Student Article
Why Small Dinosaurs Could Be a Big Danger to Humans
Herbivore (noun): An animal that eats only plants.
Sickle-shaped (adjective): Curved like a crescent or a farming tool.
Could small dinosaurs have been more dangerous to humans than the giant ones?
Big meat-eaters might not have cared about us
When we think of dangerous dinosaurs, we usually picture the biggest meat-eaters like Tyrannosaurus rex or Giganotosaurus. These giant predators were as big as buses and had jaws large enough to fit a person. But even with their terrifying appearance, they might not have seen humans as good meals. Tyrannosaurs had strong senses — great vision, hearing, and smell — and they may have simply ignored us.
Even gentle giants were dangerous
Plant-eating dinosaurs, though not hunters, could still pose risks. Massive sauropods like Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan weighed more than 100 tons — more than a full airplane. If one stepped on a human, it would be like stepping on a bug.
Some plant-eaters could fight back
Some herbivores, such as those with horns or duck-billed faces, traveled in herds and might have felt threatened by people, making them act defensively.
Small dinosaurs were fierce and fast
Then there were the small, feathered dinosaurs. These were the ancient relatives of birds. Dinosaurs like Velociraptors were no bigger than a dog but had sickle-shaped claws and sharp teeth. These little ones were clever and fierce, and could have been a constant danger — sneaky, fast, and always ready to bite or scratch.
It turns out that the scariest dinosaurs might not have been the biggest, but the smallest.
© Dr. Stephen Brusatte / Our Media
Herbivore (noun): An animal that eats only plants.
Sickle-shaped (adjective): Curved like a crescent or a farming tool.