Paleontologists have named nearly 1,000 dinosaur genera, each with something interesting. However, only a few of them can be immediately recognized by small children and experienced adults. Why? Here are some brief reasons why these dinosaurs are so appealing, as well as some inspiration for finding lesser-known dinosaurs.
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Tyrannosaurus rex
The undisputed king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, is very popular thanks to the fawning press calls, countless starring roles in movies like "Jurassic Park" and TV shows, and a very cool name ("Tyrant Lizard King" in Greek). Impressive fossils and models of Tyrannosaurus rex standing on two hind legs with short arms extended to visitors thrill kids of all ages at museums like the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, the Natural History Museum in New York City, and the Black Hills Museum of Natural History in Hill City, South Dakota — to name a few. The average stature is 43 feet long (45 feet for a typical school bus), the 5-foot-tall head is full of sharp teeth, and its face is not easily forgotten. Depending on its skeletal structure, it may weigh about 7.5 tons (an average adult African elephant averages about 6 tons), and despite its size, many paleontologists believe it can hunt prey efficiently and certainly surpass humans.
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Triceratops
Of all the dinosaurs, the most recognizable is probably the North American triceratops (triangular face), with its parrot-like beak and huge frills on the back of its head. It combines a mild vegetative disposition with three scary-looking horns and may have been used both for courtship and to deter hungry tyrannosaurs and birds of prey. This dinosaur came from the Late Cretaceous period (68-66 million years ago), and Jackie dragons were massive, about 26 feet long, 10 feet tall, and weighed 12 tons. It is a fossil of South Dakota and the official dinosaur of Wyoming. It gained traction in films like Night at the Museum: Secrets of the Grave and was later scaled down to promote the film as a freebie for children's fast food. The dinosaur room at any museum is a great place for dinosaur lovers, and Triceratops has received a lot of attention at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City – you can see evidence of injuries from fighting fossils with another Triceratops at this museum. In Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, kids of all ages still can't wait to see the museum's beloved Hatcher, the most popular Triceratops specimen that has been enjoyed by the crowd in its full form since 1905 until it fell apart 90 years later as a Tyrannosaurus Rex meal display.
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Velociraptors
More popular than any other dinosaur, velociraptors can be traced back to two blockbusters: Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, in which this feathered bird of prey (ancestor of birds) is portrayed by the larger Deinonychus. Velociraptors, which actually means "swift or fast thief," were small (about 3 feet tall and 6 feet long), smarter than most dinosaurs, and ran fast on two hind legs — up to 40 mph, perfect for hunting prey when not scavenging. Fossils found in northern China, the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and Russia show sharp teeth and long, sickle-shaped claws, always keeping the dinosaur museum crowds out of the way.
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Stegosaurus
No one knows why Stegosaurus (which translates to "roof lizard") had such unique plates, averaging 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, but that didn't stop the dinosaur with tiny brains from clinging to the popular imagination. Some believe that the spike plates of this dinosaur may have been brightly colored and mobile, and the spikes on the tail may actually be horizontal rather than vertical, which will help ward off predators. Thanks to its debut in "Jurassic Park" movies, theme parks, games, toys and trading cards, this late Jurassic elephant-sized dinosaur won the hearts of many as it was a peaceful herbivore that roamed the plains of what is now North America.
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Spinosaurus
A rising star on the dinosaur pop list, the spinosaurus or vertebral lizard, is notable for its huge size (59 feet long) and probably several tons more weight than Tyrannosaurus rex. It has a mysterious 5.5-foot-long sail on its back — a fin-like fan whose purpose has been widely debated. From the few fossils found in Egypt and Morocco, Spinosaurus was primarily a fish-eating river dweller, perhaps one of the first dinosaurs to swim. Although, its strong hind legs some believe it can run up to 15 mph.
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Archaeopteryx
Is it a bird, a dinosaur, or something in between? In any case, the well-preserved fossils of Archaeopteryx (meaning "ancient wings") are among the most famous artifacts of this kind in the world. Despite its wings, the jury still didn't know if it could fly or glide, which, combined with its fearsome claws and sharp teeth, brought something to the imagination. One such fossil, found in Germany, is a favorite of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming.
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Brachiosaurus
Like Velociraptors, Brachiosaurus' current popularity owes much to its cameo in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, calmly munching on tall trees and sneezing at actress Ariana Richards — but the giant giraffe-like dinosaur is fascinating in its own right. Based on fossils found in Algeria, Portugal, Tanzania, and the United States (Utah, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Colorado), it is thought that the adult Brachiosaurus probably had a body length of 82 feet, a neck length of 30 feet, and a weight of 62 tons.
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Allosaurus
Smaller than Tyrannosaurus rex, but faster and more ferocious in teeth, Allosaurus was an all-purpose predator in the Late Jurassic period, and may have even hunted prey (including sauropods and stegosaurs) in droves. Most of the fossils found came from Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, but they were also found in Portugal, Siberia and Tanzania. After 46 of these fossils were found at the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry in Utah, it became a state fossil in Utah.
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Apatolone
Apatosaurus' popularity is due to the fact that it was once called Brontosaurus — a name that is the dinosaur miniature of generations of kids who watched "flint" cartoons — but beyond that, it was one of the most reliable sauropod dinosaurs of the late Jurassic. Its size makes it a favorite of the Field Museum of Natural History and other museums in Chicago. Apatosaurus, or "deceptive lizard," hatches from an egg one foot wide. But their unique appearance as adults is a miracle as they can grow up to 70-90 feet long. Its neck towers above its broad body, which helps it graze on tall leaves, and its whip-like, 50-foot-long tail is intended for anyone's guess. Fossils have been found in Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah.
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Dilophosaurus
Despite what you've seen in Jurassic Park, the diplophosaurus didn't spit poison; It doesn't have a frills around its neck and isn't as big as a Labrador Hound. However, even after dinosaur lovers learned the truth, this dinosaur was still popular. After studying fossils from North America and China, scientists believe that Double-crowned Dragon (meaning "double-crowned lizard" because of its fancy head decoration) was about 20 feet long from head to tail and weighed about 1,000 pounds. They are covered with sharp teeth and are considered scavengers, supplementing their diet by hunting small animals and fish.