Prehistoric Who am I? Part 6 Online Quiz | Sci / Tech

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who am I? I was a medium-sized Tyrannosaur. I lived in Mongolia during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and my name means "Different branch".

Answer: Alioramus

Named by Sergei Kurzanov in 1976, Alioramus is known from a single partial skeleton consisting of parts of the skull and some foot bones. Its name comes from the fact that it represents a distinct branch of Tyrannosaurid evolution that left the main evolutionary line early in the late Cretaceous.

The other animals listed were also Tyrannosaurs. Nanotyrannus means "Dwarf tyrant", Albertosaurus means "Alberta lizard" and Appalachiosaurus means "Lizard of the Appalachians".

2. Who am I? Perhaps the most famous dinosaur, I lived in Canada and the USA during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. One of the largest known land predators, my name means "Tyrant lizard king".

Answer: Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex was named by Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1905.

Until the discoveries of Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus in the 1990s, T-Rex held the record for being the biggest known land-living predator of all time. Scans of the skull and brain cavity have shown that the senses of smell and vision were better than those of modern hawks and eagles. It's known from over fifty specimens, though none are fully complete. The largest, nicknamed "Sue" (after the palaeontologist who found it), stands in the foyer of the Field Museum in Chicago, USA.

The other animals listed were also Tyrannosaurs. Gorgosaurus means "Gorgon lizard", Tarbosaurus means "Alarming lizard" and Daspletosaurus means "Frightful lizard".

3. Who am I? My name means "Southern lizard". I was a Sauropod dinosaur and I lived in South America during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Antarctosaurus

Antarctosaurus was named by Friedrich von Huene in 1929.

By the beginning of the late Cretaceous, the majority of the big Sauropods were extinct, leaving only one group, the Titanosaurs. Antarctosaurus is known from a partial skeleton consisting of the skull, shoulders and parts of the legs and hips.

The other animals listed were also Titanosaurs. Andesaurus means "Lizard of the Andes", Titanosaurus means "Titanic lizard" (not after the Titanic but rather the Titans of Greek mythology) and Paralititan means "Giant of the beaches".

4. I was a Sauropod dinosaur with an unusual feature: I had spikes and armour plating on my back. My name means "Vineyard lizard" and I lived in France during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. Who am I?

Answer: Ampelosaurus

Ampelosaurus was named by Jean Le Loeuff in 1995.

It seemed so unlikely for Sauropods to have armour that for years palaeontologists believed the armour found with some Titanosaur fossils actually belonged to Ankylosaurs. Ampelosaurus is known from several specimens found in a late Cretaceous riverbed.

The other animals listed were also Titanosaurs. Laplatasaurus means "Lizard from La Plata", Neuquensaurus means "Lizard from the Neuqu�n Group" and Saltasaurus means "Lizard of Salta Province".

5. My long and rather complicated name means "Posterior cavity tail". I was a Sauropod dinosaur and I lived in Mongolia during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the late Cretaceous period. Who am I?

Answer: Opisthocoelicaudia

Named by Maria Magdalena Borsuk-Bialynicka in 1977, Opisthocoelicaudia is known from a single almost complete skeleton, consisting of everything but the head and neck. Unlike a number of other Titanosaurs, Opisthocoelicaudia is not believed to have had any armour.

The other animals listed were also Titanosaurs. Aegyptosaurus means "Egyptian lizard", Rapetosaurus was named after a creature in Madagascan mythology and Nemegtosaurus means "Lizard from the Nemegt Formation".

6. I lived in Spain and France during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. I was a Sauropod dinosaur with a name meaning "Highest lizard". Who am I?

Answer: Hypselosaurus

Named by Pierre Emile Philippe Matheron in 1869, Hypselosaurus is known from the partial remains of at least ten individuals, although palaeontologists still don't know whether or not it had armour like some of its relatives. The eggs of this dinosaur were roughly twice the size of an ostrich egg.

The other animals listed were also Titanosaurs. Aeolosaurus means "Windy lizard", Gondwanatitan means "Giant from Gondwana" and Magyarosaurus means "Magyar lizard".

7. Who am I? My name means "Heavy lizard". I lived in South America during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and I was a Sauropod dinosaur.

