The dinosaurs lived so long ago that we tend to assume they all roamed the planet at the same time. But the truth is the age of the dinosaurs spanned an incredible 165 million years, from the Triassic Period to the Cretaceous Period. 

To help you with your knowledge of the different dinosaurs and when they lived, we’ve created a handy dinosaur timeline. So next time you’re watching a dino movie or heading to a dino park for a family fun day out, see if you can tell which dinosaurs may have bumped into one another and which lived millions of years apart!

The Triassic Period (252 - 201 million years ago)

You probably know that the demise of the dinosaurs was created by a mass extinction event, but did you know that a similar event - called the Permian mass extinction - also signalled the dawn of the dinosaurs? This catastrophe occurred 252 million years ago and killed more than 90% of life on earth. 

In the aftermath, reptiles came to dominate. The earliest dinosaurs include Nyasasaurus, about which little is known except that it was a herbivore and may have had a long neck - and Eoraptor, a small meat-eater around the size of a dog. During the early part of the period, ichthyosaurs took to the oceans, which they eventually dominated.  By 228 million years ago, pterosaurs (flying dinosaurs) had evolved, and by the end of the Triassic, large sauropods such as Riojasaurus and Lessemsaurus roamed the land, reaching 9m in length. 

Jurassic Period (201 - 145 million years ago)

Another mass extinction occurred at the end of the Triassic period, giving birth to the Jurassic age. This hailed the evolution of the sauropods - huge plant eaters that lived in herds. Among the earliest dinosaurs of the Jurassic were giants such as the 14m long Barapasaurus and the smaller Kotasaurus. Later came Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus and Giraffatitan, each of which grew to more than 20m long. 

Meanwhile, theropods - two-legged meat eaters - also grew larger. Species such as Dilophosaurus and Lophostropheus were the terrors of the early period, giving way to better known dinosaurs like Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus later on. The Jurassic Period also saw the rise of the armoured herbivore, Stegosaurus. 

Smaller dinos continued to have their place in this age, with Compsognathus and Othnielia among the most notable.  

Cretaceous Period (145 - 65 million years ago)

The final age of the dinosaurs was the Cretaceous. In the early part of this period dinosaurs were at their most diverse, ranging from sauropods that beat even Giraffatitan in size (Patagotitan reached 37.5m!) to tiny birdlike creatures like Microraptor. Other early Cretaceous dinosaurs include Deinonychus, Iguanodon and Psittacosaurus. 

The Late Cretaceous brought many favourites including Oviraptor, Segnosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor and, of course, Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

Meet family favourites

If you’re looking for a good ‘family show near me’, don’t miss Dinosaur World Live. Introducing you to favourites of the Cretaceous - including Microraptor, Segnosaurus and Triceratops - this touring theatre production uses stunning puppetry to tell their stories. Suitable for kids aged three and up, it’s one of the best family shows in the UK. Book your tickets at a theatre near you.