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| Name That Dino: What Does the Word Dinosaur Mean and How are Dinosaurs Named? |
Greek, Latin, and other roots used in dinosaur names |
Newly discovered dinosaurs are named by the discoverer or by the paleontologist who determines that it represents a new genus. There are many different ways to choose a dinosaur name. Sometimes the dinosaur is given a name that describes something unusual about its body, head, or feet. