Very Large Dinosaur example essay topic

Just as most dinosaurs are believed to be wild and mean, most are. Unlike the wild and ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Velociraptor, is a smaller, agile dinosaur. The Brontosaurus can be found with the bigger, more gentle dinosaurs. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, and Brontosaurus differ greatly in their body structure, diet, and discovery. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a very large dinosaur. Measuring 50 feet long, the Tyrannosaurus stood over 20 feet tall.

The head of the Tyrannosaurus was five feet long and filled with large teeth that were seven inches long each (Benton 125). Having a very large skull put a tremendous strain on its body, so to counterbalance its weight, the tyrannosaurus had a strong attachment of backbone to pelvis which allowed its body to pivot at its hip (Wilford 142). With its body balanced right, the Tyrannosaurus walked on two legs, and it had two very short arms. The Tyrannosaurus was one of the most feared dinosaurs. The word Tyrannosaurus means "tyrant reptile". Since the Tyrannosaurus Rex was a meat-eater, its teeth were shaped in zig-zag form which allowed it to cut through meat like a steak knife (Benton 161).

It mainly relied on its strength when catching prey. Because it could not swim, many of its prey would run for shelter into water. Also, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was able to take big breaths due to lots of lung capacity, but it tired easily and could not put up much of a chase when its prey ran. (Monatersky 287). The Tyrannosaurus Rex was an exciting discovery. It was found during the Bone Wars, a period when Paleontology was very popular and competitive.

It is believed to have been discovered by Robert Plot during the 1800's (Benton 128). The Tyrannosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period (Benton 124). This dinosaur was first believed to be cold-blooded, but now many scientists believe that it was warm-blooded and possibly evolved from birds. Although very small, the Velociraptor was very agile. The Velociraptor was six feet long and four feet tall. This dinosaur was lightly built which allowed it to run fast and jump swiftly.

Unlike most dinosaurs, the Velociraptor had long arms which allowed them to be more useful (Benton 126). On the foot of the Velociraptor was a three inch claw which was very sharp and curved in a sy the-like position (Benton 126). Its head was very long and low with a flat snout. Paleontologists believe that the Velociraptor was closely related to birds due to their body structure.

There has also been evidence shown that the Velociraptor was one of the smartest dinosaurs that ever lived (Wilford 221). The Velociraptor was a cunning and swift carnivore. The Velociraptor ate meat which usually came from dinosaurs of the same size or from eggs or small babies. It was so smart that it would lure a mother away from its nest. Once the mother was gone, another Velociraptor, which was hiding in the bushes, would snatch up the babies without the mother's knowing it. (Wilford 136).

When a prey was targeted, the Velociraptor would run very fast after the prey so as to get in front of it. Once in front, it would jump into the air at the prey's stomach, dig its sharp claw into its stomach and kick until the prey was dead (Wilford 136). The teeth of the Velociraptor were sharp and had jagged edges on the side which were also a deadly weapon. The Velociraptor had an unusual discovery. Found in 1971, the Velociraptor was discovered alongside a Crotoceratops. The Crotoceratops was protecting its young when a Velociraptor attacked it.

While trying to kill it, the Crotoceratops had burrowed its head into the Velociraptors's stomach. This killed the Velociraptor but not before the Velociraptor had enough time to claw through the Crotoceratops' belly (Wilford 127). They both were killed at the same time. The Brontosaurus was one of the biggest dinosaur us. Also named Apatasaurus, the word Brontosaurus means "deceptive reptile". It was over 70 feet long and had a long neck running upwards from its body (Benton 42).

Once fully stretched, the Brontosaurus's head could reach three stories high. The long neck and long tail that it had put tremendous amounts of weight on the body. To deal with this, its legs were tucked under its body like an elephant, and its knees were placed right under the body (Benton 47). This structure helped it to walk and stand with better control and less strain. The Brontosaurus's body was built perfectly for its diet. The Brontosaurus was a herbivore, which means it ate leaves, grass, and other plants.

Using its long neck, it would stretch to the top of trees and eat the leaves off the branches. The jaw muscles were very strong, and were used to strip bark off trees and to break branches (Benton 163). Its mouth was filled with 2000 teeth which were large and bowl-shaped (Wilford 84). Many types of Brontosaurus's have been discovered. Believed to be the first dinosaur ever discovered, a large skull and a leg were found (Wilford 86).

These body parts were found in the western part of North America, and many, to this day, are still found here ("Apatasaurus" 1). Many other types of Brontosaurus have been found and are the most easily found today. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, and the Brontosaurus are different in all aspects of life including body structure, diet, and discovery. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was the meanest and most brutal of all, while the Velociraptor was smart and illusive. The Brontosaurus was a more gentle dinosaur, even though it was very large.

Each one of the dinosaurs discussed were very interesting and have given a large contribution to science and its understanding.