Test Your Dino IQ - National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue October 2008
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Test Your Dinosaur Knowledge

How much did you learn in school about dinosaurs that was all wrong?

0 Once thought to be merely dim-witted creatures of the past, dinosaurs have proven to be intriguing and diverse. Take our four-part, 20-question quiz and find out how much you really know about dinosaurs. Managing Editor, NGM.com Rob Covey <![CDATA[Producer & Editor]]> Carolyn Fox <![CDATA[Writers & Researchers]]> Jamie Bussey, Meagan Trevino, Josh Smith Flash Developer Stefan Estrada /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/intro.jpg Art of dinosaurs from the Northern continent of Laurasia. By Pixeldust studios, Renegade 9, and 422 South (base models) /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/dino-myth-470.jpg Illustration by Doug Henderson /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/dino-cars-470.jpg Fairgoers ride in new-model cars through displays of Earth's history during the 1964 to 1965 World Fair in Queens, New York. Photograph by James P. Blair /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/dracorex-470.jpg Dracorex art By DAMNFX /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/museum-470.jpg Bones in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Photograph by Charles Martin /2007/12/bizarre-dinosaurs/img/end.jpg Art of dinosaurs from the Southern continent of Gondwana. By Pixeldust studios, Renegade 9, and 422 South 5 Excellent work. You are a dinosaur expert. With a little work, you will be a dino pro. You are off to a good start. Brush up on your dino facts. You may want to try again. 1 Asteroid collides with Earth, causing a "nuclear winter" Supernova explosion Decline in species diversity and the rise of mammals None of the above 4 1 Fused wrist bones Keeled sternum Feather-like filaments Usable wings 4
During the age of dinosaurs a group of reptiles existed, pterosaurs, which did fly. However, they are not dinosaurs and have never been classified as dinosaurs.]]> 1 Tyrannosaurus rex]]> Spinosaurus]]> Giganotosaurus]]> Argentinosaurus]]> 2 Spinosaurus.

Spinosaurus’s bones were first discovered in Egypt in 1912. After being excavated, the skeleton was taken to a museum in Germany, where it was destroyed during World War II. The discovery of a new partial skull, among other materials and evidence, allowed paleontologists at the Civil Natural History Museum in Milan to produce new size estimates for Spinosaurus. It currently is thought to have measured about 55 feet (17 meters) long.]]> 1 Cold-blooded Warm-blooded Not strictly cold-blooded or warm-blooded Both warm-blooded and cold-blooded 3
Dinosaur physiology is complicated and poorly understood. Because of general similarity to reptiles, dinosaurs were initially viewed as large lizards, with lizard-like body temperatures. As research continually showed close ties with birds, questions regarding the physiology of dinosaurs were reinvestigated. The answers have been elusive and how dinosaurs regulated their body temperatures remains an active area of study.]]> 1 Tyrannosauridae Archosauria Amphibia Reptilia 2 2 Jurassic Park, what dinosaur was discovered that matched one of Spielberg’s own creations?]]> Oviraptor]]> Deinonychus]]> Utahraptor]]> Velociraptor]]> 3 Jurassic Park he wanted to use dinosaurs from the group known as the dromaeosaurs. The group includes predators such as the Mongolian Velociraptor, the arch villain of Jurassic Park. But in reality, Velociraptor was a small predator, less than seven feet (two meters) long.

