Dinosaur detectives
Dinosaurs lived a very long time ago. Find out how we know about them, meet the Iguanodons found deep in a Belgian mine, measure how long an Iguanodon was, and discover which dinosaurs are still alive today.
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Dinosaurs were animals that lived on land a very, very long time ago.[1][2]
No person ever saw a big dinosaur alive. They died out long, long before the first people lived.[2][8]
We know about dinosaurs because people find their bones and footprints in rock. Scientists are like detectives![7][9]
Dinosaurs stood with their legs straight under their body.[2]
Some dinosaurs ate plants and some ate meat. Their teeth tell us which. Most dinosaurs laid eggs.[3]
In Belgium, miners found about thirty Iguanodon skeletons deep under the ground, in a coal mine at Bernissart. Iguanodon ate plants and had a big spike on each thumb. It was about 7 metres long![7]
Some dinosaurs had feathers. And guess what: birds are dinosaurs! Birds came from small meat-eating dinosaurs.[6][1][5]
Try it: How long was Iguanodon?
You need
- A long tape measure or a rope at least 7 metres long
- Two cones, chairs or bags to mark the ends
- Chalk (if you are outside)
- Paper and crayons
Safety
Lie down only on a clean, dry floor or soft grass, away from other games. Walk, do not run. Do not trip over the rope.
What to do
- Go to the playground or the hall.
- Guess: how many children lying down in a row would be as long as an Iguanodon?
- With your teacher, measure 7 metres with the tape or rope. Put a cone at each end.
- Children lie down, head to feet, along the rope. How many fit?
- Stand up and walk from one cone to the other. Count your steps.
- Back in class, draw an Iguanodon next to a child, to show how big it was.
What happens, and why?
The Iguanodon skeletons from Bernissart are between about 6 and 7 metres long, so an Iguanodon was as long as several children in a row.[7]
Play: Dinosaur or not?
Is it a dinosaur? Tap the right group.
Your best score is kept only on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Quiz
Other ages: Ages 10–11 · Ages 15–16