At the time of writing, paleontologists have identified almost a thousand distinct species of dinosaurs. Some are small, some are gigantic. Some are vicious, while some are the epitome of pacifism. But some stand out from all the rest for their sheer degree of weirdness. Keep reading to discover more about the Top 10 Weirdest Dinosaurs ever existed.
Awkward-looking animals are nothing new to the present world (we’re looking at you platypus), but did you know that there was a tyrannosaur with a crocodilian snout? Or a frilled ceratopsian with a 1950s TV evangelist hairdo? Or even an herbivorous, feather-covered, ornithopod?
Weirdest Dinosaurs ever existed
There are a select few dinosaurs that certainly stand out from the bunch. We have collected a list of 10 of these oddballs to provide you with this insightful list of the top 10 weirdest dinosaurs we have discovered (so far).
1. Amargasaurus
In the Cretaceous era, sauropods were not uncommon, but the Amargasaurus stood out. This awkward creature weighed just 2 or 3 tons, yet it measured 30 feet from its head to the tip of its tail. The particular attribute that made it stand out though was a set of prickly spines that lined the creature’s neck. Their function? The best paleontologists could tell, it was a sexual characteristic: the more prominent the spines, the more irresistible the male was to his female counterparts. Otherwise, it is also argued that the spines overlaid a thin skin flap or fatty flesh piece, much like they did for the Spinosaurus, a meat-eater with black sails who would roam the earth ages later.
2. Concavenator
There are two reasons that the Concavenator dinosaur was weird. One was unmistakable from just a glance, though the other would require a more intimate knowledge of the creature. The obvious was the fact that this carnivore had a triangular hump positioned at the center of its back. This may have supported an ornate of skin and bone, or it could have just been a fleshy hump. The other was its forearms were covered with “quill knobs” which, it would seem, grew colorful feathers during mating season. But those were the only feathery parts, as outside of that it resembled an Allosaurus, with lizard-like skin.
3. Kosmoceratops
Most people believe that the “Kosmo” part of the Kosmoceratops name comes from the Greek root for “cosmic,” and while it certainly applies to this psychedelic dinosaur outfitted with horns, frills, and flaps, it actually stood for “ornate.” The mystery of the Kosmoceratops, a ceratopsian dinosaur, is that it resided primarily on an isolated island of North America, Laramidia, in the later Cretaceous period. This isolation allowed it to evolve over centuries in its very unique-looking way. Their spectacular look, as with most species, applies overwhelmingly to males as a secondary sexual characteristic used to attract female mates.
4. Kulindadromeus
There was a few hard-and-fast rules that paleontologists observed about dinosaurs, and one of them was that the only ones who had feathers were small, two-legged, carnivorous theropods from the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. That was until the discovery of the Kulindadromeus in 2014, of course. The Kulindadromeus was an ornithopod, not a theropod, a small, two-legged herbivore with lizardy skin. On top of that, the Kulindadromeus had feathers and seemed to possess the metabolism of a warm-blooded creature. Talk about a showstopper! This certainly caused researchers to reconsider what most dinosaur books had been written about.
5. Nothronychus
The Therizinosauras were odd, pot-bellied, long-clawed dinosaurs that lived across the regions of central Asia, resembling some kind of bizarre mixture of Cousin It (from The Adams Family) and Big Bird. However, on this list, we chose to feature its nearest cousin, the Nothronychus. Unlike its geographically distant relative, however, the Nothronychus was the first dinosaur of its kind to be discovered in North America. It seemed to be a fully herbivorous eater, though it was a theropod, a family whose other members include notorious carnivores like raptors and the mighty T-Rex).
6. Oryctodromeus
Retrospectively speaking, it makes evolutionary and scientific sense that dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era would have rudimentary similarities to those in the far later in the Cenozoic Era, but paleontologists were quite caught off-guard when they discovered the 50-pound, 6-foot long ornithopod, the Oryctodromeus. These creatures lived in the forest burrows, probing their way into the ground like a giant armadillo or badger, and doing so without any type of specialized claws. That would likely mean that the burrows were dug out with a long pointy snout.
What a sight that must have been for their fellow theropods, ha? Of course, the Oryctodromeus likely was not bothered by the opinions of others. Burrowing on the forest floor would have been a necessity for the creature if it hoped to escape the attention and appetite of some of its contemporary Cretaceous Age predators.
