Bite Sized Facts Dinosaurs

CONTENTS DO YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES?

page 6

CARNIVORES Tyrannosaurus rex Theropods and bipedalism Allosaurus Record-breaking carnivores Hunting strategies Feathers Teeth and claws Deinonychus Carnotaurus Ceratosaurus Spinosaurus Troodon Velociraptor Microraptor Dilophosaurus Citipati Giganotosaurus Oviraptor Birth and care of offspring Ichthyovenator Gallimimus Archaeopteryx Mei long and the Chinese dinosaurs

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CONTENTS DO YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES?

page 6

CARNIVORES Tyrannosaurus rex Theropods and bipedalism Allosaurus Record-breaking carnivores Hunting strategies Feathers Teeth and claws Deinonychus Carnotaurus Ceratosaurus Spinosaurus Troodon Velociraptor Microraptor Dilophosaurus Citipati Giganotosaurus Oviraptor Birth and care of offspring Ichthyovenator Gallimimus Archaeopteryx Mei long and the Chinese dinosaurs

page 10 page 12 page 14 page 16 page 18 page 20 page 22 page 24 page 26 page 28 page 30 page 32 page 34 page 36 page 38 page 40 page 42 page 44 page 46 page 48 page 50 page 52 page 54

ALLOSAURUS It might seem like a smaller version of T. rex... ...but it lived about 145–155 million years ago, long before the T. rex. It was a fierce predator, like the T. rex, and was as long as a school bus!

MYSTERIOUS accessories

ABOVE ITS EYES WERE SMALL HORNS OR CRESTS, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS STILL UNKNOWN. SCIENTISTS THINK THEY MAY HAVE BLOCKED THE RAYS OF THE SUN OR WERE USED FOR FIGHTING.

Distant

A DARING

EVEN IF IT LOOKS LIKE T. REX, THEY WERE NOT RELATED AT ALL. THE TWO LIVED DURING DISTANT PERIODS, WITH THE ALLOSAURUS LIVING AROUND 80 MILLION YEARS EARLIER!

MANY OF THE DINOSAURS HUNTED BY ALLOSAURUS WERE PLANT-EATERS, LIKE THE STEGOSAURUS OR EVEN THE GIGANTIC DIPLODOCUS. DESPITE THEIR SIZE, ALLOSAURUS LIKELY STILL PREYED ON THEM, ATTACKING YOUNGER OR WEAKER INDIVIDUALS.

COUSINS?

predator

Fee-fi-fo-fum,

I SMELL...

ITS NOSTRILS WERE LARGE, AND THE OLFACTORY BULBS IN THE BRAIN WERE HIGHLY DEVELOPED. IT MUST HAVE HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL SENSE OF SMELL, ALMOST LIKE SEARCH DOGS!

CHARACTERISTICS

WHAT EYES! IT HAD SUPER VISION AND WAS ABLE TO CALCULATE THE EXACT DISTANCE OF PREY, LIKE A BASKETBALL PLAYER AIMING FOR THE BASKET.

-14-

A LETHAL BITE THE TEETH OF THE ALLOSAURUS WERE CURVED AND JAGGED, SIMILAR TO SHARP KITCHEN KNIVES, AND READY TO SINK INTO FLESH AS IF IT WERE BUTTER.

• ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS DIFFERENT LIZARD • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AFRICA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES SMALL CRESTS ABOVE THE EYES • WEIGHT: BETWEEN 3,100 AND 4,400 LB (1,400–2,000 KG) • DIMENSIONS: DIMENSIONS AROUND 32 FEET (10 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 145–155 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-15-

ALLOSAURUS It might seem like a smaller version of T. rex... ...but it lived about 145–155 million years ago, long before the T. rex. It was a fierce predator, like the T. rex, and was as long as a school bus!

MYSTERIOUS accessories

ABOVE ITS EYES WERE SMALL HORNS OR CRESTS, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS STILL UNKNOWN. SCIENTISTS THINK THEY MAY HAVE BLOCKED THE RAYS OF THE SUN OR WERE USED FOR FIGHTING.

Distant

A DARING

EVEN IF IT LOOKS LIKE T. REX, THEY WERE NOT RELATED AT ALL. THE TWO LIVED DURING DISTANT PERIODS, WITH THE ALLOSAURUS LIVING AROUND 80 MILLION YEARS EARLIER!

MANY OF THE DINOSAURS HUNTED BY ALLOSAURUS WERE PLANT-EATERS, LIKE THE STEGOSAURUS OR EVEN THE GIGANTIC DIPLODOCUS. DESPITE THEIR SIZE, ALLOSAURUS LIKELY STILL PREYED ON THEM, ATTACKING YOUNGER OR WEAKER INDIVIDUALS.

COUSINS?

predator

Fee-fi-fo-fum,

I SMELL...

ITS NOSTRILS WERE LARGE, AND THE OLFACTORY BULBS IN THE BRAIN WERE HIGHLY DEVELOPED. IT MUST HAVE HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL SENSE OF SMELL, ALMOST LIKE SEARCH DOGS!

CHARACTERISTICS

WHAT EYES! IT HAD SUPER VISION AND WAS ABLE TO CALCULATE THE EXACT DISTANCE OF PREY, LIKE A BASKETBALL PLAYER AIMING FOR THE BASKET.

-14-

A LETHAL BITE THE TEETH OF THE ALLOSAURUS WERE CURVED AND JAGGED, SIMILAR TO SHARP KITCHEN KNIVES, AND READY TO SINK INTO FLESH AS IF IT WERE BUTTER.

• ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS DIFFERENT LIZARD • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AFRICA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES SMALL CRESTS ABOVE THE EYES • WEIGHT: BETWEEN 3,100 AND 4,400 LB (1,400–2,000 KG) • DIMENSIONS: DIMENSIONS AROUND 32 FEET (10 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 145–155 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-15-

FEATHERS What was the skin of the dinosaurs like?

Scaly and tough like that of a crocodile, or feathered and soft like that of a bird?

For a long time scientists believed that all dinosaurs were covered in scales, but some discoveries left them amazed!

FEATHERS when young

RECENT STUDIES HAVE REVEALED THAT EVEN THE TERRIBLE T. REX HAD FEATHERS WHEN IT WAS YOUNG. HOWEVER IT PROBABLY LOST THEM AS IT GOT OLDER.