Answer: Epachthosaurus

Named by J. E. Powell in 1990, Epachthosaurus is known from a single almost complete skeleton, missing only the head, neck and the end of the tail. It was found in a rather peculiar position, lying on its stomach with its hind legs crumpled beneath it and its front legs splayed out.

The other animals listed were also Titanosaurs. Bonitasaura means "La Bonita lizard", Alamosaurus means "Ojo Alamo lizard" and Pellegrinisaurus means "Lizard from Pellegrini".

8. Who am I? I was a small Ornithopod dinosaur with a name meaning "Mountain runner". I lived in the USA during the Campanian stage of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Orodromeus

Named by John Horner and David Weishampel in 1988, Orodromeus is known from a single partial skeleton. Eggs and nests discovered at a site palaeontologists call "Egg Mountain" were once thought to belong to Orodromeus, but were later shown to have belonged to the small Theropod, Troodon.

The other animals listed were also Ornithopods. Oryctodromeus means "Digging runner", Gasparinisaura means "Gasparini's lizard" and Thescelosaurus means "Wonderful lizard".

9. Who am I? My name means "Marsh lizard". I lived in Spain, France and Romania during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and I was a medium-sized Hadrosaur.

Answer: Telmatosaurus

Named by Franz Nopsca in 1899, Telmatosaurus is known from several partial skulls along with other pieces of the skeleton. It is one of the few Hadrosaurs discovered in Europe and its small size when compared to other Hadrosaurs may be due to the fact that it lived on isolated islands.

The other animals listed were also Hadrosaurs. Protohadros means "First hadrosaur", Gilmoreosaurus means "Charles Gilmore's lizard" and Equijubus means "Horse's mane" (after the site of discovery).

10. I was a large Hadrosaur. I lived in China during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the late Cretaceous period and my name means "Manchurian lizard". Who am I?

Answer: Mandschurosaurus

Named by Anatoly Nicolaevich Riabinin in 1930, Mandschurosaurus was the first dinosaur to be discovered in China. It's known from a single partial skeleton displayed in the Central Geological and Prospecting Museum in Leningrad, Russia (though most of the skeleton has been recreated from plaster).

The other animals listed were also Hadrosaurs. Bactrosaurus means "Club lizard", Claosaurus means "Broken lizard" and Secernosaurus means "Separate lizard".

11. Who am I? I was one of the largest Hadrosaurs. I lived in China during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and I'm named after a figure in Greek mythology.

Answer: Charonosaurus

Named by Pascal Godefroit, S. Zan and L. Jin in 2000, Charonosaurus ("Charon's lizard") was named after Charon, the ferryman who transported the souls of the dead across the River Styx to the Underworld. Charonosaurus is known from a partial skeleton and appears to have been very similar to its close relative, Parasaurolophus. It had a hollow crest on its head which was probably used for communication and display.

The other animals were also Hadrosaurs. Lambeosaurus means "Lambe's lizard", Tsintaosaurus means "Lizard from Tsintao" and Parasaurolophus means "Near crested lizard".

12. I lived in Russia during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. My name means "Giant swan" and I was a large Hadrosaur with a spectacular head crest. Who am I?

Answer: Olorotitan

Named by Pascal Godefroit, Vladimir Alifanov and Yuri Bolotsky in 2003, Olorotitan is the most complete Russian dinosaur skeleton ever found. It was a Hadrosaur and its spectacular hatchet-shaped crest was hollow which may have been brightly coloured to aid in recognition and attracting a mate. It may also have been used for communication. The crest was filled with the nasal passages and air passing through these tubes would have made a distinctive honking noise like the sound made by a trombone.

The other animals listed were also Hadrosaurs. Nipponosaurus means "Japanese lizard", Hypacrosaurus means "Near the highest lizard" and Corythosaurus means "Helmet lizard".

13. Who am I? I was a large Hadrosaur and I lived in Russia during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. I was named after a mythological dog.

Answer: Kerberosaurus

Named by Yuri Bolotsky and Pascal Godefroit in 2004, Kerberosaurus is known from a single one-metre-long skull. It was named after Cerberus, the guard dog of the ancient Greek underworld. Like its relatives, it had a solid mass of tightly interlocked teeth to help it crush tough vegetation.

The other animals listed were also Hadrosaurs. Aralosaurus means "Aral Sea lizard", Gryposaurus means "Hook-nosed lizard" and Kritosaurus means "Separated lizard".

