Dinosaurs: How Long They Lived, Where They Came From, How They Reproduced, and How They Became Extinct

Dinosaurs are ancient, mysterious creatures that became extinct millions of years ago. Scientists all over the world study the life and demise of these unique beings, and their discoveries have inspired numerous documentaries and films, with the most famous being the “Jurassic Park” series and “Jurassic World.”

How Long Did Dinosaurs Live on Earth?

1. According to one of the widely accepted theories, life began on Earth about 3 billion years ago from tiny creatures of nature with just one cell. Then, single-celled organisms evolved and changed, and “only” 220 million years ago, dinosaurs appeared through the process of evolution on our planet.
2. Dinosaurs lived on Earth throughout the Mesozoic Era, during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. This was approximately from 225 million years ago to 66 million years ago. The reign of the dinosaurs lasted 50 times longer than the period from the appearance of the first human to the present day. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, we and the dinosaurs diverged on life’s timeline.
3. The diversity of these reptiles is quite well-studied: among them were both herbivorous vegetarians and carnivorous predators. They varied in size, from small to large, with horns or without, with two or four legs.
4. Dinosaurs lived on Earth for 160 million years. Ordinary dinosaurs, on average, lived for 30-40 years. The lifespan of particularly large and robust individuals ranged from 200 to 300 years. Over the course of research on dinosaur skeletons, scientists have identified and described more than 500 different species of prehistoric animals.

Where Did Dinosaurs Come From?

1. The first specimens appeared on the planet about 230 million years ago during the Triassic period. They were not very large lizards, about half the size of a human, similar to the Staurikosaurus.
2. In the later Jurassic period, a soft temperate climate formed on Earth. Flying reptiles began to appear – Archaeopteryx, pterodactyls, pterosaurs, and ramphorhynchids. Besides winged creatures, large predatory and herbivorous dinosaurs appeared on our planet, such as the Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, and Allosaurus.
3. At the end of the Mesozoic era, enormous monsters inhabited the Earth, reaching heights of up to 8 meters and lengths of up to 20 meters. The Earth trembled under the steps of the Tyrannosaurus, Seismosaurus, and Amphicoelias. Scientists still argue about which of them was the largest dinosaur on the planet.

How Did Dinosaurs Reproduce?

1. Paleontologists all over the world find many dinosaur eggs. Why eggs? Well, with birds, it’s understandable; practically all of them prefer to hatch from a cozy shell. However, modern crocodiles and turtles – likely evolved reptiles – also lay eggs. Apparently, there is some similarity in the reproductive function between reptiles and birds.
2. Scientists have always been interested in questions about the reproduction of dinosaurs. Some species, such as the stegosaurus, were very large, making it very difficult for them to stand on their hind legs and lean against a female. And not only is it difficult, but it’s also dangerous. With numerous protective plates, spikes, and tail spines, it’s simply impossible to imagine how a male could even approach a mate.
3. It would probably be very scary to witness the mating rituals of two 50-ton armored monsters, each of which exceeds the weight of an elephant by 20 times. If we speculate further, it probably makes sense to look at the closest relatives of dinosaurs—large birds, turtles, and crocodiles—and see how it happens with them. Who is the strongest of the dinosaurs?
4. The strength of a dinosaur lay in its size. The larger you are, the stronger your strike, and the more you’re feared by those around you.

How Did Dinosaurs Become Extinct?

1. Impact of an extraterrestrial object: Throughout its multi-million-year existence, Earth has preserved evidence of certain global catastrophes in its soil layers. One such catastrophe was the impact of a cosmic object, presumably a meteorite, on the planet. The celestial body fell in the vicinity of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, creating a gigantic crater.

   Due to the powerful impact, volcanoes erupted, ejecting massive amounts of ash and volcanic lava into the atmosphere, and everything around began to burn. The ash remained suspended in the atmosphere, blocking the sun for many years, leading to a prolonged winter on the planet.

   Many organisms could not withstand this temperature fluctuation. However, some paleontologists believe that dinosaurs survived even in these harsh conditions. As evidence, they cite the remains of prehistoric animals found in modern-day Chukotka. However, over millions of years, the Earth’s poles could have shifted, and Chukotka could have been located, for example, at the equator.

2. Rapid climate change: Another controversial hypothesis is sudden climate and temperature change. It is believed that during the time of the dinosaurs, the most favorable conditions for the life of any creature prevailed. However, about 70 million years ago, the temperature on the planet began to drop sharply.

   Therefore, all inhabitants of the Earth slowly moved towards the equator. Those who did not make it perished. Against this theory speaks the fact that those creatures that seemed less adapted to complex conditions survived – for example, crocodiles and turtles. And dinosaurs could not be called capricious or finicky. Therefore, the version of the climate catalyst is also not entirely consistent.

3. Natural selection: The extinction of some species can be explained by the displacement by other, stronger and more enduring species. One of the problems was raising offspring – nimble egg snatchers were always on the prowl. Small lizards were constantly in danger, and only a few of them survived to maturity. The strongest survived, fighting for life and destroying the weak.
4. Change in air composition: There is an interesting hypothesis that dinosaurs, and not only they, reached such incredible sizes due to the high oxygen saturation of the atmosphere during the Mesozoic era. Just imagine – not only lizards, but even ordinary dragonflies had wingspans of 1 to 2 meters!

   And what about the shells found by paleontologists measuring 25-40 centimeters? Moreover, scientists say that if the oxygen level in the atmosphere were to rise again to those record levels, ants and spiders would also begin to reach meter-sized proportions. How about that for a perspective?