The word " dinosaur" comes from Latin and is a neologism that paleontologist Richard Owen began to use, combining the words Greek " deinos " (terrible) and " sauros " (lizard), so its literal meaning would be " terrible lizard". The name fits like a glove when we think of "Jurassic Park", right?
These large lizards dominated the entire world and were at the top of the food chain, where they remained for a long time, until the mass extinction that took place more than 65 million years ago.[1] Perhaps you want to know more about these large lizards that inhabited the planet, for that reason, in this article on our site we will show youthe most representative types of herbivorous dinosaurs, along with their names, characteristics and images You can't miss it!
The Mesozoic Era: the age of the dinosaurs
The dominance of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs lasted more than 170 million years and spanned most of the Mesozoic Era, which It ranges from -252.2 million years to -66.0 million years. The Mesozoic lasted just over 186.2 million years and is made up of three periods.
The three Mesozoic periods
- The Triassic (between -252.17 and 201.3 MA) is a period that lasts about 50.9 million years. It is at this time that the dinosaurs began to develop. The Triassic is further divided into three periods (Lower, Middle and Upper Triassic) which are further subdivided into seven stratigraphic levels.
- The Jurassic (between 201.3 and 145.0 MA) is made up of three periods as well (Lower, Middle and Upper Jurassic). The Upper Jurassic is divided into three levels, the Middle Jurassic into four levels, and the Lower Jurassic into four levels as well.
- The Cretaceous (between 145.0 and 66.0 MA) is the time that marks the disappearance of dinosaurs and ammonites (cephalopod molluscs) that They inhabited the earth at that time. But what really ended the life of the dinosaurs? There are two main theories about it; a period of volcanic activity and the impact of an asteroid against the earth. [1] In any case, it is estimated that the earth was covered by immense clouds of dust that would have veiled the atmosphere and radically reduced the planet's temperatures, until the end with the life of the dinosaurs. This broad period is divided into two, the Lower Cretaceous and the Upper Cretaceous. In turn, these two periods are divided into six levels each.
5 curiosities of the Mesozoic that you should know
Now that you have found your place, you may be interested in knowing a little more about the Mesozoic, the time in which these gigantic saurians lived, to better understand their history:
- Back then, the continents were not as we know them today, but the earth formed a single block known as " Pangea ". When the Triassic began, Pangea was divided into two blocks: "Laurasia" and "Gondwana". These two continents were further divided, until Laurasia formed North America and Eurasia and, in turn, Gondwana formed South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica All this is due to intense volcanic activity.
- The climate of the Mesozoic Era was characterized by its uniformity. The study of fossils reveals that the surface of the earth was divided into three different climatic zones: the poles, which showed snow, low vegetation and mountainous landscapes, the temperate zones, which showed richer fauna and, finally, the equatorial zone, characterized by a life that reached its maximum intensity.
- This period ends with the atmospheric overload of carbon dioxide, a factor that completely marks the environmental evolution of the planet. The vegetation became less lush, while cycads and coniferous plants proliferated. Precisely because of this, it is also known as " the Age of Cycads".
- The Mesozoic is characterized by the appearance of dinosaurs, but did you know that birds and mammals also began to develop at that time ? That's how it is! At that time the ancestors of some animals that we know today already existed and were considered food by predatory dinosaurs
- Can you imagine that Jurassic Park could really exist? Although many biologists and fans have fantasized about this event, the truth is that a study published in The Royal Society Publishing shows that it is incompatible to find intact genetic material, due to several factors, such as environmental conditions, temperature, soil chemistry or the year of death of the animal, which cause degradation and deterioration of DNA remains. It could only be done with fossils preserved in frozen environments that were not older than a million years.
Examples of herbivorous dinosaurs
The time has come to meet the real protagonists: the herbivorous dinosaursThese dinosaurs fed exclusively on plants and herbs, their main food being leaves. They are divided into two groups, the "sauropods", those that walked using four limbs, and the "ornicystians", which moved on two limbs and later evolved into other forms of life. Discover a complete list with names of herbivorous dinosaurs, small and large:
Names of herbivorous dinosaurs
- Brachiosaurus
- Diplodocus
- Stegosaurus
- Triceratops
- Protoceratops
- Patagotitan
- Apatosaurus
- Camarasurus
- Brontosaurus
- Cetiosaurus
- Styracosaurus
- Dicraeosaurus
- Gigantspinosaurus
- Lusotitan
- Mamenchisaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Spinophorosaurus
- Corythosaurus
- Dacentrurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Gallimimus
- Parasaurolophus
- Euoplocephalus
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Shantungosaurus
You already know some of the names of the great lizards that inhabited the planet more than 65 MA. You want to know more? Keep reading, then we will present you in more detail 6 herbivorous dinosaurs with names and images so you can learn to recognize them. We will also explain the characteristics and some curiosities of each of them.
