How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

DINOSAURS

Dinosaur defence

How did dinosaurs

defend themselves?

Dinosaurs evolved spikes, horns and even thick

armoured skin to protect themselves. They needed to be

able to fi ght off predators or risk getting eaten

Herbivorous dinosaurs developed
built-in weapons to defend against
carnivores. This gave them a better
chance of surviving a fi ght against predators. It
also gave them a better chance at defending

vulnerable young against predation. Some
dinosaurs had sharp claws on their hands, like
Iguanodons, which could have been used as a tool
and as a weapon. Dinosaurs like Triceratops had

horns as long as a human arm that pointed
forwards so that the Triceratops could take on its
enemy head on. Both these defences could have
been used to stab attacking predators.

Other dinosaurs used their tails as weapons.
The A nk ylosaurus had a heav y, bony hammer at
the end of its tail. They could use this to smash
into an attacking dinosaur and they were strong

enough to crush skulls and break bones. Some
dinosaurs were covered in tough scales like a
thick coat of armour. Stegosaurus had a row of
bony plates running along its spine that are

thought to be used for temperature control,
though it’s certainly possible that they were also
used for defence. The bony plates ended along the
tail but Stegosaurus remained well defended by

the sharp spikes at the end of its tail. Powerf ul
muscles could propel those spikes into an
oncoming attacker. Indeed, A llosaurus remains
have been found with wounds that line up

perfectly with the dimensions of a Stegosaurus’s
tail spikes
Larger herbivores used their size as a defence.
Dinosaurs like the Diplodocus were so massive

that carnivores couldn’t attack them easily. For
smaller dinosaurs, running away was usually the
best defence. They developed lighter bones so
they could run faster. They needed to escape

quickly to avoid fi ghting altogether.

The large part of the top of their

skulls is called a frill. This

Styracosaurus had lots of sharp

horns along the top of its frill

Frill horns

Tail spikes

Tail spikes could be

used as weapons

because they were

hard and sharp. They also made

dinosaurs much harder to eat.

Whip

Dinosaurs like Diplodocus

had long tails that they

could use like whips. It’s

possible that they snapped faster

than the speed of sound.

Tail club

Tail clubs were

swung around just

like a hammer. They

were smashed into predators’

legs and could crush bones.