[For Seniors] Fun and Easy! Dinosaur Multiple-Choice Quiz (3 Options)

America

The “Godzillasaurus” discovered in the United States was named by a researcher who loves “Godzilla.” As a child, after watching a Godzilla movie with his Japanese mother, he became a Godzilla fan. That led him into paleontology, and he named a newly discovered dinosaur “Godzilla.”

child-rearing

Maiasaura is the dinosaur that prompted the idea that some dinosaurs cared for their young. Fossils from nests have yielded slightly grown juvenile Maiasaura and eggshells shattered from hatching. From this, it is inferred that hatchlings lived in the nest until they reached a certain size—in other words, the parents provided care. By the way, in Latin, “maia” means a good mother, and “saura” is a term used for a female lizard.

Oviraptor

“Raptor” apparently means “thief” in Latin. Oviraptor, which carries the meaning “egg thief,” was given its unique name due to a misunderstanding. Fossils of an Oviraptor were discovered inside a nest containing Triceratops eggs. It was assumed that it had been stealing and eating the Triceratops eggs, and so it was named “Oviraptor.” However, the embryos in the eggs were actually Oviraptors, and it seems the fossils formed in its own nest. It’s a bit sad that it was labeled a “thief” because of a misunderstanding.

tooth

“-don” comes from the Greek word “odōn,” which means “tooth.” Iguanodon thus means “iguana tooth.” When Iguanodon fossils were discovered, they were named because the teeth resembled those of an iguana. By the way, although the name is similar to the reptile “iguana,” they are not actually related.

Microraptor

Because its name includes “micro,” it conjures an image of something small, doesn’t it? “Raptor” means “thief.” Microraptor was about 50 centimeters long and weighed around 3 kilograms. Its entire body was covered in feathers, and it even had feathers on its hind legs. While modern birds don’t have feathers on their hind legs, Microraptor was a dinosaur closely related to birds. Though its small, cute appearance comes to mind, it was apparently carnivorous.

three (items/cylindrical objects)

Triceratops have horns that can exceed one meter in length, and they have three of them. You can see “tri” in the name Triceratops—“tri” is a Latin prefix meaning “three.” The name is said to mean “a face with three horns.”