Dinosaurs have been a source of fascination for us ever since the first fossil was found in 1824 - and we’re constantly learning more about them. If your family loves dinosaurs and you’re looking for family things to do in the UK this summer, why not book tickets to Dinosaur World Live? Aimed at kids aged three and up, it introduces you to some of the most interesting prehistoric creatures with the help of stunning puppetry. 

Dinosaurs lived such a long time ago that it’s easy to assume they all lived together at once. We imagine herds of Brachiosaurus nibbling the leaves on the tallest trees while Triceratops wandered through the undergrowth and T-rex lurked in the shadows. But the reality is, the age of the dinosaurs - called the Mesozoic Era - spanned 186 million years! With that in mind, we’re shedding some light on which dinosaur pairs you would have found living alongside one another. 
 

T-rex and Triceratops

The good news for dinosaur fans is that two favourites, T-rex and Triceratops - both of which appear in the Dinosaur World Live family theatre show - did live side by side, in what is now North America. These Late Cretaceous dinosaurs had a predator/prey relationship; fossilised Triceratops bones have been found that show bite marks from the ferocious T-rex, suggesting that it preyed on its three-horned neighbour. Other fossils show healed bite marks, meaning that sometimes Triceratops managed to survive the attacks. 

Brachiosaurus and Stegosaurus

Brachiosaurus and Stegosaurus roamed the earth several million years before T-rex and Triceratops evolved. Inhabiting prehistoric North America during the Late Jurassic period, they were both plant-eaters - but while Brachiosaurus could reach the highest leaves, Stegosaurus ate plants that were closer to the ground, such as ferns and cycads. This pair could happily exist side by side without having to compete for food.
 

Segnosaurus and Velociraptor

This pair lived in the Late Cretaceous, just like T-rex and Triceratops, but it’s unlikely they would have come across each other. That’s because Segnosaurus and Velociraptor lived in what is now Mongolia. Segnosaurus is thought to have been around six or seven metres long and fossils suggest it ate vegetation and fish. Velociraptor, on the other hand, was a small meat eater that was about the size of a turkey and covered in feathers. It ate small mammals and reptiles, and possibly even baby dinosaurs too. 
 

Microraptor and Sinosauropteryx

These two small meat-eaters lived in what is now Northern China during the Early Cretaceous period - before Velociraptor came along. Sinosauropteryx was covered in thin, hair-like feathers while Microraptor had shiny black feathers. They likely fed on some of the same prey too, as fossils have been found of both with the remains of small mammals in their stomachs. Perhaps they even squabbled over a kill from time to time. 

If you’re keen to learn more about Microraptor, Segnosaurus and other dinosaurs - as well as meet a T-rex - don’t miss Dinosaur World Live. As one of the best family shows in the UK, it’s perfect for aspiring palaeontologists. Book your tickets before they become extinct!