A Dinosaur is apparently a “terrible lizard”. I feel like a terrible lizard today and have therefore – inspired by my completed Wingspan – spent the day Googling things about Dinosaurs.  So here I proudly present 10 fascinating facts about Dinosaurs to cheer up your day courtesy of the tinterweb.

1. The dinosaur with the longest name was Micropachycephalosaurus meaning “tiny thick-headed lizard” – I think that’s a bit rude, but I guess he’s not around to complain

2. The dinosaurs in the film ‘Jurassic Park’ were not real.

3. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for over 160 million years. Get that – they didn’t LIVE on the Earth – they RULED it.

4. Scientists believe that birds are descended from dinosaurs.

5. Plateosaurus’s had opposable thumbs, so they may well have been knitters.

6. Dinosaurs lived on every continent.

7. Dinosaurs weren’t all green, they were brightly coloured like snakes and birds – I am assuming this means the non brown or green birds. Maybe brightly coloured like parrots. Or maybe they weren’t but just wore a lot of hand knitted Christmas jumpers which made them look bright and cheerful.

8. The American Opossums lived at the same time as the Dinosaurs and are still around today

9. The imaginatively named Giganotosaurus is the largest carnivorous dinosaur discovered.

10. Dinosaurs could swim and climb trees, but probably couldn’t sail.

I feel like a dinosaur in my new shawlette and as such have given myself a new name

You too can make your very own Dinosaur name by adding ‘saurous’, ‘-dactdal’, ‘-ceratops’ to the end of it.  It is the most fun you can have (there are lots of other names too – have a look here.  And if you want to join my Dino-gang add it to the comments.  I will be unsurprised by the resounding silence).

I’m having my business cards reprinted as we speak.