14. Who am I? My name means "Good Mother lizard" as there is evidence that I fed and cared for my young until they were old enough to fend for themselves. I lived in the USA during the Campanian stage of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Maiasaura

Named by John Horner and Robert Makela in 1979, Maiasaura is known from a huge nesting colony found in Montana in 1978. In this particular area, palaeontologists uncovered the skeletons of more than two hundred hatchlings, juveniles and mature adults. When the bones were studied, it was discovered that the teeth of the hatchlings were worn down, suggesting that the hatchlings stayed in the nest for some time and were fed by their parents until they were big enough to join the herd.

The other animals listed were also Hadrosaurs. Saurolophus means "Lizard crest", Brachylophosaurus means "Short-crested lizard" and Prosaurolophus means "Before Saurolophus".

15. Who am I? I was one of the largest flat-headed Hadrosaurs. My name means "Giant duck" and I lived in the USA during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Anatotitan

Once known as Anatosaurus and even as Trachodon, Anatotitan was named by Michael Brett-Surman and Ralph Chapman in 1990. It's known from two almost complete skeletons. Unlike some other Hadrosaurs, it didn't have a head crest. Instead, it had an inflatable flap of loose skin on its snout which it could use to produce sound, much like the throat pouches of many modern frogs.

The other animals listed were also flat-headed Hadrosaurs. Tanius means "Of Tan", Edmontosaurus means "Edmonton lizard" and Shantungosaurus means "Shandong lizard".

16. I was a tiny Ornithopod dinosaur with the distinction of having the longest dinosaur name on record. I lived in China during the Campanian stage of the late Cretaceous period. Who am I?

Answer: Micropachycephalosaurus

Named by Dong Zhiming in 1978, Micropachycephalosaurus ("Small thick-headed lizard") is known from a single partial skeleton. Although classed as an Ornithopod, some palaeontologists believe it may have been an ancestor of the Ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs).

The other animals list were also Ornithopods. Goyocephale means "Adorned head", Homalocephale means "Even head" and Wannanosaurus means "Lizard from Wannan".

17. My name means "Swollen head". I lived in Mongolia during the Campanian stage of the late Cretaceous period and I was a small Pachycephalosaur. Who am I?

Answer: Tylocephale

Most of what we know about Pachycephalosaurs is based on their large, domed skulls as there are very few skeletons. Named by Teresa Maryanska and Halszka Osmolska in 1974, Tylocephale is known from a single partial skeleton. Despite being small, it had the tallest head dome of any known Pachycephalosaur.

The other animals listed were also Pachycephalosaurs. Stegoceras means "Roof horn", Hansuesia was named after Hans-Dieter Sues (a Canadian palaeontologist) and Colepiocephale means "Knucklehead".

18. I lived in the USA during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the late Cretaceous period. I was a small Pachycephalosaur with a name meaning "Spherical dome". Who am I?

Answer: Sphaerotholus

Named by T. E. Williamson and T. D. Carr in 2003, Sphaerotholus is known from only two skulls. For a long time, palaeontologists have wondered why Pachycephalosaurs had such thick skulls. The most popular theory is that males competed in head-butting contests with rivals, to either win a mate or leadership of the herd. However, it seems that the radiating bone structure that would have made the head a powerful battering ram was only present in juveniles and not adults. An alternate theory is that the head dome was the base of a giant horn or crest.

The other animals listed were also Pachycephalosaurs. Stygimoloch means "Demon from the River Styx", Prenocephale means "Sloped head" and Pachycephalosaurus means "Thick-headed lizard".

19. Who am I? I was a small primitive short-frilled Ceratopsian. My name means "First horned face" and I lived in China and Mongolia during the Santonian and Campanian stages of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Protoceratops

Named by Walter Granger and William King Gregory in 1923, Protoceratops is probably the most well-known of the early Ceratopsians. Dozens of skeletons, along with eggs and nests, were discovered during an expedition to Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Unlike its later relatives, it had no horns.

The other animals listed were also short-frilled Ceratopsians. Bagaceratops means "Small horned face", Graciliceratops means "Graceful horned face" and Breviceratops means "Short horned face".

