lizard from Patagonia" and Cetiosaurus means "Whale lizard".

10. Who am I? I lived in Australia during the Aalenian and Bajocian stages of the middle Jurassic period. I was a Sauropod dinosaur with a name meaning "Rhoetos lizard".

Answer: Rhoetosaurus

Named by Heber Longman in 1925, Rhoetosaurus is one of only four Sauropods found in Australia (the others are Austrosaurus, Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus).

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Lapparentosaurus means "Lapparent's lizard", Cetiosauriscus means "Like Cetiosaurus" and Volkheimeria means "Of Volkheimer".

11. Who am I? My name means "Lizard from the Fergana Valley". I was a Sauropod dinosaur and I lived in Kyrgyzstan during the Callovian stage of the middle Jurassic period.

Answer: Ferganasaurus

Named by Alexander Averianov and Vladimir Alifanov in 2003, Ferganasaurus is one of a small number of dinosaurs discovered in Kyrgyzstan's Fergana Valley (others include Ferganastegos and Ferganocephale). Unfortunately, the original skeleton found in 1966 is lost, so today's palaeontologists only have drawings of the bones to work with.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Bellusaurus means "Beautiful lizard", Bothriospondylus means "Furrowed vertebrae" and Europasaurus means "Lizard from Europe".

12. Who am I? I was a small Ornithopod dinosaur and I lived in China during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the middle Jurassic period. My name means "Fast lizard".

Answer: Agilisaurus

Named by Peng Guangzhou in 1992, Agilisaurus is known from an almost complete skeleton discovered in 1915. It was a low browser, probably feeding on small bushes and ferns.

The other animals listed were also Ornithopods. Tianyulong means "Tianyu dragon", Yandusaurus means "Lizard from Yandu" and Kulindadromeus means "Kulinda runner".

13. I was a medium-sized early Stegosaur with a name meaning "Lizard from Huayang". I lived in China during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the middle Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Huayangosaurus

Named by Dong Zhiming, Tang Zhilu and Zhou Shiwu in 1982, Huayangosaurus had a set of narrow plates and spines on its back and its tail carried four long spikes. It also had a pair of spikes sticking out of its shoulders.

Of the other animals listed, one (Lexovisaurus) was a Stegosaur, one (Tianchisaurus) was an Ankylosaur and one (Suuwassea) was a Sauropod. Tianchisaurus means "Tian Chi lizard", Lexovisaurus means "Lizard of the Lexovi tribe" and Suuwassea means "Ancient thunder".

14. I lived in Southern England during the Kimmeridgian stage of the late Jurassic period. I was a medium-sized Ichthyosaur and my name means "Broad wing". Who am I?

Answer: Brachypterygius

Named by Friedrich von Huene in 1922, Brachypterygius was among the last of the Icythyosaurs, a group of marine reptiles that looked very similar to dolphins. They were common throughout the Triassic and Jurassic periods but became extinct at the beginning of the Cretaceous.

The other animals listed were also Ichthyosaurs. Nannopterygius means "Little wing", Leptonectes means "Delicate swimmer" and Aegirosaurus means "Aegir's lizard".

15. I was a large marine reptile belonging to a group called Pliosaurs. My name means "Smooth-sided tooth" and I lived in England, France, Germany and Russia during the Callovian stage of the middle Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Liopleurodon

Named by Henri Emile Sauvage in 1873, Liopleurodon was the top predator of the Jurassic seas, feeding on other marine reptiles including Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs.

Of the other animals listed, two were Plesiosaurs and one was a Pliosaur. Cryptoclidus means "Hidden collar bone", Peloneustes means "Mud swimmer" and Muraenosaurus means "Eel lizard".

16. Who am I? I was a relatively small Pterosaur. I lived in Spain, Germany, England and Africa during the Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian stages of the late Jurassic period and my name means "Beak snout".

Answer: Rhamphorhynchus

Named by Herman von Meyer in 1847, Rhamphorhynchus is known from partial skeletons discovered in England, Africa and Spain as well as some beautifully preserved complete skeletons discovered in Germany which not only show the bones but also impressions of the wings.

The other animals listed were also Pterosaurs. Anurognathus means "Without tail jaw", Sordes means "Filth" and Batrachognathus means "Frog face".

17. Who am I? With a name meaning "Wing finger", I'm one of the most well known Pterosaurs. I lived in Germany, France, England and Africa during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Pterodactylus

Named by George Cuvier in 1809 from fossils found in 1784, Pterodactylus was first thought to have been an aquatic animal. It wasn't until 1800 that Johann Hermann, a German/French scientist, suggested that the elongated fourth finger supported a wing. It wasn't until 1817, when a second specimen was found that Pterodactylus was finally shown to be a flying animal.

The other animals listed were also Pterosaurs. Gnathosaurus means "Jaw lizard", Ctenochasma means "Comb mouth" and Gallodactylus means "Finger from Gaul".