A PREHISTORIC record

THE FEATHERS OF THE CHINESE DINOSAUR YUTIRANNUS COULD EXCEED 8 INCHES (20 CM) IN LENGTH AND PROBABLY COVERED THE ENTIRE BODY, FROM THE NECK TO THE FEET. IT IS THE LARGEST SPECIES OF DINOSAUR DISCOVERED THAT RETAINED TRACES OF FEATHERS!

Like

A PEACOCK FEATHERS MAY HAVE BEEN BRIGHTLY COLORED, PROBABLY TO BE ABLE TO TELL EACH OTHER APART OR TO ATTRACT A PARTNER, JUST LIKE MANY BIRDS TODAY.

FEATHERED reptiles

MANY DINOSAURS HAD BODIES COVERED IN FEATHERS, BUT THIS HAS ONLY BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE PAST FEW DECADES. WE MUST IMAGINE THEM AS BEING MUCH MORE LIKE BIRDS THAN REPTILES.

ARCHAEOPTERYX

What a

TAIL! THE SMALL SINOSAUROPTERYX, WHICH LIVED 124 MILLION YEARS AGO, WAS THE FIRST FEATHERED DINOSAUR TO BE DISCOVERED. ITS FEATHERS WERE LONG, SLENDER, AND RUST-COLORED, WHILE ITS TAIL HAD RED AND WHITE STRIPES.

-20-

• ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS ANCIENT WINGS • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES WINGS WITH THREE CLAWED FINGERS • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 2 LB (1 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 12-20 INCHES (30-50 CM) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 148-150 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

Feathers from the

PAST

IN 2011 A GROUP OF PALEONTOLOGISTS IN ALBERT, CANADA, FOUND 11 WELL-PRESERVED FEATHERS IN A PIECE OF FOSSILIZED AMBER. IT APPEARED THAT THEY BELONGED TO A DINOSAUR THAT LIVED AROUND 80 MILLION YEARS AGO.

-21-

FEATHERS What was the skin of the dinosaurs like?

Scaly and tough like that of a crocodile, or feathered and soft like that of a bird?

For a long time scientists believed that all dinosaurs were covered in scales, but some discoveries left them amazed!

FEATHERS when young

RECENT STUDIES HAVE REVEALED THAT EVEN THE TERRIBLE T. REX HAD FEATHERS WHEN IT WAS YOUNG. HOWEVER IT PROBABLY LOST THEM AS IT GOT OLDER.

A PREHISTORIC record

THE FEATHERS OF THE CHINESE DINOSAUR YUTIRANNUS COULD EXCEED 8 INCHES (20 CM) IN LENGTH AND PROBABLY COVERED THE ENTIRE BODY, FROM THE NECK TO THE FEET. IT IS THE LARGEST SPECIES OF DINOSAUR DISCOVERED THAT RETAINED TRACES OF FEATHERS!

Like

A PEACOCK FEATHERS MAY HAVE BEEN BRIGHTLY COLORED, PROBABLY TO BE ABLE TO TELL EACH OTHER APART OR TO ATTRACT A PARTNER, JUST LIKE MANY BIRDS TODAY.

FEATHERED reptiles

MANY DINOSAURS HAD BODIES COVERED IN FEATHERS, BUT THIS HAS ONLY BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE PAST FEW DECADES. WE MUST IMAGINE THEM AS BEING MUCH MORE LIKE BIRDS THAN REPTILES.

ARCHAEOPTERYX

What a

TAIL! THE SMALL SINOSAUROPTERYX, WHICH LIVED 124 MILLION YEARS AGO, WAS THE FIRST FEATHERED DINOSAUR TO BE DISCOVERED. ITS FEATHERS WERE LONG, SLENDER, AND RUST-COLORED, WHILE ITS TAIL HAD RED AND WHITE STRIPES.

-20-

• ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS ANCIENT WINGS • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES WINGS WITH THREE CLAWED FINGERS • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 2 LB (1 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 12-20 INCHES (30-50 CM) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 148-150 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

Feathers from the

PAST

IN 2011 A GROUP OF PALEONTOLOGISTS IN ALBERT, CANADA, FOUND 11 WELL-PRESERVED FEATHERS IN A PIECE OF FOSSILIZED AMBER. IT APPEARED THAT THEY BELONGED TO A DINOSAUR THAT LIVED AROUND 80 MILLION YEARS AGO.

-21-

CERATOSAURUS Its appearance was a little funny, with that conspicuous horn at the top of its nose... ...but its deadliness was not to be underestimated. Equipped with teeth as sharp as blades, the Ceratosaurus was a feared predator.

NOT JUST DEFENSE THE SMALL HORN ON THE FACE COULD HAVE BEEN USED DURING FIGHTS BETWEEN MALES OR TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF A FEMALE COMPANION THANKS TO THE BRIGHT COLORS.

NATURAL armor

HORNED lizard

“CERATOSAURUS” MEANS “HORNED LIZARD,” AN APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THIS DINOSAUR THAT HAD A HORN ON ITS FACE AND TWO LARGE PROTRUSIONS ABOVE THE EYES, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS UNKNOWN.

Strong

STRANGE THINGS! THE CERATOSAURUS BELONGED TO A SPECIAL FAMILY OF CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS. ITS MOST FAMOUS RELATIVES, LIKE THE CARNOTAURUS, LIVED MUCH LATER, IN THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD, AND HAD EVEN STRANGER SHAPES.

UNLIKE OTHER CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS, THE CERTOSAURUS HAD A ROW OF SMALL PIECES OF BONE ALONG ITS ENTIRE BACK. MAYBE IT WAS A TYPE OF NATURAL ARMOR TO PROTECT A PARTICULARLY DELICATE PART OF THE BODY.

REALLY BIG teeth

ITS TEETH WERE REALLY LONG: THE UPPER TEETH COULD EXCEED 3.5 INCHES (9 CM), ALMOST THE SIZE OF A PEN! WITH ITS MOUTH CLOSED, THE TEETH MUST HAVE STUCK OUT SO MUCH THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ALWAYS SMILING.

