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Dinosaurs Quiz – Printable Version

20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.

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  1. During which geological period did Tyrannosaurus rex live?
    • A. Triassic
    • B. Jurassic
    • C. Cretaceous
    • D. Permian
  2. Which dinosaur is famous for its three facial horns and large bony frill?
    • A. Stegosaurus
    • B. Triceratops
    • C. Ankylosaurus
    • D. Iguanodon
  3. Which of these is currently considered one of the largest known carnivorous dinosaurs, even bigger than T. rex?
    • A. Allosaurus
    • B. Spinosaurus
    • C. Velociraptor
    • D. Compsognathus
  4. According to most estimates, which titanosaur sauropod is considered the largest land animal that ever lived?
    • A. Diplodocus
    • B. Argentinosaurus
    • C. Brachiosaurus
    • D. Apatosaurus
  5. Pterodactylus and Pteranodon, often associated with dinosaurs, are actually:
    • A. Flying dinosaurs
    • B. Flying reptiles from a different group
    • C. Primitive birds
    • D. Giant insects
  6. Roughly how long did non-avian dinosaurs dominate the Earth before their extinction?
    • A. About 1 million years
    • B. About 165 million years
    • C. About 10,000 years
    • D. About 500 million years
  7. Which group of modern animals are dinosaurs most closely related to?
    • A. Lizards
    • B. Crocodiles
    • C. Birds
    • D. Turtles
  8. Which famous fossil, discovered in Germany, is often presented as a "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds?
    • A. Archaeopteryx
    • B. Diplodocus
    • C. Iguanodon
    • D. Compsognathus
  9. What is the key difference between a dinosaur and a broadly defined "prehistoric reptile"?
    • A. None, they are synonyms
    • B. Dinosaurs have legs positioned under the body, not sprawled to the sides
    • C. Dinosaurs lived only on land
    • D. Dinosaurs were all herbivorous
  10. Which 1993 film marked a turning point in the cultural popularity of dinosaurs, largely thanks to its special effects?
    • A. King Kong
    • B. Jurassic Park
    • C. Godzilla
    • D. The Lost World
  11. Which part of Diplodocus's body made up the largest portion of its total length?
    • A. The neck
    • B. The tail
    • C. The legs
    • D. The head
  12. What is the name of the great geological era, divided into the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, during which non-avian dinosaurs lived?
    • A. The Paleozoic
    • B. The Mesozoic
    • C. The Cenozoic
    • D. The Precambrian
  13. Which dinosaur from Mongolia had claws nearly one meter long, even though it was probably a plant-eater?
    • A. Deinonychus
    • B. Velociraptor
    • C. Therizinosaurus
    • D. Tarbosaurus
  14. Why do Tyrannosaurus rex's arms amuse palaeontologists?
    • A. They had five fingers
    • B. They were ridiculously short for a 12-metre animal
    • C. They were longer than its legs
    • D. They were covered in spikes
  15. Which large Cretaceous marine reptile, made famous by 'Jurassic World', was not a dinosaur but a close relative of lizards?
    • A. The plesiosaur
    • B. The ichthyosaur
    • C. The mosasaur
    • D. The spinosaur
  16. Which fish, thought to have died out along with the dinosaurs, was caught alive in 1938 off South Africa?
    • A. The sturgeon
    • B. The coelacanth
    • C. The sunfish
    • D. The frilled shark
  17. How many fingers did Tyrannosaurus rex have on each hand?
    • A. Two
    • B. Three
    • C. Five
    • D. None
  18. What does the name "Tyrannosaurus rex" mean?
    • A. The great hunter
    • B. The tyrant lizard king
    • C. The forest dragon
    • D. The two-fingered terror
  19. Where does the name of the Jurassic period come from?
    • A. A scholar called Jurassus
    • B. Latin "jus", law
    • C. A Greek island
    • D. The Jura mountains, between France and Switzerland
  20. For how much was "Stan", one of the most complete T. rex skeletons, sold at auction in 2020?
    • A. About $3 million
    • B. About $31.8 million
    • C. About $100,000
    • D. About $1 billion

Answer key — Dinosaurs Quiz

  1. C. CretaceousTyrannosaurus rex lived right at the end of the Cretaceous period, roughly 68 to 66 million years ago, just before the extinction event that ended the reign of non-avian dinosaurs.
  2. B. TriceratopsTriceratops had a large bony frill and three horns: one on the nose and two above the eyes, likely used for display and defense.
  3. B. SpinosaurusSpinosaurus, with its large back sail, may have exceeded 15 meters in length.
  4. B. ArgentinosaurusArgentinosaurus, discovered in Argentina, may have reached 30 to 35 meters in length and weighed over 70 tons, making it one of the largest land animals ever identified.
  5. B. Flying reptiles from a different groupPterosaurs, which include Pterodactylus and Pteranodon, are not technically dinosaurs but a distinct group of flying reptiles that lived during the same era.
  6. B. About 165 million yearsDinosaurs first appeared roughly 230-240 million years ago and became extinct (for non-avian forms) 66 million years ago, meaning they dominated the planet for about 165 million years.
  7. C. BirdsModern birds are direct descendants of a group of theropod dinosaurs.
  8. A. ArchaeopteryxDiscovered in 1861, Archaeopteryx shows traits of both theropod dinosaurs (teeth, a long bony tail) and birds (well-developed feathers), making it a key fossil for understanding the origin of birds.
  9. B. Dinosaurs have legs positioned under the body, not sprawled to the sidesUnlike many other reptiles whose legs sprawl out to the sides of the body, dinosaurs had limbs positioned directly beneath the body, an "upright" posture that sets them apart.
  10. B. Jurassic ParkDirected by Steven Spielberg and released in 1993, Jurassic Park was a landmark in film history thanks to its special effects blending animatronics and CGI, sparking a lasting resurgence of public interest in dinosaurs.
  11. B. The tailAlthough Diplodocus's long neck is very recognizable, it was actually its whip-like tail that made up the largest portion of its total length, exceeding 14 meters on its own.
  12. B. The MesozoicThe Mesozoic lasted from about 252 to 66 million years ago. Often nicknamed the "Age of Reptiles", it is divided into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous.
  13. C. TherizinosaurusTherizinosaurus, the "scythe lizard", is a theropod, the same group as the great meat-eaters.
  14. B. They were ridiculously short for a 12-metre animalAbout one metre long, they could not even reach its mouth. Yet they were very muscular: their exact role is still debated.
  15. C. The mosasaurIt could exceed 15 metres. Its first fossil was found near Maastricht in the Netherlands in the 18th century, then taken to Paris as war booty by revolutionary troops.
  16. B. The coelacanthA museum curator spotted it among a trawler's catch. Nicknamed a 'living fossil', it interests scientists because its fleshy fins recall the origin of land vertebrates' legs.
  17. A. TwoIts older relatives had three; it kept only two working ones, armed with claws.
  18. B. The tyrant lizard king"Tyrannos" means "tyrant" in Greek, "sauros" "lizard", and "rex" "king" in Latin.
  19. D. The Jura mountains, between France and SwitzerlandTheir fossil-rich limestone served as a reference for 19th-century geologists.
  20. B. About $31.8 millionIt was then the most expensive fossil ever sold. Palaeontologists worry about such rare specimens slipping away from museums.

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