10 misconceptions about dinosaurs

The list below will explore some of the common misconceptions about dinosaurs, and how much we already know about them, listed by NewScientist magazine.

Mistakes 1. Green and scaly dinosaurs

Humans believe that dinosaurs are green and scaly because humans think that dinosaurs must look like large modern reptiles like crocodiles. In fact, dinosaurs are light in color and, at least in one stage of their life cycle, their skin is covered with a coat of fur.

Mistakes 2. Animals only evolved after dinosaurs died

Tiny animals live under the shadow of dinosaurs for more than 150 million years, occupying small niches in the form of nocturnal beasts, and only weigh about 2 grams. Animal ancestors actually appeared from before the dinosaurs.

However, they only maintained their small form until about 65 years ago. The decline of dinosaurs has created hidden burrows for larger sized animals. Most mammals today evolved after this period.

Mistakes 3. Dinosaurs die from being eaten by animals

The most fearsome enemy with dinosaurs is smaller baby dinosaurs. Most animals at that time were too small to eat the eggs of these giant reptiles.

Mistake 4. A single meteor has made dinosaurs extinct

A 10-kilometer meteorite that fell into shallow water is now Mexico's Yucatan sale 65 million years ago. It creates Chicxulub crater up to 180 km wide. However, there is no convincing evidence that no flying dinosaurs survived this disaster. And now, we are still not sure why the dinosaurs died. The collision may only kill dinosaurs near that hole. But it could also create giant tsunamis, acid rain or clouds of dust covering the earth for months, or even decades. The combination of all these factors may have caused the dinosaurs to disappear.

Mistake 5. Dinosaurs died because they failed to follow the theory of evolution

Dinosaurs survive more than 150 million years, so they cannot be considered unsuccessful. Humans only appeared about 6 million years ago, and Homo sapiens has a biography of no more than 200,000 years.

Dinosaurs defeated other species in their era, but lost in battle with the impact of meteors.

Mistake 6- All dinosaurs died about 65 million years ago

Birds evolved about 150 million years ago. Most experts believe they come from small carnivorous dinosaurs.

Mistake 7- Dinosaurs are slow and lethargic

Early paleontologists thought the dinosaurs must be slow and sluggish to lose in the "evolutionary race" with birds and animals. But modern research has found no sign that they are gizzard creatures dragging the tail behind.

Mistakes 8- All major reptiles on land from prehistoric times are dinosaurs

Land-based reptiles reach 5 meters long before the first dinosaurs appeared (about 230 million years ago). Some - like the Dimetrodon species with sails, live crowded in North America in the Permian (290 to 240 million years ago) - have relatives of dinosaurs, but not true dinosaurs.

Mistake 9- The sea reptiles - like fishermen - are also dinosaurs

Several giant marine reptiles live at the same time as dinosaurs, but all true dinosaurs are land animals.

Marine crocodiles, like other crocodiles, are considered only cousins, and other extinct large-scale marine reptiles (like plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs).

Mistake 10- The flying reptiles are dinosaurs

The flying reptiles known as flying lizards appeared for the first time right after having dinosaurs, and died at the same time as dinosaurs. The largest ones are about the size of a small plane. However, even as close relatives, they are not true dinosaurs.

Mistake 11 - The two front limbs of the tyrant dinosaur are weak and useless

You may have heard someone tell you that two very small front limbs of tyrant dinosaurs are useless, but that is a completely wrong idea. The muscular dinosaur is strong, it can move when carrying more than 430 pounds (about 195 kg) on ​​each of these limbs.

Mistake 12 - Dinosaurs are terrifying and bigger than humans

Most of us have never heard of this dinosaur hunting name before the Jurassic Park movie was born. The film gives us the impression of this dinosaur being a predator, scaly, large-sized and extremely intelligent.

The fact that this dinosaur is not much larger than a large dog, its body is covered with a coat of fur. This dinosaur species looks more like an angry big chicken than a giant animal with smooth skin.

Mistake 13 - Dinosaurs live in tropical climates

In all areas displaying dinosaur specimens, we all see this animal living in a lush, humid forest, tropical climate. In fact, not quite so, there are many dinosaurs living in cold climates. Therefore, you can see the tyrant dinosaurs through the snow.