A FISHING dinosaur SOME SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE CERATOSAURUS ALSO FED ON AQUATIC ANIMALS, SUCH AS FISH AND EVEN CROCODILES. LIVING CLOSE TO RIVERS AND LAKES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT KNEW HOW TO FISH, JUST LIKE TODAY'S BEARS.

-28-

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS HORNED LIZARD • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES A HORN ON THE NOSE AND TWO ABOVE THE EYES • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 1,100 LB (500 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 16–23 FEET (5-7 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 148-153 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-29-

CERATOSAURUS Its appearance was a little funny, with that conspicuous horn at the top of its nose... ...but its deadliness was not to be underestimated. Equipped with teeth as sharp as blades, the Ceratosaurus was a feared predator.

NOT JUST DEFENSE THE SMALL HORN ON THE FACE COULD HAVE BEEN USED DURING FIGHTS BETWEEN MALES OR TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF A FEMALE COMPANION THANKS TO THE BRIGHT COLORS.

NATURAL armor

HORNED lizard

“CERATOSAURUS” MEANS “HORNED LIZARD,” AN APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THIS DINOSAUR THAT HAD A HORN ON ITS FACE AND TWO LARGE PROTRUSIONS ABOVE THE EYES, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS UNKNOWN.

Strong

STRANGE THINGS! THE CERATOSAURUS BELONGED TO A SPECIAL FAMILY OF CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS. ITS MOST FAMOUS RELATIVES, LIKE THE CARNOTAURUS, LIVED MUCH LATER, IN THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD, AND HAD EVEN STRANGER SHAPES.

UNLIKE OTHER CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS, THE CERTOSAURUS HAD A ROW OF SMALL PIECES OF BONE ALONG ITS ENTIRE BACK. MAYBE IT WAS A TYPE OF NATURAL ARMOR TO PROTECT A PARTICULARLY DELICATE PART OF THE BODY.

REALLY BIG teeth

ITS TEETH WERE REALLY LONG: THE UPPER TEETH COULD EXCEED 3.5 INCHES (9 CM), ALMOST THE SIZE OF A PEN! WITH ITS MOUTH CLOSED, THE TEETH MUST HAVE STUCK OUT SO MUCH THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ALWAYS SMILING.

A FISHING dinosaur SOME SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE CERATOSAURUS ALSO FED ON AQUATIC ANIMALS, SUCH AS FISH AND EVEN CROCODILES. LIVING CLOSE TO RIVERS AND LAKES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT KNEW HOW TO FISH, JUST LIKE TODAY'S BEARS.

-28-

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS HORNED LIZARD • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES A HORN ON THE NOSE AND TWO ABOVE THE EYES • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 1,100 LB (500 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 16–23 FEET (5-7 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 148-153 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-29-

CITIPATI How can a dinosaur seem like a ballerina?

The Citipati had long legs and a slender body, but in particular, it had a crest that decorated its small head. It certainly didn’t dance but roamed the desolate lands of what is now Asia.

What a

GRACEFUL giant

ITS BODY, WHICH WAS COVERED IN FEATHERS, COULD REACH 10 FEET (3 M) IN LENGTH (LIKE A COMPACT CAR), AND WAS THE WEIGHT OF AN ADULT MAN. DESPITE THE DIMENSIONS IT WAS PROBABLY RATHER AGILE.

CREST! ON ITS HEAD A TALL CREST ROSE, SIMILAR TO THAT OF A CASSOWARY. IN SOME INSTANCES IT WAS VERY LARGE AND SQUARE-SHAPED. MAYBE IT SERVED TO ALLOW CITIPATIS TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER, OR IT WAS PUT ON DISPLAY DURING COURTSHIP.

A TOOTHLESS

CASSOWARY

carnivore?

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE COUSIN OF THE TERRIBLE VELOCIRAPTOR, THE CITIPATI WAS COMPLETELY TOOTHLESS. IT HAD ONLY A SHORT, STURDY BEAK, WITH WHICH IT ATE A BIT OF EVERYTHING: SMALL PREY LIKE LIZARDS OR INSECTS, BUT ALSO SEEDS AND ROOTS.

Union

MAKES STRENGTH Lord of the

TOMBS

ITS NAME CAN SEEM A LITTLE GRIM BECAUSE IT MEANS “LORD OF THE TOMBS." IN THE BUDDHIST RELIGION, CITIPATI ARE DANCING SPIRITS THAT PROTECT CEMETERIES, JUST LIKE THIS DINOSAUR PROTECTED ITS EGGS.

-40-

IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE CITIPATI LIVED IN GROUPS AND THAT THEY HELPED EACH OTHER TAKE CARE OF THE EGGS. THEY BUILT NESTS CLOSE TOGETHER, LIKE MANY BIRDS TODAY, AND GAVE EACH OTHER A HAND TO PROTECT ALL THE BABIES.

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS LORD OF THE TOMBS • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED ASIA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LARGE CREST ON THE HEAD • WEIGHT: BETWEEN 165 AND 190 LB (75-85 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 10 FEET (3 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 75 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD

-41-

CITIPATI How can a dinosaur seem like a ballerina?

The Citipati had long legs and a slender body, but in particular, it had a crest that decorated its small head. It certainly didn’t dance but roamed the desolate lands of what is now Asia.

What a

GRACEFUL giant

ITS BODY, WHICH WAS COVERED IN FEATHERS, COULD REACH 10 FEET (3 M) IN LENGTH (LIKE A COMPACT CAR), AND WAS THE WEIGHT OF AN ADULT MAN. DESPITE THE DIMENSIONS IT WAS PROBABLY RATHER AGILE.

CREST! ON ITS HEAD A TALL CREST ROSE, SIMILAR TO THAT OF A CASSOWARY. IN SOME INSTANCES IT WAS VERY LARGE AND SQUARE-SHAPED. MAYBE IT SERVED TO ALLOW CITIPATIS TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER, OR IT WAS PUT ON DISPLAY DURING COURTSHIP.

A TOOTHLESS

CASSOWARY

carnivore?

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE COUSIN OF THE TERRIBLE VELOCIRAPTOR, THE CITIPATI WAS COMPLETELY TOOTHLESS. IT HAD ONLY A SHORT, STURDY BEAK, WITH WHICH IT ATE A BIT OF EVERYTHING: SMALL PREY LIKE LIZARDS OR INSECTS, BUT ALSO SEEDS AND ROOTS.