18. Who am I? My name means "Savage lizard". I was a large Theropod dinosaur and I lived in the USA during the Tithonian stage of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Torvosaurus

Named by James Jensen and Peter Galton in 1979, Torvosaurus is known from only a handful of bones including pieces of the skull, hips and neck vertebrae, found in the Dry Mesa Quarry in Colorado, USA, in 1971.

The other animals listed were also Theropods. Ceratosaurus means "Horned lizard", Berberosaurus means "Berber lizard" and Edmarka was named after palaeontologist, Dr William Edmark.

19. I lived in China during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the late Jurassic period. I was a large Theropod dinosaur with a name meaning "Chinese hunter". Who am I?

Answer: Sinraptor

Named by Philip Currie and Xian Zhao in 1994, Sinraptor is known from an almost complete skeleton discovered in China's Shishugou Formation in 1987.

The other animals listed were also Theropods. Yangchuanosaurus means "Lizard from Yangchuan District", Szechuanosaurus means "Lizard from Szechuan Province" and Lourinhanosaurus means "Lizard from the Lourinha Formation".

20. I was a large Theropod dinosaur and my name means "The greatest reptile eater". I lived in the USA during the Kimmeridgian stage of the late Jurassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Saurophaganax

Named by Don Chure in 1995, Saurophaganax is known from a partial skeleton discovered near Kenton in Cimmarron County, Oklahoma, USA, in 1931. It is the official state fossil of Oklahoma.

The other animals listed were also Theropods. Marshosaurus means "Marsh's lizard", Stokesosaurus means "Lee Stoke's reptile" and Allosaurus means "Different lizard".

21. I was one of the smallest Theropod dinosaurs, standing no taller than a turkey. I lived in France and Germany during the Tithonian stage of the late Jurassic period. My name mean "Elegant jaw". Who am I?

Answer: Compsognathus

Named by Johann Andreas Wagner in 1859, Compsognathus was once thought to have been the smallest dinosaur, but we now know that some dinosaurs were even smaller. We even know what this dinosaur ate, as a beautifully-preserved specimen found in Germany has the remains of a lizard in the stomach region.

The other animals listed were also Theropods. Ornitholestes means "Bird robber", Coelurus means "Hollow tail" and Elaphrosaurus means "Light lizard".

22. Who am I? I'm sometimes thought of as being one of the most important prehistoric animals ever discovered. My name means "Ancient wing" and I lived in southern Germany during the Kimmeridgian stage of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Archaeopteryx

It's long been said that birds are the direct descendants of dinosaurs. In November 1859, Charles Darwin wrote a book titled 'On the Origin of Species'. He was the first person to suggest that, over many generations, animals changed and evolved to suit the environments in which they lived. This got people asking questions. If evolution really existed, where was the evidence to prove it? Less than two years after the book was published, the first fossils of Archaeopteryx were discovered and it clearly showed a mix of both bird and dinosaur features. It had teeth and a bony tail like a dinosaur but it also had wings and feathers like a bird.

The other animals listed were dinosaurs. Pedopenna means "Feathery foot", Epidendrosaurus means "Lizard in the tree" and Koparion was named after an ancient surgical tool.

23. Who am I? My name means "Arm lizard" because my front legs were longer than my back legs. I was one of the largest land animals that ever existed. I lived in the USA during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Brachiosaurus

Named by Elmer Riggs in 1903, Brachiosaurus is probably one of the most well-known Sauropods. With its head raised, it may have stood as tall as twelve metres. Being big and tall had its advantages: it could reach vegetation that other herbivores couldn't get to and its size made it less of a target for predators.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Giraffatitan means "Giraffe giant", Camarasaurus means "Chambered lizard" and Lusotitan means "Giant from Portugal".

24. Who am I? I was a Sauropod dinosaur. My name means "Tremor lizard" because I was so big and heavy that when I walked the ground shook. I lived in the USA during the Kimmeridgian stage of the late Jurassic period.

Answer: Seismosaurus

Named by David Gillette in 1991, Seismosaurus is known from a single partial specimen that took thirteen years to excavate. This specimen consists of vertebrae as well as ribs, parts of the pelvis and a handful of stomach stones.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Diplodocus means "Double beam", Supersaurus means "Super lizard" and Barosaurus means "Heavy lizard".

25. A Sauropod, I'm one of the most famous dinosaurs. I lived in the USA during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the late Jurassic period and my name means "Deceptive lizard". Who am I?

Answer: Apatosaurus

In 1877, Othniel Charles Marsh discovered a partial skeleton and named the new dinosaur Apatosaurus. Two years later, he discovered a more complete skeleton which he named Brontosaurus (meaning "Thunder lizard"). It wasn't until the twentieth century that palaeontologists realised Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus were actually the same animal. An animal can only have one name, the first one given. Therefore, Apatosaurus is the official name.

The other animals listed were also Sauropods. Brachytrachelopan means "Short-necked shepherd", Dicreaosaurus means "Two forked lizard" and Eobrontosaurus means "Before thunder lizard".

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.

Welcome to Prehistoric Who am I? Part 3. This time you'll get to know twenty-five animals from the Jurassic period.

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