When it comes to dinosaurs, we’re slowly learning more about what they looked like, where they lived, how they behaved and what they ate. Palaeontologists have done a wonderful job examining fossils and piecing together information from millions of years ago. So here are 10 facts you probably didn’t already know. And if you’re interested in family shows in London that explain more about dino life, then book Dinosaur World Live today. This is an unmissable theatre production complete with spectacular puppetry, brilliant storytelling and interactive moments.

Top ten facts:

1. 1. The word dinosaur comes from the Greek language. Deinos means ‘terrible’ while sauros means ‘lizard. So dinosaur can be directly translated to ‘terrible lizard.’ Not all dinosaurs were formidable flesh eaters, of course. But this name is certainly appropriate for T-Rex, the king of the Jurassic period.

1. 2. Dinosaurs roamed Earth for more than 165 million years. This is crazy when you think humans only appeared about five to seven million years ago. We act like we’ve ruled Earth forever. But we’ve only been around for a very short time compared to the dinosaurs.

1. 3. Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago. Evidence suggests that an asteroid impact was the main reason dinosaurs died out. Volcanic eruptions that caused large-scale climate change may have also been involved, together with more gradual climate changes. Whatever the case, the mass extinction event is still being studied.

1. 4. The baby T-Rex was cute. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was part of a meat-eating group called Theropods, and terrorised many other dino groups. It had powerful legs, sharp teeth and a chilling roar. But T-Rex babies were pretty cute according to hatchling recreations from the American Museum of Natural History. They were about the size of very skinny turkeys and covered in a coat of downy feathers.

1. 5. The largest land-based dinosaur was the Argentinosaurus. This massive creature could reach up to 40 metres in length and 21 metres in height. When you consider the average blue whale is just 4-5 metres long, you can imagine just how huge this dinosaur was.

1. 6. The first scientific account about a dinosaur fossil wasn’t published until 1677 in Europe. This described the discovery of a Megalosaurus thighbone. A Megalosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur which walked on its two hind legs.

1. 7. The oldest dinosaur is the Eoraptor. This omnivore was part of the Sauropod family and lived approximately 231 to 228 million years ago in what is now known as Argentina.

1. 8. Birds evolved from a group of meat-eating dinosaurs known as Theropods. The oldest bird fossils are about 150 million years ol, meaning our feathered friends have been around much longer than we have!

1. 9. Many dinosaurs had feathers. And not just avian dinosaurs. The largest known feathered dinosaur was the Yutryannus Huali, a super predator and cousin of T-Rex that probably relied on its feathers to keep warm.

1. 10. Some of the biggest dinosaurs were herbivores. The Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus, for instance, were huge but survived on a plant-based diet.

If you’re looking for family days out in London for dinosaur lovers, don’t miss Dinosaur World Live. This fantastic show is a true example of family theatre in London at its very best.