20. Who am I? My name means "Turanian horned face". I was a small primitive short-frilled Ceratopsian and I lived in Kazakstan during the Cenomanian and Turonian stages of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Turanoceratops

Named by L. A. Nessov, L. F. Kaznyshkina and G. O. Cherepanov in 1989, Turanoceratops is the only brow-horned Ceratopsian to have been discovered in Asia and is known from a partial skeleton which includes a damaged jaw bone. It's possible that it may have migrated to Asia after evolving in North America.

The other animals listed were also short-frilled Ceratopsians. Zuniceratops means "Horned face of the Zuni tribe", Leptoceratops means "Slender horned face" and Montanoceratops means "Horned face from Montana".

21. Who am I? I lived in the USA during the Campanian stage of the late Cretaceous period. I was a medium-sized short-frilled Ceratopsian with a name meaning "Ava's horned face".

Answer: Avaceratops

There were two groups of Ceratopsians: long-frilled and short-frilled.

Avaceratops was first discovered by Eddie Cole in 1981 and when it was named by Peter Dodson in 1986, he chose to name it after Eddie's wife, Ava. It's known from an almost complete skeleton, missing only the hips, half the tail and the roof of the skull.

The other animals listed were also short-frilled Ceratopsians. Styracosaurus means "Spiked lizard", Monoclonius means "Single stem" and Centrosaurus means "Pointed lizard".

22. I was a large short-frilled Ceratopsian with a massive lump of bone on my nose. My name means "Thick-nosed lizard" and I lived in Alaska and Canada during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. Who am I?

Answer: Pachyrhinosaurus

Named by Charles Sternberg in 1950, Pachyrhinosaurus is known from dozens of partial skulls and skeletons. Its most distinctive feature is the bony lump on its nose where, in other Ceratopsians, there is a horn. Some palaeontologists think this bony lump may have been the base of a massive horn made of keratin, the same substance that makes up our fingernails.

The other animals listed were also short-frilled Ceratopsians. Brachyceratops means "Short horned face", Achelousaurus means "Lizard of Acheloo" and Einiosaurus means "Bison lizard".

23. I lived in Canada and the USA during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period. I was a large long-frilled Ceratopsian with a name meaning "Chasm lizard". Who am I?

Answer: Chasmosaurus

Named by Lawrence Lambe in 1904, Chasmosaurus is known from several skulls and skeletons. Its most distinctive feature is its huge neck frill. The weight of the frill was kept to a minimum by large holes. In life, the frill was covered in skin and probably used for display.

The other animals listed were also long-frilled Ceratopsians. Arrhinoceratops means "No nose-horn face" (although it did actually have a nose horn), Pentaceratops means "Five horned face" (because its pointed cheek bones were mistaken for horns) and Anchiceratops means "Close horned face".

24. The largest of the Ceratopsians, I'm one of the most famous and easily-recognised dinosaurs. I lived in Canada and the USA during the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and my name means "Three horned face". Who am I?

Answer: Triceratops

Named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889, Triceratops is the most famous Ceratopsian and is known from dozens of specimens representing all life stages from hatchlings to adults. It had a small horn on the nose and a one-metre-long horn above each eye. Unlike other Ceratopsians, its neck frill was a heavy mass of solid bone. There are two known species, Triceratops horridus, and the larger Triceratops prorsus. However, some palaeontologists think there was only one species, with the larger ones being male and the smaller ones female.

The other animals listed were also Ceratopsians. Torosaurus means "Perforated lizard", Auroraceratops means "Dawn horned face" and Nedoceratops means "Insufficient horned face".

25. Who am I? I was a large primitive Ankylosaur. My name means "Roof shield" and I lived in the USA from the Albian stage of the early Cretaceous to the Cenomanian stage of the late Cretaceous period.

Answer: Stegopelta

Named by Samuel Williston in 1905, Stegopelta is known from a single partial skeleton and was once thought to be a specimen of Nodosaurus. Its armour consisted of broad scutes and lumps of bone covering the neck, back, tail and top of the head.

The other animals listed were also early Ankylosaurs. Hylaeosaurus means "Woodland lizard", Pawpawsaurus means "Pawpaw lizard" and Glyptodontosaurus means "Glyptodon sheild".

Source: Author ElusiveDream

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

Prehistoric Who am I? Part 6 Trivia Quiz

Here it is! Prehistoric Who am I? Part 6. In this quiz, you'll meet another twenty-five animals from the Cretaceous period.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>