Really big dinosaurs and other giants 9781597165433, 1597165433

Table of contents :
Prehistoric giants --
Which was the biggest meat-eating dinosaur? --
Which was the heaviest meat-eating dinosaur? --
Which was the longest plant-eating dinosaur? --
Which was the tallest plant-eating dinosaur? --
Which was the biggest flying creature? --
Which was the biggest sea creature? --
Which was the longest sea creature? --
Which was the biggest crocodile?

Citation preview

by Monica Hughes

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Really Big Dinosaurs and Other Giants by Monica Hughes

Consultant: Luis M . Chiappe, Ph .D . Director of the Dinosaur Institute Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Credits Cover, Title Page, 4, 6–7, 12–13, 24: Lisa Alderson; 5T, 14–15, 20–21, 22B, 23B: Luis Rey; 5B, 18–19, 22T, 23T: Shutterstock; 8–9: Ticktock Media Archive; 10–11: Simon Mendez; 16–17: Bob Nicholls. Every effort has been made by ticktock Entertainment Ltd. to trace copyright holders. We apologize in advance for any omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgments in any subsequent edition of this publication.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hughes, Monica. Really big dinosaurs and other giants / by Monica Hughes. p. cm. — (I love reading. Dino world!) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59716-543-3 (library binding) ISBN-10: 1-59716-543-3 (library binding) 1. Dinosaurs—Juvenile literature. I. Title. QE861.5.H845 2008 567.9—dc22 2007017959 Copyright © 2007 ticktock Entertainment Ltd. 2 Orchard Business Centre, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3XF, UK Published in the United States of America by Bearport Publishing Company, Inc. United States text copyright © 2008 Bearport Publishing Company, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, write to Bearport Publishing Company, Inc., 101 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6R, New York, New York 10003. Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents Really big! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A big meat-eater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A super strong meat-eater . . . . . . . . . 8 The heaviest plant-eater . . . . . . . . . . 10 The tallest plant-eater . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The biggest animal in the air . . . . . . 14 The biggest sea creature . . . . . . . . . 16 A long sea creature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 A super big croc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Read More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Learn More Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Really big! Long ago, huge dinosaurs lived on land. Other big animals lived at the same time. Some of them flew through the air. Others swam in the sea. Tyrannosaurus rex (ti-ran-uh-SOR-uhss REKS)

4

Quetzalcoatlus (kwet-zal-koh-AHT-lus)

Elasmosaurus (eh-lazz-moh-SOR-uhss)

5

A big meat-eater Giganotosaurus may have been the biggest meat-eating dinosaur. It was 49 feet (15 m) long from its nose to its tail.

It was as long as two dump trucks!

6

Giganotosaurus (jig-ah-not -oh-SOR-uhss)

7

A super strong meat-eater Tyrannosaurus rex may have been the strongest meat-eater. It had powerful jaws.

T. rex could eat up to 500 pounds (227 kg) of meat and bones in one bite!

8

Tyrannosaurus rex (ti-ran-uh-SOR-uhss REKS)

9

The heaviest plant-eater Argentinosaurus was the heaviest plant-eating dinosaur. It weighed 50 tons (45 metric tons). A group of 14 elephants weighs about the same amount.

10

Argentinosaurus probably ate a kind of pine tree. Argentinosaurus (ar-jen-tee -nuh-SOR-uhss)

11

The tallest plant-eater Sauroposeidon was the tallest plant-eating dinosaur. It was 60 feet (18 m) tall. That’s as high as a six-story building.

12

Each bone in its neck was 4 feet (1.2 m) long.

Sauroposeidon was shaped like a giraffe, but was 30 times larger.

Sauroposeidon (sor-uh-puh-SYE-don)

13

The biggest animal in the air Quetzalcoatlus was the size of a small airplane.

It was not a dinosaur, but a flying reptile. Its wingspan was about 40 feet (12 m) wide. 14

crest

It had a big crest on top of its head.

Quetzalcoatlus (kwet-zal-koh-AHT-lus)

15

The biggest sea creature Liopleurodon could weigh 100 tons (91 metric tons). It was as heavy as 20 Tyrannosaurus rex ! It was not a dinosaur. It was a reptile that swam.

16

Liopleurodon (lye -oh-PLOOR-oh-don)

Its mouth was as long as a large surfboard.

17

A long sea creature Elasmosaurus was not a dinosaur. This sea creature was 46 feet (14 m) long. It was almost as long as a big swimming pool.

Its neck had as many as 75 bones in it. A person’s neck has only seven bones. 18

Elasmosaurus (eh-lazz-moh-SOR-uhss)

19

A super big croc Deinosuchus was a crocodile. It lived during the time of the dinosaurs. It may have been up to 48 feet (15 m) long! That’s longer than a school bus.

20

It was so big it could eat a dinosaur! Deinosuchus (dye-noh-SOO-kuhss)

21

Glossary

creature

(KREE-chur)

an animal

crest

(KREST)

an extra piece of skin on top of an animal’s head

22

reptile

(REP-tile)

a cold-blooded animal such as a lizard, snake, or crocodile

wingspan

(WING-span)

the distance from one wing tip to the other when the wings are spread wide

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Index Argentinosaurus 10–11 Deinosuchus 20–21 Elasmosaurus 5, 18–19 Giganotosaurus 6–7 Liopleurodon 16–17

Quetzalcoatlus 5, 14–15 Sauroposeidon 12–13 Tyrannosaurus rex 4, 8–9, 16

Read More Parker, Steve . 100 Things You Should Know About Dinosaurs. New York: Barnes & Noble Books (2004).

Zimmerman, Howard . Dinosaurs! New York: Simon & Schuster (2000).

Learn More Online To learn more about the world of dinosaurs, visit www .bearportpublishing .com/ILoveReading

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Really Big Dinosaurs and Other Giants

Amazing Dinosaur Facts Dinosaur Babies Dinosaur Fossils Dinosaur Hunting Fighting Dinosaurs Flying Giants Really Big Dinosaurs and Other Giants Swimming Giants

Meet some of the biggest, strongest, tallest, and heaviest animals that ever lived. Some of these giants lived on land. Others lived in the sea. There were even some that flew. Look inside to learn more about these giant creatures.