Source by: Live Science
It’s been over 65 million years now that dinosaurs last walked the earth, but we are still busy trying to know more about them. These creatures have many unique features that make them the subjects of many discussions. One of the critical questions both kids and adults ask about dinosaurs is “where did the dinosaurs live?”
In this article, we will discuss the habitat of dinosaurs and how dinosaurs were able to spread across the globe. You will learn the following:
- Where the dinosaurs originated from?
- How dinosaurs were able to live successfully in every part of the earth.
- The distribution of dinosaurs on earth.
Let’s start exploring!
Where Did Dinosaurs Originate From?
Source by: Natural History Museum
The oldest dinosaur fossils discovered were found in South America. Recently the fossil of a dinosaur called Tawa hallae was found in Mexico. The fossil was almost complete and well-preserved.
An extensive study of this fossil showed the animal lived about 220 million years ago. This indicates that the earliest dinosaurs lived on the continent. Paleontologists believe that the dinosaurs originated from South America and then scattered across the earth.
How Did the Dinosaurs Manage to Live Everywhere on Earth?
Source by: The New York Times
The dinosaurs lived for about 165 million years. The so-called age of dinosaurs started around 230 million years ago and ended 65 million years ago. Within that time, the dinosaurs scattered around the earth. This was possible because the earth was a single mass called the Pangea.
Unlike today when we have different continents separated by water, mountains, and other physical barriers, the earth was not divided during the age of the dinosaurs. Hence, the dinosaurs could migrate from one end of the earth to the other end without any obstruction.
How Can We Trace the Dinosaurs Habitat?
Source by: TIME for Kids
Paleontologists are scientists that study features of organisms that have lived a long time ago. To understand the nature of these extinct organisms, paleontologists rely on fossils of the organisms. Fossils are the skeletons, footprints and other remains of organisms. To determine where the dinosaurs lived, paleontologists only need to search for the fossils of dinosaurs.
Indeed, the places where dinosaur fossils were found indicated where dinosaurs lived.
So, Where did the dinosaur live?
Source by: Only Dinosaurs
The fossil records showed that the dinosaurs lived in every part of the earth. Their fossils had been discovered in every continent of the world, from South America to Europe to Australia. In fact, their fossils were found even in Antarctica.
South America
Source by: ThoughtCo
It is the general belief of scientists that the dinosaurs originated in South America. Therefore, the continent has most of the oldest species of dinosaurs. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have many diverse species.
The most popular species of dinosaurs that lived in South America include Argentinosaurus and Irritator. Argentinosaurus is among the commonly known dinosaurs.
North America
Source by: The New York Times
North America was home to a vast number of dinosaur species. The continent has fossils of many popular species of dinosaurs, including the famous dinosaur: T-Rex and Allosaurus.
In fact, almost all families of dinosaurs had been discovered on the continent. Certainly, that part of the earth was very conducive for dinosaurs during their time.
Europe
Source by: Dinosaurs
The dinosaur was first discovered in England in Europe, and paleontologists had dug up many fossils of these animals. The more they search, the more they find out new species.
Undoubtedly, many dinosaurs walked the forests of Europe. Among the most popular species of dinosaurs that lived in that part of the earth are Plateosaurus and Archaeopteryx.
Asia
Source by: Collider
Fossil records in Asia showed the continent was home to many dinosaur species, including many feathered dinosaurs.
Over the past decades, Asia has produced the highest number of newly discovered dinosaur fossils than any other continent. Fossil records show that dinosaurs like Velociraptors lived in Asia millions of years ago.
Africa
Source by: Gage Beasley
Africa likely had the lowest dinosaurs among the continents discussed so far. This may be due to the climate. However, the continent was home to some of the fiercest species of dinosaurs. Among the dinosaurs that lived in Africa were Spinosaurus, titanosaurs, and sauropods.
Australia
Source by: DinoAnimals.com
Australia may be cold now and may not support many temperate animals, but during the era of the dinosaurs, the climate wasn’t as it is today.
Notwithstanding, there were few fossils of dinosaurs discovered on the continent. Among the dinosaurs that lived in Australia millions of years ago are the sauropods, theropods, and ornithopods.
Antarctica
Source by: Kidadl
Today, Antarctica is too cold for any animal like the dinosaurs to live, but it wasn’t like that 200 million years ago. Like Australia, Antarctica was home to a limited number of dinosaur species, but it can still boast of many dinosaurs like Rheotosaurus and Antarctopelta.
FAQs About the Dinosaur Habitats
Source by: Blendspace
Did the Dinosaurs Live in the Water?
Dinosaurs might love living in riverine areas and beside water bodies, but they are not aquatic. There are also evidences that some dinosaurs used to go to the water to feed on aquatic lives. However, no dinosaur lived permanently in the water like crocodiles or turtle. All dinosaurs are terrestrial.
Did the Dinosaurs Live in the Air?
Just as dinosaurs didn’t live in the water, they also didn’t live in the air. Dinosaurs were predominantly terrestrial animals. Although many dinosaurs have feathers, scientists are sure that there were no flying dinosaurs.
Which Habitats Best Suit the Dinosaurs?
From the locations where the dinosaurs’ fossils were found, it was believed that most dinosaurs lived along rivers and streams. Many dinosaur fossils had also been discovered close to ancient lakes. Dinosaurs also lived in swamps and flooded plains. However, there are many species of dinosaurs, and there might be exceptions to these preferred dinosaur habitats.
Source by: Tahoe Quarterly
How Many Dinosaurs Lived in Each Continent?
It is impossible to tell the number of dinosaurs that lived in each continent during the dinosaur era. It is also important to note that the earth was a single mass then, and there were no continents. Dinosaurs were mighty and lived for a long time.
Hence, since there was no barrier to their movement, they can freely move from one part of the earth to another. That a dinosaur fossil was found in a particular place does not mean it had not previously lived in a place far away from where it died. However, some species of dinosaurs can be identified with specific continents.
Where Did the Dinosaur Live-Conclusion
Source by: BBC
Dinosaurs lived on earth for about 165 million years. Their era started around 230 million years ago, and the last dinosaur died about 65 million years ago. During that time, fascinating animals scattered all over the earth.
At that time, the nature of the planet made it possible for them to move from one end of the earth to another without any barrier. Therefore, their fossils were found on all continents of our planet, including Australia and Antarctica.
However, paleontologists believe that these reptiles prefer to live along rivers and streams, beside lakes, or in muddy vegetation. But they are predominantly terrestrial, and there was no evidence that dinosaurs lived in water or air. If you want to continue exploring the mysteries of dinosaur life，the blog Dinosaur lifespan: How long did a dinosaur live? is a good choice.