1. The Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus)
We start by introducing you to one of the most representative herbivorous dinosaurs that ever existed, the Brachiosaurus. Discover below some details about its etymology or characteristics that will surprise you, guaranteed!
Brachiosaurus Etymology
The name Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus in Spanish) was established by Elmer Samuel Riggs from the ancient Greek terms " Brachion " (arm) and "saurus" (lizard), which can be interpreted as " lizard arm". It is a species of dinosaur belonging to the group of sarrischian sauropods.
These dinosaurs inhabited the earth during two periods, from the end of the Jurassic to the middle of the Cretaceous, from 161 to 145 MA. The Brachiosaurus is one of the most popular dinosaurs, which is why it appears in movies like Jurassic Park and for good reason: it was one of the largest herbivorous dinosaurs
Brachiosaurus Features
The Brachiosaurus is probably one of the largest land animals that have ever existed on the planet. It was about 26 meters long, 12 meters high and weighed between 32 and 50 tons. It had an exceptionally long neck, formed by 12 vertebrae of 70 centimeters each.
Precisely this morphological detail has provoked heated discussions among specialists, since some claim that it would have been unable to keep its long neck straight, due to the little muscle it had. In addition, his blood pressure had to be especially powerful, to be able to pump blood to his brain. His body allowed him to move his neck left and right, as well as up and down, giving him the same height as a four-story building.
Brachiosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur that is thought to have fed on the tops of cycads, conifers, and tree ferns. He was a voracious eater, having to eat about 1,500 kg of food a day to maintain his energy level. It is suspected that this animal was gregarious and moved in small herds, allowing adults to protect younger animals from large predators such as theropods.
two. Diplodocus
Continuing with our article about herbivorous dinosaurs with names and images, we present Diplodocus, one of the most representative herbivorous dinosaurs. Keep reading!
Etymology of Diplodocus
Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878 named Diplodocus after observing the presence of bones that were called "hemaic arches" or "chevron". These small bones allowed for the formation of a long bony band at the bottom of the tail. In fact, it owes its name to this characteristic, since the name diplodocus is a Latin neologism derived from the Greek, "diploos" (double) and "dokos" (beam). That is, " double beam". These small bones were discovered thereafter in other dinosaurs, however, the specification of the name has remained until today. Diplodocus inhabited our land during the Jurassic in what would now be western North America.
Diplodocus Characteristics
The Diplodocus was a huge quadrupedal with a long neck that was easy to recognize, mainly because of its long whip-like tail. Its front legs were slightly shorter than its hind legs, which is why, seen from afar, it could resemble a kind of suspension bridge. It was about 35 meters long
The Diplodocus had a small head compared to the size of its body and was supported by a neck over 6 meters long, made up of 15 vertebrae. Right now it is estimated that he had to keep it parallel to the ground, since he was unable to hold it very high.
Its weight was around 30 to 50 tons, which was due in part to the immense length of its tail, composed of 80 caudal vertebrae, which allowed it to counterbalance its very long neck. Diplodocus fed only on grass, small bushes, and tree leaves.
3. The Stegosaurus
It is the turn of the Stegosaurus, one of the most unique herbivorous dinosaurs, mainly due to its surprising physical characteristics.
Etymology of Stegosaurus
The name Stegosaurus was given by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1877 and comes from the Greek words " stegos " (roof) and " sauros " (lizard) so its literal meaning would be " covered lizard" or " roofed lizard ". Marsh would also have called the Stegosaurus " armatus " (armed), which would add an extra meaning to its name, being "armoured-roof lizard ". This dinosaur lived 155 MA ago and would have inhabited the lands of the United States and Portugal during the Late Jurassic.
Stegosaurus Characteristics
The Stegosaurus was 9 meters long, 4 meters high and weighed around 6 tons. It is one of children's favorite herbivorous dinosaurs, easily recognizable thanks to the two rows of bony plates located along its spine. In addition, its tail had two more defensive plates of about 60 cm in length. These peculiar bony plates were not only useful as a defense, it is estimated that they also performed a regulatory function, to adapt their body to the ambient temperatures.
The Stegosaurus had two front legs smaller than the back ones, which gave it a unique physical structure, showing a skull much closer to the ground than the tail. It also had a kind of "beak" that had small teeth, located in the back of the oral cavity, useful for chewing.
4. The Triceratops
Do you want to continue knowing examples of herbivorous dinosaurs? We introduce you to the Triceratops, another of the best known lizards that inhabited the earth and that also witnessed one of the most important moments of the Mesozoic:
Triceratops etymology
The term Triceratops comes from the Greek words "tri" (three) "keras" (horn) and "ops" (face), but his name would actually mean " hammerhead". Triceratops lived during the end of the Maastrichtian, the Late Cretaceous, from 68 to 66 MA in what is now known as North America. It is one of the dinosaurs that experienced the extinction of this species In addition, it is one of the dinosaurs that lived with the Tyrannosaurus Rex of which it was prey. After finding 47 complete or partial fossils, we can assure that it is one of the most present species in North America during that period.
