Dinosaurs dominated the planet for over 160 million years until they were wiped off the face of Earth by an asteroid 66 million years ago.
They have since been replaced by smaller mammals and birds, but their legacy as Earth’s largest creatures lives on in every awe-inspiring Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that you see today.
They were the biggest animals to ever walk on land, but how well do they compare to modern animals?
The biggest Dinosaurs Vs. Biggest Modern Animals.
Blue whales reach a length of 30 meters, and the longest known blue whale is 33 meters long with an estimated weight of up to 150,000 kg. It’s the biggest modern animal.
But is it bigger than dinosaurs?
Sauropods are the longest dinosaurs, reaching about 33 meters or 112 feet in length, and 90000 kg heavy. Paleontologists discovered a Vertebra that is 130 cm (or 4.5 feet) long and belongs to a sauropod, indicating that some individuals were even longer. A Barosaurus with such a Vertebra might reach a size of 48 meters or 157 feet, making it the longest known dinosaur.
Keep in mind that the size of giant sauropods is estimated because complete fossils of sauropods are a rare discovery. The average blue whale is much bigger than almost every dinosaur, including most sauropods. T Rex, for instance, was only 12 meters, or 40 feet, long. Dinosaurs like the triceratops or stegosaurus were about 9 meters (or 29.5 feet) long.
The fastest dinosaurs vs. the fastest modern animals.
The Peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world, reaching up to 320 km/h (or 200 mph). The fastest land animal is the cheetah, running up to 120km/h (or 75 mph).
The fastest dinosaurs were likely with an estimated speed of 96 km/h or 60 mph, ornithomimid dinosaurs, a group of dinosaurs resembling ostriches. Another fast runner was Compsognathus, a small dinosaur with an estimated 64 km/h or 40 mph.
Bite Force Dinosaurs Vs. Modern Animals.
The strongest modern animal is the Nile crocodile – with 5,000 psi biteforce, followed by the Saltwater crocodile and the American alligator. The strongest mammal is a hippo with 1800 psi. Humans have a bite force of 168 psi.
And the strongest dinosaur? It was likely the tyrannosaurus rex, with a bite force of 12800 psi, twice as much as the strongest modern animal.
The Smartest Modern Animals vs. Dinosaurs
For a long time, paleontologists thought dinosaurs were less intelligent than mammals. Most dinosaurs were as intelligent as modern reptiles, such as crocodiles. But some dinosaurs, like Velociraptor and other birdlike dinosaurs, are thought to have demonstrated empathy and even formed parent child relationships. They likely used vocal communication and a complex social structure for pack living and for hunting prey animals, and defending themselves against predators, just like many present-day birds do today. Crows belong to the smartest modern animals, and birds evolved from dinosaurs, which makes it likely that many birdlike dinosaurs had a birdlike intelligence.
The Most Successful Modern Animals vs Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth for more than 160 million years, but not all dinosaurs lived during the same period, and many dinosaurs became extinct within 2 million years. How successful were dinosaurs compared to modern animals? Comparing dinosaurs and modern animals in this regard seems unfair. The earth has not been hit by an asteroid for a long time, and dinosaurs like the tyrannosaurus rex or triceratops would have survived longer if there wasn’t this pesky asteroid impact.
But then again, some modern animals are older than the dinosaurs and still alive and kicking. If “successful” means surviving longer than other animals then Horseshoe crabs, who survived over 400 million years, are the most successful modern animals.