What Herbivorous Dinosaurs Existed?
When we think of these gigantic animals that went extinct millions of years ago, we imagine them devouring living prey. Instead, there were also herbivorous dinosaurs who favored flowers and plants. Read on to find out all about the herbivorous dinosaur species!
Did herbivorous dinosaurs exist?
Dinosaurs left our planet a long time ago, yet they continue to amaze and fascinate us. Although it seems normal to believe that these reckless species were all carnivorous and dangerous, in reality many of them simply ate plants and flowers.
Well, herbivorous dinosaurs were much larger in size than carnivorous ones. Most of them were equipped with long necks similar to those of giraffes, useful for reaching the highest branches of trees and getting to food.
The leaves and plants that were part of their diet were difficult to digest. It was therefore common for them to spend most of their time chewing and ingesting food. Some had no teeth, but they tore up the vegetation with a kind of beak.
A very curious fact is that at the time of the dinosaurs there were no grassy expanses as we know them today, in fact all the vegetation and plants rose in height. The plant species favored by the dinosaurs were pines, ferns and other herbaceous plants.
What kind of herbivorous dinosaurs were there?
Now that we’ve learned that non-carnivorous dinosaurs existed millions of years ago, it’s time to talk about the different types and species. Among all we point out:
1. Diplodocus
He lived towards the end of the Jurassic period – 150 million years ago – in the area that today corresponds to North America. The first fossils of Diplodocus – photo that opens the article – were discovered in 1877, and its name derives from the Greek ‘ diplos’ which means double, and ‘ dokos’ which means bundle, in allusion to the bony protuberances present in the lower part of the queue.
These dinosaurs are among the most famous we know today thanks to movies and museums: long neck and tail, sturdy legs, and enormous size. It could measure more than 25 meters and reach the tallest leaves of trees.
2. Brachiosaurus, among the largest herbivorous dinosaurs
Here is another of the long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs – apparently not too flexible – that lived in North America in the Upper Jurassic. His head was small compared to his body and his back was tilted forward, more precisely towards the caudal area.
The Brachiosaurus or Brachiosauro was a folivore that fed on the foliage that was at a height of 10 meters, mainly conifers. He completed his diet with “lower” plants, such as ginkgo and tree ferns.
3. Cetiosaurus
The “whale lizard” is another of the herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic period, but in this case it inhabited present-day Africa and Europe 180 million years ago. It measured about 18 meters in height and had a neck as long as the body. The tail consisted of 40 vertebrae and the legs measured 1.5 meters.
4. Brontosaurus, one of the most famous herbivorous dinosaurs
The “thunder lizard” lived in North America 155 million years ago and had a long neck that allowed it to feed without problems, as well as a tail that ended in a tip, similar to a whip.
5. Stegosaurus
Not all herbivorous dinosaurs were large and long-necked, indeed, there were smaller species with particular characteristics. This is the case of the Stegosaurus, whose tail and body were covered with two rows of horny plates and spines used as a defense mechanism.
6. Triceratops
The last of the most famous herbivorous dinosaurs in the world is the triceratops, known for the three horns on its snout and for the crest like a mane around its head. Similar to today’s rhinos, the triceratops fed on low plants. Its jaws allowed it to tear up the vegetables it swallowed whole.
Of course, there are many other species of herbivorous dinosaurs that we can mention: parasaurolophus, gallimimus, ankylosaurus, patagotitan and ankylosaurus , all with similar characteristics in terms of physiognomy and jaw.