7. Qianzhousaurus
The Qianzhousaurus was quite a strange creature. Otherwise dubbed “Pinocchio Rex”, the Qianzhousaurus was a tyrannosaur with a pointed, lengthy, crocodile-like snout that looked a lot more like a spinosaurus, another theropod from a whole separate branch of the family. Having an elongated snout wasn’t very uncommon; Both the Baryonyx and the Spinosaurus had them because they needed to hunt fish in the rivers in which they resided near. But the Qianzhousaurus’ pointed snout is more of an enigma, seeing as this dinosaur of the late Cretaceous era seemed to feed exclusively on animals roaming the turf. So why the snout? Sexual appeal to female members of the species, of course!
8. Rhinorex
Another Cretaceous period creature with a characteristic likely meant to at least partially serve to attract females was the Rhinorex, also known quite descriptively as the “nose king.” This was due to the hadrosaur being equipped with a protruding, giant, fleshy schnozz. It is likely that this was also used for sending loud blared and blasts to signal communication to other members of its herd. The Rhinorex was a generally close relative of the more well-known Gryposaurus, another dinosaur with a prominently protruding honker. The latter just wasn’t named by paleontologists who had a good enough sense of humor.
9. Stygimoloch
How weird was the Stygimoloch? Enough to have the Greek translation of its name mean “horned demon from the river of hell.” This dinosaur stood out in a crowd to be sure, sporting a giant, bony head of any pachycephalosaur (thick-headed lizard) that has been identified to date. When the Stygimoloch competed for dominance and females, the males likely used their hard heads to head-butt each other. It is also entirely possible that the Stygimoloch was just an evolutionary growing stage of the Pachycephalosaurus, who would live later.
10. Yutyrannus
Our final oddball is the Yutyrannus. Consider your reaction should you encounter a T-Rex. But what if you saw one covered in bright orange feathers, looking like a giant chicken lizard. The Yutyrannus was only recently discovered and deemed a member of the early Cretaceous Era in Asia. This Big Bird-looking, the two-ton beast may actually have been representative of an odd aspect of potentially all tyrannosaurs, and that is at some point in their lives they were covered in feathers. Perhaps young T-Rexes were more akin to fuzzy, cute ducklings when they were first born.
Conclusion:
dinosaurs were a diverse and fascinating group of reptiles that lived millions of years ago. The top 10 weirdest dinosaurs ever existed showcase the incredible range of shapes, sizes, and adaptations that these ancient creatures had. From the long-necked sauropods to the bird-like theropods, these dinosaurs continue to captivate and inspire us with their unique and sometimes bizarre characteristics.
The weirdest dinosaurs remind us of the incredible diversity of life that has existed on our planet and the importance of uncovering and understanding their fascinating histories.
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Frequently Asked Question:
what is the weirdest dinosaur?
The designation of the “weirdest dinosaur” is subjective and can vary depending on individual perspectives and interpretations. However, some dinosaurs that are often considered weird or unusual include:
1. Therizinosaurus – a theropod dinosaur with long, clawed arms
2. Anomalocaris – a prehistoric arthropod with a unique body shape
3. Paraceratherium – an enormous, hornless rhinoceros-like dinosaur
what do you call a one eyed dinosaur?
There is no specific name for a one-eyed dinosaur, as dinosaurs are classified based on their physical characteristics and evolutionary relationships, not their number of eyes. It is also unlikely that a dinosaur existed with only one eye, as most dinosaurs would have needed good eyesight to survive and hunt for food.
Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Idammah, and I am the founder of this site dedicated to exploring the world's mysteries, uncovering fascinating facts, and delving into science's weird and beautiful aspects. I have always been fascinated by the unknown and the unexplained, and I love nothing more than digging deep to find the answers to some of life's greatest mysteries. Whether it's exploring the depths of the ocean, investigating ancient civilizations, or unraveling the mysteries of the universe, I am always on the hunt for new knowledge and insights. As a self-proclaimed weirdo and science enthusiast, I believe that there is always more to learn and discover, and I am constantly seeking out new and exciting ways to expand my understanding of the world around me. Through FoxPeek blog, I hope to share my love of all things strange and wonderful with like-minded readers and inspire others to embrace their inner curiosity and seek out the world's mysteries for themselves.
