Giganotosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(98–97 mya) - Where: South America
- What: Theropod
- Weight: 8–13 tons
- Length: 12–13 meters
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Discovered: 1995
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous Period: The Dinosaurs’ Final Chapter
Step into the Cretaceous Period, the grand finale of the Age of Dinosaurs, which lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago!
During this time, the world was buzzing with life, and dinosaurs like the enormous Triceratops, fierce Tyrannosaurus rex, and the armored Ankylosaurus roamed the land.
Flowering plants and colorful flowers started to bloom for the first time, making the world even more vibrant.
New kinds of birds soared above, while the oceans teemed with gigantic sea creatures and the first modern sharks.
Imagine a world where lush forests, buzzing insects, and some of the most famous dinosaurs ever to live created a scene straight out of a prehistoric adventure.
The Cretaceous was a time of amazing discoveries and dramatic changes, leading up to the end of the dinosaurs’ reign on Earth.
Hadrosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(80–75 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Hadrosaur
- Weight: 2.5 metric tons
- Length: 7–10 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: Joseph Leidy in 1858
Mosasaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(82–66 mya) - Where: Worldwide
- What: Mosasaur squamate
- Weight: 15 metric tons
- Length: 12–17 meters
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Discovered: 1822
Oviraptor
- When: Late Cretaceous
(85–70 mya) - Where: Asia
- What: Theropod
- Weight: 20–30 kg
- Length: 1.5–2 meters
- Diet: Likely omnivorous
- Discovered: 1924
Pachycephalosaurus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(70–65 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Pachycephalosaur
- Weight: 450–1,000 kg
- Length: 4.5–5.5 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1931
Parasaurolophus
- When: Late Cretaceous
(76.5–73 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Hadrosaur
- Weight: 2.5–3.5 tons
- Length: 9–10 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1922
Patagotitan
- When: Late Cretaceous
(102–95 mya) - Where: South America
- What: Sauropod
- Weight: 55–69 metric tons
- Length: 37 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 2017
Pentaceratops
- When: Late Cretaceous
(75–73 mya) - Where: North America
- What: Ceratopsian
- Weight: 5 metric tons
- Length: 6–8 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1923
Polacanthus
- When: Early Cretaceous
(130–125 mya) - Where: Europe
- What: Ankylosaur
- Weight: 1–2 metric tons
- Length: 4–5 meters
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Discovered: 1865