Union

MAKES STRENGTH Lord of the

TOMBS

ITS NAME CAN SEEM A LITTLE GRIM BECAUSE IT MEANS “LORD OF THE TOMBS." IN THE BUDDHIST RELIGION, CITIPATI ARE DANCING SPIRITS THAT PROTECT CEMETERIES, JUST LIKE THIS DINOSAUR PROTECTED ITS EGGS.

-40-

IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE CITIPATI LIVED IN GROUPS AND THAT THEY HELPED EACH OTHER TAKE CARE OF THE EGGS. THEY BUILT NESTS CLOSE TOGETHER, LIKE MANY BIRDS TODAY, AND GAVE EACH OTHER A HAND TO PROTECT ALL THE BABIES.

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS LORD OF THE TOMBS • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED ASIA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LARGE CREST ON THE HEAD • WEIGHT: BETWEEN 165 AND 190 LB (75-85 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 10 FEET (3 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 75 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD

-41-

MEI LONG AND THE CHINESE DINOSAURS Millions of years ago, China was populated by an incredible variety of dinosaurs.

Many were small and fast, others were gigantic. Various layers of volcanic ash and mud that were deposited over time preserved some incredible details, like their skin and even full stomachs!

SLEEPING Like a

RACCOON

BY STUDYING THE FOSSILS OF SINOSAUROPTERYX, A SMALL FEATHERED DINOSAUR FOUND IN CHINA, SCIENTISTS MANAGED TO FIGURE OUT ITS COLOR! WITH POWERFUL MICROSCOPES THEY SAW THE MINUSCULE STRUCTURES THAT GIVE FEATHERS COLOR. IT WAS THUS DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD A LONG TAIL WITH ORANGE AND WHITE STRIPES.

FEATHERED tyrant

IN 2012 THE YUTYRANNUS HUALI, AN ENORMOUS CARNIVORE, WAS DISCOVERED. ITS NAME MEANS “BEAUTIFUL FEATHERED TYRANT." IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY ATTRACTIVE WITH ITS BODY COVERED IN SOFT FEATHERS SIMILAR TO THE PLUMAGE OF CHICKS.

-54-

dragon

ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST CURIOUS DINOSAURS OF CHINA IS THE MEI LONG. SMALL AND FEATHERED, IT LIVED ABOUT 125 MILLION YEARS AGO. THE NAME HAS AN ALMOST FAIRYTALE SIGNIFICANCE, MEANING “SLEEPING DRAGON." A FOSSIL WAS IN FACT FOUND IN A RESTING POSITION, WITH ITS HEAD HIDDEN UNDER THE WING, JUST LIKE BIRDS WHEN THEY SLEEP.

The

MYSTERIOUS egg

IN ADDITION TO BONES, VARIOUS DINOSAUR EGGS HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND IN CHINA. IN 2021, AN EGG SMALLER THAN A QUARTER WAS DISCOVERED! IT WAS LAID ABOUT 80 MILLION YEARS AGO, BUT WE DON'T KNOW BY WHAT SPECIES.

DINOSAUR...AT REST THE SMALL MEI LONG FOSSIL, FOUND IN CHINA, REMINDS US OF A SMALL SLEEPING BIRD.

A TINY DINOSAUR of the Cretaceous Period

THE MEI LONG WAS JUST 20 INCHES (53 CM) LONG, ABOUT THE LENGTH OF A HOUSE CAT. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SMALL, IT HAD A PROPORTIONATELY LARGE BRAIN, AND THIS COULD MEAN THAT IT HAD SHARP SENSES AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENCE.

MEI LONG AND THE CHINESE DINOSAURS Millions of years ago, China was populated by an incredible variety of dinosaurs.

Many were small and fast, others were gigantic. Various layers of volcanic ash and mud that were deposited over time preserved some incredible details, like their skin and even full stomachs!

SLEEPING Like a

RACCOON

BY STUDYING THE FOSSILS OF SINOSAUROPTERYX, A SMALL FEATHERED DINOSAUR FOUND IN CHINA, SCIENTISTS MANAGED TO FIGURE OUT ITS COLOR! WITH POWERFUL MICROSCOPES THEY SAW THE MINUSCULE STRUCTURES THAT GIVE FEATHERS COLOR. IT WAS THUS DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD A LONG TAIL WITH ORANGE AND WHITE STRIPES.

FEATHERED tyrant

IN 2012 THE YUTYRANNUS HUALI, AN ENORMOUS CARNIVORE, WAS DISCOVERED. ITS NAME MEANS “BEAUTIFUL FEATHERED TYRANT." IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY ATTRACTIVE WITH ITS BODY COVERED IN SOFT FEATHERS SIMILAR TO THE PLUMAGE OF CHICKS.

-54-

dragon

ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST CURIOUS DINOSAURS OF CHINA IS THE MEI LONG. SMALL AND FEATHERED, IT LIVED ABOUT 125 MILLION YEARS AGO. THE NAME HAS AN ALMOST FAIRYTALE SIGNIFICANCE, MEANING “SLEEPING DRAGON." A FOSSIL WAS IN FACT FOUND IN A RESTING POSITION, WITH ITS HEAD HIDDEN UNDER THE WING, JUST LIKE BIRDS WHEN THEY SLEEP.

The

MYSTERIOUS egg

IN ADDITION TO BONES, VARIOUS DINOSAUR EGGS HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND IN CHINA. IN 2021, AN EGG SMALLER THAN A QUARTER WAS DISCOVERED! IT WAS LAID ABOUT 80 MILLION YEARS AGO, BUT WE DON'T KNOW BY WHAT SPECIES.

DINOSAUR...AT REST THE SMALL MEI LONG FOSSIL, FOUND IN CHINA, REMINDS US OF A SMALL SLEEPING BIRD.

A TINY DINOSAUR of the Cretaceous Period

THE MEI LONG WAS JUST 20 INCHES (53 CM) LONG, ABOUT THE LENGTH OF A HOUSE CAT. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SMALL, IT HAD A PROPORTIONATELY LARGE BRAIN, AND THIS COULD MEAN THAT IT HAD SHARP SENSES AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENCE.