To make the dromaesaur better match the size of humans in the movie, the creators of Jurassic Park decided to make Velociraptor substantially larger than it was in real life. In 1991, while the movie was being produced, a partial skeleton was uncovered in Utah that revealed a dromaeosaur larger than the Jurassic Park Velociraptor. The dinosaur, named Utahraptor, measures 16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) long.]]> 2 Fantasia, why is the fight between Tyrannosaurus rex and Stegosaurus inaccurate?]]> Tyrannosaurus rex would not eat a Stegosaurus]]> Stegosaurus was extinct before Tyrannosaurus rex lived]]> The two dinosaurs did not roam the same continent Tyrannosaurus rex was extinct before Stegosaurus lived.]]> 2 Stegosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic Period. Tyrannosaurus rex lived in the Late Cretaceous Period, at least 77 million years after Stegosaurus died out.]]> 2 Leaellynasaura]]> Snorkasaurus]]> Parasaurolophus]]> Velociraptor]]> 2 The Flintstones, was referred to as a Snorkasaurus, a fictional dinosaur name. Dino resembles a sauropod dinosaur, more specifically, an Apatosaurus or a Paralititan.]]> 2 The Land Before Time, which is not truly a dinosaur?]]> Stegosaurus]]> Triceratops]]> Pteradactyl]]> Parasaurolophus]]> 3 Pteradactyl, was part of the group of flying reptiles called pterosaurs. Pterosaurs lived among the dinosaurs but were not dinosaurs themselves. Although certain dinosaurs had many birdlike features, no dinosaur that wasn’t a bird could fly.]]> 2 Jurassic Park is factual?]]> DNA can be preserved for millions of years. Mosquitoes existed during the age of dinosaurs and can be preserved in amber. It would not be difficult to bring an animal back to life by using ancient bits of DNA. Mosquitoes existed during the age of dinosaurs, are preserved in amber, and most likely fed only on dinosaurs. 2 3 Harry Potter books?]]> Dracorex potteraus]]> Dracorex malvosia]]> Dracorex mugglesaurus]]> Dracorex hogwartsia]]> 4 Harry Potter books, to honor Rowling for her contribution to children’s education.

The name Dracorex, which means “dragon king,” is in reference to the dragon-like appearance of the skull.]]> 3 Masiakasaurus knopfleri is named?]]> Metallica Dire Straits Steely Dan Earth, Wind and Fired 2 Masiakasaurus’s fossils, named the dinosaur after Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler.]]> 3 Bambi]]> Aladdin]]> Cinderella]]> Tarzan]]> 1 Bambiraptor feinbergi was named after the Disney movie character Bambi because of its small size, though the dinosaur does not resemble a fawn.]]> 3 Cryolophosaurus earned the dinosaur which of the following nicknames?]]> Elvis Presley Bob Marley Gene Simmons Rod Stewart 1 Cryolophosaurus’s skull. The position of the crest is reminiscent of the front of Elvis Presley’s hair.

Cryolophosaurus’s real name means “frozen crested lizard,” reflecting both the strange head crest and the fact the dinosaur was found in Antarctica.]]> 3 Apatosaurus]]> Drinker]]> Gigantoraptor]]> Brontosaurus]]> 4 Brontosaurus. However, Marsh had already given a name to another skeleton of the same dinosaur in 1877: Apatosaurus.

According to the international rules by which dinosaurs are named, if two or more identities are given to the same genus or species, then the first published name has priority. Therefore, the dinosaur name Brontosaurus is not valid, and Marsh’s sauropod is instead called Apatosaurus.]]> 4 Sauropod heads were lightly constructed with joints that fell apart easily when the dinosaurs decomposed. Predators would eat the heads off first to prevent the dinosaur from escaping. Only a thing piece of bone held together the head and neck of sauropods. The muscles that connected the sauropod's head to its neck deteriorated after the dinosaur died. 1
These sutures had a tendency to come apart fairly rapidly as a sauropod decayed, leaving the carcass vulnerable to predation (being gnawed and broken or carried away by hungry scavengers) or river currents (it was easy for even small streams to carry away part of a sauropod skull). ]]> 4 Velociraptor may have had feathers?]]> Quill knobs Barbs Rachis Filaments 1 Velociraptor upper arm bone from Mongolia, offering evidence that the dinosaur likely had feathers. Feathers do not preserve well, so fossilized evidence of them is extremely rare.]]> 4 Two days Four years Six weeks Eight months 3
During the time between discovery and reporting, the fossils are transported to laboratories or museums, where they are cleaned, pieced together, and extensively studied.]]> 4 Teeth Claws Skull Ribs 1 4 Majungasaurus may have had cannibalistic tendencies?]]> Fossils showing the dinosaur fought a pig-sized horned dinosaur. Majungasaurus tooth marks found on Majungasaurus bones.]]> Majungasaurus.]]> Majungasaurus tooth marks found on bones of another dinosaur.]]> 2 Majungasaurus bones, the evidence for cannibalism within a species of dinosaurs was extremely minimal. Majungasaurus is one of a limited number of theropods that appear to have exhibited cannibalistic tendencies (there is at least one other well-known theropod cannibal), but whether it actually targeted its own kind as a food source or only scavenged the carcasses to survive remains unknown.]]>