Discover 10 Dinosaurs That Start With T

It might surprise you to find out just how many different species of dinosaurs there are. Paleontologists are still discovering new dinosaurs at an astonishing rate! Many dinosaurs evolved to have very specialized skills when it came to sources of food and surviving in certain habitats. Evolution gifted us with so many different iterations of dinosaurs, as dinosaurs lived over the span of 165 million years! Let’s take a look at some dinosaurs whose names begin with the letter T.

1. Talarurus

This armored dinosaur lived about 99-89 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. First discovered in 1948 by the Joint Soviet-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition, their bones can be found around modern-day Mongolia! This herbivore could reach up to 16 feet in length and weigh around 1,000-2,000 pounds, all while eating a strict vegetarian diet. It might look familiar due to the club on its tail, and that’s because these dinosaurs are part of the Ankylosaur family.

2. Tarbosaurus

Our next carnivorous dinosaur lived about 74-70 million years ago during the Maastrichtian age at the end of the Late Cretaceous period. The Tarbosaurus fossils can be found in both Mongolia and China. This large theropod might remind you of the Tyrannosaurus! These dinosaurs probably dined on carrion as well as hunting prey. Their main prey was likely the hadrosaurs or sauropods. This large bipedal predator could reach over 40 feet long, 12 feet tall, and weigh around 6.5 tons!

3. Tenontosaurus

This medium-to-large-sized ornithopod dinosaur lived 120-110 million years ago during the late Aptian to Albian ages of the Early Cretaceous period. This area is now part of Montana’s diverse woodlands. The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) gave it the informal name “Tenantosaurus,” which means “sinew lizard.” Its name was formally changed in the 60s  by John Ostrom. These dinosaurs were herbivorous and would likely eat different leaves from fern trees, cycads, and maybe even some flowering plants.

4. Thecodontosaurus

The Thecodontosaurus is yet another herbivore to be added to our list. This prosauropod’s stomping grounds are in what is now England or the United Kingdom. The Thecodontosaurus lived 227-205 million years ago during the Late Triassic period. They’re on the smaller side, weighing only 24-49 pounds and about 6 feet long.

5. Therizinosaurus

Therizinosaurus lived 85-70 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. The name Therizinosaurus means “scythe lizard,” and they were roughly 3 to 6 tons! The only fossil found from this large theropod was from the forelimb skeleton, so scientists can only guess when it comes to reconstructions. The joint Soviet and Mongolian expedition excavated this dinosaur’s fossils from the famous Nemegt Formation in the Gobi Desert. Originally thought to be a giant turtle, it took 25 years for scientists to identify the Therizinosaurus as a theropod dinosaur.

6. Torosaurus

The Torosaurus is the first ceratopsian on our list! It’s believed that these types of dinosaurs lived in social groups. These herbivorous creatures might remind you of another member of our list, the Triceratops! This is due to the fact that they belong to the same family, boasting large display crests and horns as well as a beaked mouth for grazing. You would see these dinosaurs alive during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period. Their fossils range from the western states of America and as far into the north as Saskatchewan.

7. Torvosaurus

Megalosaurid theropod dinosaurs such as the Torvosaurus could reach a length of 33 to 40 feet and weight of 2 to 5 tons. The first fossil of Torvosaurus was found in 1972 in Colorado but wasn’t fully described until seven years later. They roamed the earth in the Middle and Late Jurassic periods. Like the Tyrannosaurus, these carnivores had a heavy body with powerful hind legs and short but strong arms. These dinosaurs tended to hunt plant-eating dinosaurs like stegosaurs and sauropods.

8. Triceratops

Did you know that the Triceratops had up to 800 teeth throughout a lifetime? Triceratops, Latin for “three-horned face,” is a fan-favorite for many young kids thanks to its large crest and massive horns. These herbivores loved to munch on tough palm fronds and lived during the Late Cretaceous period, 68-66 million years ago. This genus was first described in 1889 by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, and many specimens have been found over time!

9. Troodon

The Troodon stomped through what’s now North America about 76 million years ago, searching for prey and moving lightly on its two hind feet. Troodon, meaning “wound tooth,” had impressive, razor-sharp chompers as well as other interestingly shaped teeth. Likely omnivorous, these dinosaurs were alive during the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period. When they were first discovered in 1855, experts at the time believed them only to be a lizard! They didn’t find their place in the dinosaur logs until 1877.

10. Tyrannosaurus

Crashing in at number ten on our list is the ferocious Tyrannosaurus! The Tyrannosaurus, or “Tyrant Lizard King,” roamed the planet during the late Cretaceous Period 65 million years ago in parts of the USA and Canada. This carnivore is easily one of the best-represented theropods, featured in plenty of movies and books. Their 12-inch long teeth blended to its bite force of almost 12,800 pounds, making it the animal with the world’s strongest bite! The first partial skeleton was found in eastern Wyoming in 1900.

Summary of 10 Dinosaurs That Start With T

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock.com

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