STEGOSAURUS The Stegosaurus is one of the strangest and most fascinating dinosaurs of all time.

It had a double row of plates on its back and a tail armed with spikes.

In a single Look at the

PLATES!

AT FIRST, SCIENTISTS THOUGHT THESE PLATES LAY FLAT ALONG THE ANIMAL'S BACK, BUT TODAY WE KNOW THAT THEY STOOD UPRIGHT AND WERE ARRANGED IN TWO NEAT ROWS.

BITE

THE STEGOSAURUS ATE ONLY PLANTS. IT DID NOT CHEW LIKE WE DO, BUT USED ITS BEAK TO STRIP LEAVES AND THEN SWALLOWED THEM ALMOST WHOLE.

SURPRISE ending

AT THE END OF THE TAIL THERE WERE FOUR LARGE SPIKES AS LONG AS BASEBALL BATS, WHICH IT USED TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM PREDATORS SUCH AS THE ALLOSAURUS.

All muscle and

NO BRAIN

THE STEGOSAURUS COULD REACH A LENGTH OF 30 FEET (9 M) BUT HAD A TINY HEAD COMPARED TO THE REST OF ITS BODY. ITS BRAIN WAS THE SIZE OF A TANGERINE AND WEIGHED LESS THAN 3 OUNCES (80 G), SIMILAR TO A CHOCOLATE BAR!

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS ROOFED REPTILE • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LARGE PLATES ON THE BACK • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 11,000-15,500 LB (5,000-7,000 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 30 FEET (9 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 150-155 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-62-

No

Reptile with a

WITH LONG REAR LEGS AND SHORTER FRONT ONES, THE STEGOSAURUS MAY HAVE WALKED IN A FUNNY WAY. IT WAS NOT A RUNNER BUT MOVED AT ABOUT 4 MILES PER HOUR (6 KM/H), LIKE A PERSON WALKING AT A BRISK PACE.

THE NAME “STEGOSAURUS” MEANS “ROOFED REPTILE” AND DERIVES FROM THE TILE-LIKE PLATES THAT THE ANIMAL HAD ON ITS BACK.

HURRY

ROOF

-63-

STEGOSAURUS The Stegosaurus is one of the strangest and most fascinating dinosaurs of all time.

It had a double row of plates on its back and a tail armed with spikes.

In a single Look at the

PLATES!

AT FIRST, SCIENTISTS THOUGHT THESE PLATES LAY FLAT ALONG THE ANIMAL'S BACK, BUT TODAY WE KNOW THAT THEY STOOD UPRIGHT AND WERE ARRANGED IN TWO NEAT ROWS.

BITE

THE STEGOSAURUS ATE ONLY PLANTS. IT DID NOT CHEW LIKE WE DO, BUT USED ITS BEAK TO STRIP LEAVES AND THEN SWALLOWED THEM ALMOST WHOLE.

SURPRISE ending

AT THE END OF THE TAIL THERE WERE FOUR LARGE SPIKES AS LONG AS BASEBALL BATS, WHICH IT USED TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM PREDATORS SUCH AS THE ALLOSAURUS.

All muscle and

NO BRAIN

THE STEGOSAURUS COULD REACH A LENGTH OF 30 FEET (9 M) BUT HAD A TINY HEAD COMPARED TO THE REST OF ITS BODY. ITS BRAIN WAS THE SIZE OF A TANGERINE AND WEIGHED LESS THAN 3 OUNCES (80 G), SIMILAR TO A CHOCOLATE BAR!

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS ROOFED REPTILE • WHERE DID IT LIVE: LIVE NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LARGE PLATES ON THE BACK • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 11,000-15,500 LB (5,000-7,000 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 30 FEET (9 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 150-155 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-62-

No

Reptile with a

WITH LONG REAR LEGS AND SHORTER FRONT ONES, THE STEGOSAURUS MAY HAVE WALKED IN A FUNNY WAY. IT WAS NOT A RUNNER BUT MOVED AT ABOUT 4 MILES PER HOUR (6 KM/H), LIKE A PERSON WALKING AT A BRISK PACE.

THE NAME “STEGOSAURUS” MEANS “ROOFED REPTILE” AND DERIVES FROM THE TILE-LIKE PLATES THAT THE ANIMAL HAD ON ITS BACK.

HURRY

ROOF

-63-

DIPLODOCUS It was a rather common dinosaur that certainly never went unnoticed.

EFFORT

With a length equal to a basketball court, it was impossible not to notice it, especially when traveling in groups.

Mouth like a

GROWING UP Diplodocus

RAKE

ITS TEETH WERE LONG AND SLENDER, SIMILAR TO PENCILS, AND THE MOUTH WAS USED LIKE A RAKE TO STRIP BRANCHES AND GATHER THE GREATEST NUMBER OF LEAVES POSSIBLE.

AS THE DINOSAUR GREW, THE SHAPE OF ITS SNOUT CHANGED, AS DID THE POSITION OF ITS TEETH. IN FACT, YOUNG INDIVIDUALS HAD TEETH ALONG THE ENTIRE JAW, WHILE ADULTS HAD TEETH ONLY AT THE FRONT BECAUSE THEY ATE DIFFERENTLY.

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS DOUBLE BEAM • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED NORTH AMERICA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LONG TAIL WITH A VERY THIN END • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 22,000-35,000 LB (10,000-16,000 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 110 FEET (33 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 152-154 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-78-

Without

SECRET weapon

THE FRONT FOOT HELD A SURPISE: THE THUMB ENDED IN A CLARGE CLAW WITH ONE FLAT SIDE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO DEFEND AGAINST AN ENEMY THAT CAME TOO CLOSE.

THE DIPLODOCUS GOT UP ON ITS BACK LEGS AND USED ITS EXTREMELY LONG TAIL AS SUPPORT. BY DOING THIS, IT MANAGED TO REACH THE HIGHEST BRANCHES, EVEN OVER 36 FEET (11 M) FROM THE GROUND, AS IF THEY WERE ON THE ROOF OF A FOUR-STORY BUILDING.

Question of

BALANCE THE TAIL HELPED COUNTERBALANCE THE HEAVY NECK, WHICH, ACCORDING TO SOME RECENT STUDIES, WAS HELD ROUGHLY HALFWAY BETWEEN THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL POSITIONS.

