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Dinosaurs were large and small creatures that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Feathered dinosaurs had heavy bones which prevented them from flying. Those that did fly actually resembled birds but are often included in the dinosaur category.

Pterodactyls were flying reptiles in the Mesozoic era. They were as large as giraffes with wingspans up to twenty five feet. Archaeopteryx lived during the late Jurassic period and had brains and feathers like a bird but no large breastbone. Only the size of a crow, they sported a large, bony tail with feathers.

Many lived during the Cretaceous period such as the sparrow-sized Iberomesornis with its small teeth and long tail. Eoalulavis weighed less than one pound and were only half a foot long. The Microraptor gui was two feet long and weighed up to four pounds. This creature had wings on both their arms and legs. Pigeon-sized Ichthyornis sported teeth only in the middle with a beak at the tip. They are called fish birds due to their fish-like vertebrae.

Sixty five million years ago, the mass extinction of dinosaurs occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period. Research shows that a meteorite striking the Earth prompted a sudden ice age which caused their demise.

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