Student Article
Why Small Dinosaurs Could Be a Big Danger to Humans
Herd (noun): A group of animals that live and move together.
Feathers (noun): The soft covering found on birds and some dinosaurs.
Claw (noun): A sharp nail on the foot of an animal.
What if dinosaurs lived with us today?
Big meat-eaters might not have cared about us
Some dinosaurs were big and scary, like Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus. These meat-eaters were the size of buses and had huge teeth. But even though they were scary, they might not chase us because we are small and not very filling for them.
Even gentle giants were dangerous
Many dinosaurs ate plants and didn’t want to hurt people. But they were really big! Some, like Argentinosaurus, were heavier than airplanes. If they stepped on someone by accident, it would be very dangerous.
Some plant-eaters could fight back
Other plant-eating dinosaurs had horns or big tails and lived in big groups. These herds would be nervous around humans.
Small dinosaurs were fierce and fast
The real danger might come from the little dinosaurs. Some were the size of dogs and had feathers. They looked cute but were very tricky. Dinosaurs like Velociraptors had sharp teeth and claws. They could scratch and bite, making them hard to deal with.
So, if dinosaurs came back today, the small ones might be the hardest to live with!
© Dr. Stephen Brusatte / Our Media
Herd (noun): A group of animals that live and move together.
Feathers (noun): The soft covering found on birds and some dinosaurs.
Claw (noun): A sharp nail on the foot of an animal.