INCLINED plane

THE REAR LEGS WERE SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE FRONT ONES, SO THE BODY WAS ALWAYS TILTED FORWARD A BIT.

LIGHTWEIGHT...giant IT HAD A LONG, SLENDER BODY, WITH A NECK AS TALL AS A TWO-STORY HOUSE AND AN EVEN LONGER TAIL. DESPITE ITS ENORMOUS SIZE, HOWEVER, IT WASN'T VERY HEAVY, ROUGHTLY THE WEIGHT OF TWO OR THREE ELEPHANTS.

-79-

DIPLODOCUS It was a rather common dinosaur that certainly never went unnoticed.

EFFORT

With a length equal to a basketball court, it was impossible not to notice it, especially when traveling in groups.

Mouth like a

GROWING UP Diplodocus

RAKE

ITS TEETH WERE LONG AND SLENDER, SIMILAR TO PENCILS, AND THE MOUTH WAS USED LIKE A RAKE TO STRIP BRANCHES AND GATHER THE GREATEST NUMBER OF LEAVES POSSIBLE.

AS THE DINOSAUR GREW, THE SHAPE OF ITS SNOUT CHANGED, AS DID THE POSITION OF ITS TEETH. IN FACT, YOUNG INDIVIDUALS HAD TEETH ALONG THE ENTIRE JAW, WHILE ADULTS HAD TEETH ONLY AT THE FRONT BECAUSE THEY ATE DIFFERENTLY.

CHARACTERISTICS • ITS NAME MEANS: MEANS DOUBLE BEAM • WHERE IT LIVED: LIVED NORTH AMERICA • SPECIAL FEATURES: FEATURES LONG TAIL WITH A VERY THIN END • WEIGHT: WEIGHT 22,000-35,000 LB (10,000-16,000 KG) • SIZE: SIZE 110 FEET (33 M) LONG • PERIOD: PERIOD 152-154 MILLION YEARS AGO, IN THE JURASSIC PERIOD

-78-

Without

SECRET weapon

THE FRONT FOOT HELD A SURPISE: THE THUMB ENDED IN A CLARGE CLAW WITH ONE FLAT SIDE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO DEFEND AGAINST AN ENEMY THAT CAME TOO CLOSE.

THE DIPLODOCUS GOT UP ON ITS BACK LEGS AND USED ITS EXTREMELY LONG TAIL AS SUPPORT. BY DOING THIS, IT MANAGED TO REACH THE HIGHEST BRANCHES, EVEN OVER 36 FEET (11 M) FROM THE GROUND, AS IF THEY WERE ON THE ROOF OF A FOUR-STORY BUILDING.

Question of

BALANCE THE TAIL HELPED COUNTERBALANCE THE HEAVY NECK, WHICH, ACCORDING TO SOME RECENT STUDIES, WAS HELD ROUGHLY HALFWAY BETWEEN THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL POSITIONS.

INCLINED plane

THE REAR LEGS WERE SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE FRONT ONES, SO THE BODY WAS ALWAYS TILTED FORWARD A BIT.

LIGHTWEIGHT...giant IT HAD A LONG, SLENDER BODY, WITH A NECK AS TALL AS A TWO-STORY HOUSE AND AN EVEN LONGER TAIL. DESPITE ITS ENORMOUS SIZE, HOWEVER, IT WASN'T VERY HEAVY, ROUGHTLY THE WEIGHT OF TWO OR THREE ELEPHANTS.

-79-

FLYING REPTILES

Like four

LEGS

Two

They are also called Pterosaurs.

GROUPS

They were the first vertebrates that learned how to fly. They lived on Earth for a very long time, from 230 million years ago to 66 million years ago.

WE CAN DIVIDE THE PTEROSAURS INTO TWO LARGE GROUPS: THE RHAMPHORHYNCHUS, WITH LONG RIGID TAILS, SHORTER WINGS, AND TEETH; AND THE PTERODACTYLS, WITH VERY SHORT TAILS, ELONGATED WINGS, AND BEAKS WITHOUT TEETH.

EVEN THOUGH THEY FLEW, THE PTEROSAURS WERE ALSO AGILE ON THE GROUND. THEY WALKED WITH BOTH THEIR WINGS AND LEGS, ALMOST AS IF THEY HAD FOUR FEET!

PTEROSAURS IN FLIGHT

PREHISTORIC

THE NAME “PTEROSAURUS” MEANS “WINGED REPTILE” (FROM THE GREEK: PTERON = WING, AND SAUROS = REPTILE).

IT IS A PERFECT NAME FOR THESE INCREDIBLE PREHISTORIC FLIERS!

superheroes

THEY HAD A MEMBRANE THAT STARTED ON THE ARM AT THE FOURTH DIGIT OF THE HAND AND EXTENDED TO THE ANKLES. WHEN THEY OPENED THEIR WINGS, THESE ANIMALS SEEMED LIKE SUPERHEROES WITH LARGE FLAPPING CAPES.

Big and

SMALL THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PTEROSAURS VARIED QUITE A BIT. NEMICOLOPTERUS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD A WINGSPAN LIKE THAT OF A SPARROW, WHILE THE QUETZALCOATLUS WAS AS BIG AS AN AIRPLANE.

Fingers like

ANTENNAE

OF FLIGHT

THE PTEROSAURS INVENTED FLIGHT LONG BEFORE BIRDS AND BATS. THEIR WINGS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN MODIFIED ARMS. THE WINGS DID NOT HAVE FEATHERS, BUT WERE FORMED BY A MEMBRANE OF ELASTIC AND RESISTANT SKIN CALLED PATAGIUM.

THE FOURTH FINGER OF THE HAND WAS VERY LONG, LIKE AN ENORMOUS ANTENNA, AND WAS USED TO SUPPORT THE WING. THE OTHER THREE FINGERS WERE SHORTER, LIKE SHARP CLAWS, USEFUL FOR CLINGING TO TREE TRUNKS OR ROCKS.

-112-

The inventors

NEMICOLOPTERUS

QUETZALCOATLUS

Say it

WITH WINGS LIKE BIRDS TODAY, THE SHAPE OF THEIR WINGS TELLS US HOW THEY FLEW. LONG, NARROW WINGS WERE PERFECT FOR LONG TRIPS, WHILE SHORT, WIDE WINGS MADE RAPID MOVEMENTS, WHICH HELPED TO AVOID PREDATORS OR CARRY OUT CHASES.

