The dinosaurs that tend to get the most media attention are the most impressive ones. Gigantic creatures like Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Spinosaurus are the ones that make us gasp with wonder. But the tiniest of dinosaurs were unique and fascinating too. Here, we take a look at the smallest dinosaurs that walked the earth. 

The smallest raptor: Microraptor 

Looking more like a modern-day bird than the fearsome reptiles it shared the planet with, Microraptor had wings on both its front and back limbs, and a beak with small, sharply-pointed teeth. This raptor measured just 80cm in length and weighed no more than 1kg. You can learn more about it at Dinosaur World Live, one of the best family shows in the UK. 

The smallest ceratopsian: Aquilops

Living during the Early Cretaceous period, Aquilops was the oldest - and probably the smallest - horned dinosaur in North America. Like the much later (and much larger) Triceratops, it had a beaked nose and frilled neck, but was the size of a small cat at about 60cm long. 

The smallest tyrannosaur: Dilong

The word ‘tyrannosaur’ tends to make us think of the T-Rex, with its huge skull and bone-crushing jaws. But tyrannosaurs are a genus with many different members - including Dilong. This miniature meat-eater is thought to have been 1.5-2 metres in length and about 11kg in weight. It probably ate lizards, birds and small mammals. 

The smallest ornithopod: Gasarinisaura

Ornithopods were plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on two legs. There were a few that were pretty small, but the Gasparinisaura was one of the tiniest, measuring only 80cm long and weighing about 13kg. It lived in the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Patagonia.

The smallest pterosaur: Nemicolopterus

The smallest of the flying dinosaurs, known as pterosaurs, is the tiny Nemicolopterus, which was discovered in China in 2008. Its wingspan measured just 25cm (that’s smaller than a blackbird’s!) and it had a large head relative to its size, as well as a pointed beak. 

The smallest theropod: Anchiornis

A crow-sized, feathered dinosaur that lived in the Jurassic period, Anchiornis was only about 60cm long and belonged to the theropod group - dinosaurs which walked on two legs and had three toes and hollow bones. Like Microraptor, it had wing feathers on both its front and back limbs, and may also have had long claws to help it climb trees - but it probably couldn’t fly.

The smallest of the not-so-small

While the above dinosaurs were truly tiny, there are others that were very small in comparison to other members of their group. The Ajnabia, for example, was a miniature hadrosaur - a group of duckbill dinosaurs that ate plants and typically grew up to 15 metres long. Ajnabia, however, measured just three metres. 

Similarly, the Europasaurus was tiny by sauropod standards. Living in the late Jurassic, this plant-eater was a mere 6.2 metres long and weighed 900kg. Compare that to some of its largest relatives: the Brachiosaurus, which was 22 metres long and over 40,000kg, and Diplodocus which was 26 meters and 15,000kg. 

Discover dinosaurs live

If you’re looking for the best of children’s theatre in the UK this summer, don’t miss Dinosaur World Live. This fantastic production is touring the UK, using stunning puppetry to tell the story of some of the most exciting dinosaurs. Search ‘family show near me’ and book tickets at your local venue.