FOSSILS
Did All Dinosaurs Go Extinct 66 Million Years Ago?
The answer depends on how we define “extinction” and “dinosaurs.”
When we hear the word “dinosaur,” most imagine giant reptiles dominating the ancient Earth. But what if I told you that the typical notion of dinosaurs might be a bit off?
But first things first: not all prehistoric reptiles were dinosaurs. Yep, you heard that right. Sea-dwelling wonders like the ichthyosaurus, the fearsome mosasaurs, and majestic flying reptiles like Pterodactyls weren’t dinosaurs, even if they lived alongside them. This is a very common mistake in outreach literature. You should see my children looking at me every time a book or cartoon mixes these:
- No, Mom, they are wrong; Pterodactyls aren’t dinosaurs.
- I know, kiddo, and Mom’s so proud of you!
Are you mind—blown yet? This is about the fun fact, not necessarily about how I’m raising little nerdy monsters. Hold on, there’s more.
Here’s the scoop: the creatures we usually associate with dinosaurs belong to a specific group called non-avian dinosaurs. These are the ones that roamed the Earth millions of years ago, during an Era known as the Mesozoic (251.9 to 66.0 million years ago). However, a group of animals…