-113-

FLYING REPTILES

Like four

LEGS

Two

They are also called Pterosaurs.

GROUPS

They were the first vertebrates that learned how to fly. They lived on Earth for a very long time, from 230 million years ago to 66 million years ago.

WE CAN DIVIDE THE PTEROSAURS INTO TWO LARGE GROUPS: THE RHAMPHORHYNCHUS, WITH LONG RIGID TAILS, SHORTER WINGS, AND TEETH; AND THE PTERODACTYLS, WITH VERY SHORT TAILS, ELONGATED WINGS, AND BEAKS WITHOUT TEETH.

EVEN THOUGH THEY FLEW, THE PTEROSAURS WERE ALSO AGILE ON THE GROUND. THEY WALKED WITH BOTH THEIR WINGS AND LEGS, ALMOST AS IF THEY HAD FOUR FEET!

PTEROSAURS IN FLIGHT

PREHISTORIC

THE NAME “PTEROSAURUS” MEANS “WINGED REPTILE” (FROM THE GREEK: PTERON = WING, AND SAUROS = REPTILE).

IT IS A PERFECT NAME FOR THESE INCREDIBLE PREHISTORIC FLIERS!

superheroes

THEY HAD A MEMBRANE THAT STARTED ON THE ARM AT THE FOURTH DIGIT OF THE HAND AND EXTENDED TO THE ANKLES. WHEN THEY OPENED THEIR WINGS, THESE ANIMALS SEEMED LIKE SUPERHEROES WITH LARGE FLAPPING CAPES.

Big and

SMALL THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PTEROSAURS VARIED QUITE A BIT. NEMICOLOPTERUS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD A WINGSPAN LIKE THAT OF A SPARROW, WHILE THE QUETZALCOATLUS WAS AS BIG AS AN AIRPLANE.

Fingers like

ANTENNAE

OF FLIGHT

THE PTEROSAURS INVENTED FLIGHT LONG BEFORE BIRDS AND BATS. THEIR WINGS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN MODIFIED ARMS. THE WINGS DID NOT HAVE FEATHERS, BUT WERE FORMED BY A MEMBRANE OF ELASTIC AND RESISTANT SKIN CALLED PATAGIUM.

THE FOURTH FINGER OF THE HAND WAS VERY LONG, LIKE AN ENORMOUS ANTENNA, AND WAS USED TO SUPPORT THE WING. THE OTHER THREE FINGERS WERE SHORTER, LIKE SHARP CLAWS, USEFUL FOR CLINGING TO TREE TRUNKS OR ROCKS.

-112-

The inventors

NEMICOLOPTERUS

QUETZALCOATLUS

Say it

WITH WINGS LIKE BIRDS TODAY, THE SHAPE OF THEIR WINGS TELLS US HOW THEY FLEW. LONG, NARROW WINGS WERE PERFECT FOR LONG TRIPS, WHILE SHORT, WIDE WINGS MADE RAPID MOVEMENTS, WHICH HELPED TO AVOID PREDATORS OR CARRY OUT CHASES.

-113-

THE GREAT EXTINCTION If a catastrophe strikes Earth, everything can change in an instant.

That's what happened at the end of the Mesozoic, when a terrifying and unexpected event forever changed life on our planet.

The beginning

OF THE END IT ALL BEGAN WHEN A GIGANTIC ASTEROID, ABOUT 6 MILES (10 KM) WIDE, LONGER THAN 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS LAID END TO END, CRASHED INTO EARTH IN THE AREA THAT IS NOW MEXICO.

An eternal

WINTER NIGHT

AFTER THE IMPACT, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS FILLED WITH DUST AND GAS THAT BLOCKED THE LIGHT AND HEAT OF THE SUN FOR MONTHS. EARTH IMMEDIATELY BECAME DARK AND COLD, AND TEMPERATURES DROPPED MORE THAN 50 DEGREES.

-162-

The consequences of the

IMPACT

THE FEW THAT SURVIVED

THE IMPACT WAS VERY POWERFUL, LIKE A BILLION ATOMIC BOMBS EXPLODING AT THE SAME TIME, AND TRIGGERED POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES, OCEAN WAVES TALLER THAN A 10-STORY BUILDING, AND FIRES THAT BURNED IMMENSE FORESTS.

SMALL MAMMALS THAT WERE THE SIZE OF A MOUSE OR CAT, LIZARDS, TURTLES, CROCODILES, AND SOME BIRDS MANAGED TO SURVIVE, HIDING IN THEIR DENS AND EATING WHAT THEY COULD FIND.

Effects

DOMINO effect

ON THE OCEANS

WITHOUT THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, PLANTS COULD NOT PHOTOSYNTHESIZE. THEREFORE MANY DIED, ALONG WITH THE ANIMALS THAT ATE THEM. HERBIVOROUS DINOSAURS WERE THE FIRST TO DIE OF HUNGER, FOLLOWED BY THE CARNIVORES WHO WERE WITHOUT THEIR PREY.

NOT EVEN THE OCEANS WERE SPARED: AMMONITES AND BELEMNITES (ANIMALS SIMILAR TO SQUID), FISH, AND MARINE REPTILES DISAPPEARED ONE AFTER THE OTHER. THE OCEAN BECAME AN EMPTY EXPANSE.

THE GREAT EXTINCTION If a catastrophe strikes Earth, everything can change in an instant.

That's what happened at the end of the Mesozoic, when a terrifying and unexpected event forever changed life on our planet.

The beginning

OF THE END IT ALL BEGAN WHEN A GIGANTIC ASTEROID, ABOUT 6 MILES (10 KM) WIDE, LONGER THAN 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS LAID END TO END, CRASHED INTO EARTH IN THE AREA THAT IS NOW MEXICO.

An eternal

WINTER NIGHT

AFTER THE IMPACT, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS FILLED WITH DUST AND GAS THAT BLOCKED THE LIGHT AND HEAT OF THE SUN FOR MONTHS. EARTH IMMEDIATELY BECAME DARK AND COLD, AND TEMPERATURES DROPPED MORE THAN 50 DEGREES.

