The Earth is very old. It was formed about 4,500 million years ago. The first dinosaurs appeared 220 million years ago. But how long ago is that?
It is hard to imagine such huge amounts of time. It seems as if the dinosaurs lived at the very beginning of time, but, in fact, the Earth existed for billions of years before the Age of the Dinosaurs.
How Long Did Dinosaurs Rule The Earth?
Dinosaurs lived on Earth for about 160 million years. That is an extremely long time. Humans have only existed for 3 million years, so we have a long way to go before we are as successful as dinosaurs.
The Changing Earth
Since the Earth was formed it has changed a great deal. The land masses, seas and climate changed, so did the animals and plants. Even the dinosaurs changed (evolved).
Many different kinds of dinosaurs evolved during the time that they lived on Earth.
The Secrets Of Dinosaur Success
Dinosaurs were a great success of the animal kingdom, they lasted for about 160 million years because:
- They adapted to the world around them.
- They had scaly, waterproof skin. The overlapping scales kept the dinosaur dry and protected it.
- They laid hard-shelled eggs which helped many young to survive.
- Dinosaurs could walk on land more easily than many of the other animals of the time, so they could find food and escape from enemies quickly.
- Some dinosaurs ate plants and some ate meat. This meant that there was usually enough food to go round.
Fun Egg Fact
Dinosaurs laid eggs with hard shells. The shell protected the baby dinosaur inside and contained its own private pond where the young could grow in safety.