The Dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park" Quiz

Answer: True

At the end of its tail, Stegosaurus had two pairs of one-metre-long spikes. Since it was a herbivore (plant-eater), Palaeontologists believe Stegosaurus used its tail spikes for defence against large predators.

Answer: a bony shield

In addition to its three horns, Triceratops also had a wide, bony shield that stretched over the back of its neck. It would probably have been quite difficult for a predator, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, to fit its large head behind the shield.

Answer: False

In fact, the majority of the dinosaurs featured in the "Jurassic Park" movies, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, actually lived during the Cretaceous Period. Only five (Dilophosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Ceratosaurus and Compsognathus) lived during the Jurassic.

The first T-Rex fossils were found in Wyoming, USA, in 1902. It was named in 1908. T-Rex stood six metres tall, measured between twelve and fourteen metres long and weighed approximately 6000kg.

Answer: False

Pachycephalosaurus, the "Thick-Headed Lizard", was a herbivore. It roamed in herds across the Late Cretaceous landscapes of North America, feeding on leaves and berries.

Answer: It had a horn on its nose

At six metres in length, Ceratosaurus, the "Horned Lizard", was less than half the length of an adult T-Rex.

Its most unusual feature was the small, stumpy horn on its nose. Being a carnivore (meat-eater), Ceratosaurus probably used its horn for display rather than self-protection.

Answer: False

Contrary to popular belief, Pteranodon was not a dinosaur. It belonged to a separate group of animals called Pterosaurs and, with a wingspan of seven metres, was one of the largest.

Answer: True

First discovered in Europe in the late 1850's, Compsognathus was tiny, often measuring no more than 70 centimetres in length. It was a carnivore, feeding on insects, lizards and small mammals.

Answer: False

The name Suchomimus means "Crocodile Mimic", in reference to its long, flat crocodile-like head.

Suchomimus was discovered in Northern Africa in 1998.

While Suchomimus and its close relative, Baryonyx, make no physical appearance in any of the "Jurassic Park" movies, their names are mentioned in a scene in "Jurassic Park 3".

Answer: To support its long neck

Named in 1903, Brachiosaurus was one of the largest dinosaurs. It measured 22 metres long, stood twelve metres tall and weighed a staggering 77,000kg.

To support the weight of its long neck, the front legs of Brachiosaurus were longer than its back legs.

Answer: False

While searching for fossils in a clay pit in Southern England in 1983, William Walker discovered the enormous claws of Baryonyx.

The partial skeleton that was later uncovered is on display at London's Natural History Museum..

Answer: True

The sail was made from thin skin and supported by a set of spines that grew from the dinosaur's vertebrae. Some palaeontologists believe the sail was a kind of temperature regulator. Others think the sail might have been used for display.

Answer: v-shaped

In the case of Dilophosaurus, the movie-makers only got two things right about its physical appearance: the fact that it was a carnivore and the V-shaped crest on its head.

"Jurassic Park" depicted Dilophosaurus as being a small animal when, in fact, it was quite big, with a length of six metres. There is also no fossil evidence to suggest that Dilophosaurus was poisonous or had a extendable neck frill.

Answer: It had no teeth

While the majority of dinosaurs did have teeth, Gallimimus and its close relatives Ornithomimus, Dromiceiomimus and Struthiomimus didn't have a single tooth in their mouths. They probably fed on fruit, lizards and insects.

Answer: three feet

In fact, Velociraptor stood no taller than a German Shepherd dog. However, while "Jurassic Park" was still being filmed, palaeontologists working in Wyoming, USA, found the remains of Utahraptor, which was roughly the same size as the "Jurassic Park" raptors.

Answer: hollow crests

Palaeontologists have come up with various theories to explain what the crests were used for. Some believe they could have been a type of recognition device, to help these dinosaurs identify others of their own species. It's also possible that, because the crests were hollow and contained the nasal passages, there may have been an improvement in the sense of smell.

Another theory is that the crests acted as resonating chambers to increase the volume the dinosaur's roars.