-162-

The consequences of the

IMPACT

THE FEW THAT SURVIVED

THE IMPACT WAS VERY POWERFUL, LIKE A BILLION ATOMIC BOMBS EXPLODING AT THE SAME TIME, AND TRIGGERED POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES, OCEAN WAVES TALLER THAN A 10-STORY BUILDING, AND FIRES THAT BURNED IMMENSE FORESTS.

SMALL MAMMALS THAT WERE THE SIZE OF A MOUSE OR CAT, LIZARDS, TURTLES, CROCODILES, AND SOME BIRDS MANAGED TO SURVIVE, HIDING IN THEIR DENS AND EATING WHAT THEY COULD FIND.

Effects

DOMINO effect

ON THE OCEANS

WITHOUT THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, PLANTS COULD NOT PHOTOSYNTHESIZE. THEREFORE MANY DIED, ALONG WITH THE ANIMALS THAT ATE THEM. HERBIVOROUS DINOSAURS WERE THE FIRST TO DIE OF HUNGER, FOLLOWED BY THE CARNIVORES WHO WERE WITHOUT THEIR PREY.

NOT EVEN THE OCEANS WERE SPARED: AMMONITES AND BELEMNITES (ANIMALS SIMILAR TO SQUID), FISH, AND MARINE REPTILES DISAPPEARED ONE AFTER THE OTHER. THE OCEAN BECAME AN EMPTY EXPANSE.

Author Cristina Banfi, a graduate in Natural Sciences from the University of Milan, has taught at several schools. For over 20 years, she has worked in scientific communication and educational play and has enjoyed several editorial experiences in both scholastic and educational publishing, especially projects aimed at young audiences.

Credits All the illustrations are by Valentina Figus Other images: Page 2 top Warpaint/Shutterstock Page 2 center Roman Garcia Mora Page 2 bottom ExpressionImage/Shutterstock Page 3 top Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Page 3 bottom Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Page 4 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Pages 4-5 bottom Herschel Hoffmeyer/ Shutterstock Page 5 top Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Page 5 center Walter Geiersperger/Getty Images Page 5 bottom INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo Page 6 left top Antic Andrej/EyeEm/Getty Images Page 6 right top Roman Garcia Mora Page 6 left center Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Page 6 center Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 6-7 bottom Getty Images/Handout Page 7 top Warpaint/Shutterstock Page 8 Roman Garcia Mora Pages 9 and 10-11 Matis75/Shutterstock Page 13 Warpaint/Shutterstock Pages 14-15 3dMediSphere/Shutterstock Page 16 Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock Page 17 Vac1/Shutterstock Pages 18-19 MasPix/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 20-21 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 22-23 Catmando/Shutterstock Pages 24-25 Valentyna Chukhlyebova/Alamy Stock Photo Page 26 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 27 DM7/Shutterstock Pages 28-29 Roman Garcia Mora Page 30-31 Mohamad Haghani/Alamy Stock Photo Page 33 Catmando/Shutterstock Pages 34-35 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Page 37 Sergey Krasovskiy/Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Pages 38-39 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 40-41 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 42-43 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo

Editorial Coordination Giada Francia

Pages 44-45 © Novapix/Bridgeman Images Pages 46-47 Roman Garcia Mora Page 49 Arthur Dorety/Stocktrek Images, Inc./ Alamy Stock Photo Pages 50-51 Robert Fabiani/Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Page 53 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 55 Roman Garcia Mora/Stocktrek Images/ Getty Images Pages 56-57 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 59 DM7/Shutterstock Pages 60-61 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 62-63 Roman Garcia Mora Page 65 3dMediSphere/Shutterstock Pages 66-67 Novapix/Bridgeman Images Pages 68-69 Matis75/Shutterstock Pages 70-71 DM7/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 72-73 Warpaint/Shutterstock Pages 74-75 Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock Pages 76-77 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 78-79 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 80-81 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 83 Elenarts/Shutterstock Pages 84-85 Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock Pages 86-87 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 88-89 De Agostini Picture Library Pages 90 bottom and 90-91 Leonello Calvetti/ Alamy Stock Photo Pages 92-93 Noiel/Shutterstock Pages 94-95 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 96-97 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Page 99 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Pages 100-101 Warpaint/Shutterstock Pages 102-103 Roman Garcia Mora Page 105 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 107 Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock Pages 108-109 Warpaint/Shutterstock Pages 110-111 Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Pages 112-113 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Page 115 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Pages 116-117 Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Page 119 Corey Ford/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 120-121 Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Pages 122-123 Science Photo Library/Alamy Stock Photo

Page 125 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Page 127 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Pages 128-129 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Page 131 Andreas Meyer/Shutterstock Page 133 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Pages 134-135 MasPix/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 136-137 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Pages 138-139 Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Page 141 MasPix/Alamy Stock Photo Page 143 Roman Garcia Mora Pages 144-145 Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Pages 146-147 JoeLena/Getty Images Pages 148-149 Ton Ponchai/Shutterstock Pages 150-151 Rattana/Shutterstock Page 153 Rafael Trafaniuc/Shutterstock Page 155 top Dinoton/Shutterstock Page 155 bottom Filippo Vanzo/Shutterstock Pages 156-157 Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock Page 159 Herschel Hoffmeyer/Shutterstock Page 161 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 162-163 Mark Stevenson/Stocktrek Images/GettyImages Page 165 Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock Page 167 Shutterstock Page 169 Picture alliance/GettyImages Page 171 Murray Close/Moviepix/Getty Images Page 172 Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Page 172-173 ExpressionImage/Shutterstock Page 173 top Warpaint/Shutterstock Page 173 center Herschel Hoffmeyer/ Shutterstock Page 173 bottom Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock Pages 174-175 Leonello Calvetti/Alamy Stock Photo Pages 174-175 background Daniel Eskridge/ Shutterstock Cover

WS whitestar kids® is a registered trademark property of White Star s.r.l. © 2026 White Star s.r.l.

Piazzale Luigi Cadorna, 6 - 20123 Milan, Italy www.whitestar.it Translation: Qontent Editing: Michele Suchomel-Casey

Graphic Design Valentina Figus

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

First printing, October 2026 ISBN 978-88-544-2226-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 30 29 28 27 26 Printed and manufactured by Dream Color (Hong Kong) Printing Limited