LibGuides: Dinosaurs: Cretaceous

Fast Facts

Time Period: 145 to 66 million years ago

Climate: Mild climate, rising sea levels separated continents

Animals:

Dinosaurs and marine reptiles
Birds diversified and grew in numbers
New mammals
Modern insects including ants, termites, bees, butterflies, aphids, and grasshoppers

Plants: The first flowering plants!

Extinction Event: Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event: 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period, a large meteorite crashed into the earth causing to 80% of the world's animal and plant species, including almost all the dinosaurs.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Geography

Map by the U.S. Geological Survey

Cretaceous Period on Ancient Earth

Online Resources

Cretaceous Period—145.0 to 66.0 MYA
Brief overview of the Cretaceous Period in the U.S. by the National Park Service.
Cretaceous Period
Detailed article on the Cretaceous Period from Encyclopedia Britannica, including geology, climate, plants and animals.

Trek Through the Cretaceous

Image by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Telling the Dinosaur Story: Part 3 Cretaceous

Cretaceous Animal Size Comparison

InGen vs Real Dinosaurs

The ferocious predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous Sahara

Books in the Library

Ankylosaurus and Other Mountain Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.9 DIX
Mountain dinosaurs could walk on rocky ledges or hide underneath them. Some of today's animals use the same survival skills. Learn more about prehistoric life in valleys and on hills.
Centrosaurus and Other Dinosaurs of Cold Places by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.9 DIX
When winter arrived, food was hard to find for dinosaurs living in cold places. Learn how these animals were similar to cold weather creatures today.
Ceratosaurus and Other Fierce Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.912 DIX
Describes some of the fiercest dinosaurs that ever lived including the Tyrannosaurus, the Utahraptor, the Velociraptor, the Neovenator, the Deinonychus, the Ceratosaurus, the Baryonx, and the Dilong.
Deltadromeus and Other Shoreline Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.9 DIX
Seashores, lakes, and riverbanks are all places that shoreline dinosaurs roamed and ruled. Learn what these creatures had in common with today's water-loving animals.
Giganotosaurus and Other Big Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.9 DIX
Describes some of the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived including the Sauroposeidon, the Giganotosaurus, the Spinosaurus, the Sauropelta, the Seismosaurus, the Argentinosaurus, the Shantungosaurus, and the Torosaurus.
Lizard Tooth by Michael Dahl
Call Number: 567.914 DAH
Provides information on the characteristics and life of the dinosaur known as Iguanodon.
Ornithomimus and Other Fast Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
Call Number: 567.9 DIX
Describes some of the fastest dinosaurs that ever lived including the Ornithomimus, the Patagonykus, the Orodromeus, the Dromaeosaurus, the Saurornithoides, the Dromiceiomimus, the Zephyrosaurus, and the Avimimus.
Stiff Armor by Michael Dahl
Call Number: 567.915 DAH
Provides information on the characteristics and the life of the dinosaur known as Ankylosaurus.
Swift Thief by Michael Dahl
Call Number: 567.912 DAH
Explains how scientists learn about dinosaurs and what their discoveries have revealed about Velociraptor.
The T Rex Handbook by Julius Csotonyi (Ill.), Brian Switek
Call Number: 567.912 SWI
Everyone's favorite dinosaur comes to life in an all-new, dinosaur-skin textured handbook: the terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex! Discover the most dangerous predators that ever roamed the planet in this exciting new exploration of the T. Rex and other big, bad carnivores, featuring a unique cover that feels like dinosaur-skin!
Triceratops by Gerry Bailey
Call Number: 567.91 BAI
This book tells the story of Triceratops, a dinosaur that was heavier than a present-day elephant with three large horns on its head and a neck frill. It looked fierce but it was actually just a plant eater. It used its horns to defend itself against predators. Triceratops lived in herds for protection.
Velociraptor by Gerry Bailey
Call Number: 567.91 BAI
This book tells the story of the Velociraptor, a lightweight dinosaur who used its speed to catch prey. It was only three feet (one meter) tall, but was feared for its ferocious hunting ability. It used a sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each foot as a deadly weapon and could reach speeds of up to 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour when chasing prey.

Cretaceous Scenes

Maiasaura

Maiasaura panorama illustration Debivort via Wikimedia Commons.

Gorgosaurus chasing Lambeosaurus

Restoration of Gorgosaurus chasing Lambeosaurus magnicristatus.

Illustration by ABelov2014 via Wikimedia Commons.

Tyrannosaurus and juvenile

A Tyrannosaurus rex and his chick out in the Maastrichtian woods of Hell Creek. Both are based on Scott Hartman’s skeletal reconstructions.

Illustration by Mikail2009 via Wikimedia Commons.

Dakotaraptor, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Tyrannosaurus

Restoration of Dakotaraptor, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Tyrannosaurus in the Hell Creek Formation.

Illustration by ABelov2014 via Wikimedia Commons

Oldman Formation herbivores

Campanian fauna from the Oldman Formation: Wendiceratops, Corythosaurus, Scolosaurus, Chasmosaurus and "Troodon."

Illustration by ABelov2014 via Wikimedia Commons.

Dakotaraptor

Life reconstruction of Dakotaraptor for DePalma et al 2015, showing the animal engaged in "RPR" (or ripping) behavior with Ornithomimus prey.

Illustration by Emily Willoughby via Wikimedia Commons.

Liscomb Bonebed hadrosaurids

Life reconstruction of lambeosaurine-hadrosaurine co-occurrence based on the Liscomb Bonebed hadrosaurids.

Illustration by Masato Hattori via Wikimedia Commons.

Dinosaur park formation

Depiction of dietary niche partitioning among megaherbivorous dinosaurs from the DPF (MAZ-2). Left to right: Chasmosaurus belli, Lambeosaurus lambei, Styracosaurus albertensis, Scolosaurus cutleri (formerly sunk in Euoplocephalus tutus), Prosaurolophus maximus, Panoplosaurus mirus. A herd of S. albertensis looms in the background.

Illustration by J.T. Csotonyi via Wikimedia Commons.