About Plant-Eating Dinosaurs
Plant-eating dinosaurs evolved an amazing variety of body plans. Some had horns and frills, some carried armor and tail clubs, some grew necks many meters long, and others developed complex batteries of teeth for grinding tough vegetation.
Horned Dinosaurs
Ceratopsians included Triceratops and many relatives with beaks, horns, and frills.
Learn MoreStegosaurs
Stegosaurus carried tall plates along its back and spikes on its tail.
Learn MoreSauropods
Sauropods were the largest land animals known.
Learn MoreDuck-Billed Dinosaurs
Hadrosaurs had broad beaks and rows of tightly packed teeth.
Learn MoreArmored Dinosaurs
Ankylosaurs protected themselves with heavy body armor.
Learn MoreFeeding Adaptations
Plant eaters solved the problem of eating tough vegetation in different ways.
Learn MoreGroups and Herds
Some plant-eating dinosaurs probably traveled or nested in groups.
Learn MoreGrowing Huge
Some herbivorous dinosaurs reached enormous sizes very quickly.
Learn MoreHorned Dinosaurs
Ceratopsians were plant-eating dinosaurs with parrot-like beaks and specialized teeth. Large Late Cretaceous forms often had dramatic skull ornamentation. Horns and frills may have helped with display, species recognition, defense, or competition.
Stegosaurs
Stegosaurs were armored plant eaters that lived mainly during the Jurassic. Stegosaurus had a small head, sturdy limbs, two rows of large plates, and a spiked tail. The exact function of the plates is still studied, but display and temperature control have both been considered.
Sauropods
Sauropods such as Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Brachiosaurus relatives had long necks, long tails, thick legs, and relatively small heads. Their skeletons show many weight-saving air spaces connected to the respiratory system.
Duck-Billed Dinosaurs
Hadrosaurs became widespread during the Late Cretaceous. Their dental batteries contained hundreds of teeth, with new teeth replacing worn ones. Some species, such as Parasaurolophus, had elaborate hollow crests that may have helped create sounds.
Armored Dinosaurs
Ankylosaurs had bony plates embedded in the skin, and some later species carried large tail clubs. Their low, wide bodies and defensive armor made them very different from tall sauropods or lightly built ornithopods.
Feeding Adaptations
Some dinosaurs cropped plants with beaks and swallowed food with little chewing, while others had complex teeth that sliced or ground plant material. Long necks, broad muzzles, narrow muzzles, and different jaw motions suggest that species often fed in different ways.
Groups and Herds
Mass bonebeds, trackways, and nesting sites sometimes preserve many individuals together. These discoveries suggest social behavior in at least some species, though not every group of fossils proves that animals lived in permanent herds.
Growing Huge
Bone tissue can preserve growth lines and microscopic structures. Studies suggest many dinosaurs grew faster than living reptiles. Large size may have helped deter predators, reach high vegetation, and maintain stable body temperatures.