Triceratops Features:
Triceratops are believed to have been 7 to 10 meters long, 3.5 to 4 meters tall and had weighing between 5 and 10 tons. The most representative feature of the Triceratops is, without a doubt, its broad skull, which is considered the largest skull of all land animals. It was so large that it was almost a third of the animal's length.
It was also easily recognizable thanks to its three horns, one on its snout and one above each eye. The largest could measure up to a meter. Finally, highlight that the skin of the Triceratops was different from that of other dinosaurs, since some studies indicate that it could have been covered with hair
5. The Protoceratops
The Protoceratops is one of the smallest herbivorous dinosaurs that we show you in this list and its origins are in Asia, below we explain more about it:
Protoceratops etymology:
The name of Protoceratops comes from the Greek and is formed by the words "proto" (first), "cerat" (horns) and "ops" (face), so it would mean " first horned head". This dinosaur inhabited the earth between 84 and 72 MA ago, specifically the lands of present-day Mongolia and China. It is one of the oldest horned dinosaurs and is probably the ancestor of many others.
It was in 1971 when an unusual fossil was discovered in Mongolia: a Velociraptor embracing a Protoceratops. The theory that explains this position is that, probably, both would have died fighting when a sandstorm or a dune fell on them. In 1922, an expedition to the Gobie desert discovered the nests of Protoceratops, the first dinosaur eggs found
In one of the nests some thirty eggs were found, which leads us to believe that this nest was shared by several females, who had to defend this nest from predators. Several nests were also found nearby, which seems to indicate that these animals lived in groups of the same family or perhaps in small herds. Once the eggs hatch, the young should be no larger than 12 inches. The adult females brought them food and defended them until they are old enough to fend for themselves. Adrienne Mayor, a folklorist, wondered if the discovery of these skulls in the past might not have led to the creation of "griffins", mythical creatures.
Protoceratops appearance and power:
Protoceratops did not have a well-developed horn, just a small bony protrusion on its snout. It also had a large neck, which was used to protect its neck as well as to impress predators. It was not a large dinosaur, being about 2 meters long, but it weighed about 150 kilograms.
6. Patagotitan Mayorum
The Patagotitan Mayorum is a type of sauropod clade that was discovered in Argentina in 2014, and was an especially large herbivorous dinosaur:
Eimology of Patagotitan Mayorum
The Patagotitan was Recently discovered and is one of the least known dinosaurs. Its full name is Patagotian Mayorum, what does it mean? Patagotian derives from "pata" (referring to Patagonia, the region where its fossils were found) and "Titan" (from Greek mythology), on the other hand, Mayorum pays homage to the Mayo family, owner of the La Flecha hacienda and the land where the discoveries were made. According to the studies carried out, the Patagotitan Mayorum lived between 95 and 100 million years, in what was then a forest region.
Characteristics of Patagotitan Mayorum
Since only one Patagotitan Mayorum fossil has been discovered, the figures we can give you are only estimates. However, experts theorize that it would have been approximately 37 meters long and that it would have weighed approximately 69 tonsHis titan name was not given in vain, the Patagotitan Mayorum would be nothing more than the largest and most massive being that has walked the planet's soil.
We know that it was a herbivorous dinosaur, but at the moment, the Patagotitan Mayorum has not yet revealed all its secrets. Paleontology is a science forged in the certainty of uncertainty because discoveries and new evidence await fossilized in the corner of a rock or on the side of a mountain to be excavated at some future time.
The characteristics of herbivorous dinosaurs
We'll end with some surprising features shared by some of the herbivorous dinosaurs you've met on our list:
The feeding of herbivorous dinosaurs
The diet of the dinosaurs was based mainly on leaves, bark and soft branches and during the Mesozoic there were no fleshy fruits, flowers or grass. At that time the common fauna were ferns, conifers and cycads, most of them large, exceeding 30 centimeters in height.
The teeth of herbivorous dinosaurs
An unmistakable characteristic of herbivorous dinosaurs are their teeth, because unlike carnivores, they are much more homogeneous. They had larger front teeth, or beaks, to cut the leaves, and flat back teeth to gobble them up, since it is generally believed that they chewed them, as modern ruminants do. It is also suspected that his teeth were from several generations (unlike humans who only have two, milk teeth and permanent ones).
Herbivorous dinosaurs had "stones" in their stomachs
It is suspected that the large sauropods had "stones" in their stomachs called gastroliths, which would help break down food that was difficult to digest during the digestion process. This characteristic is currently observed in some birds.
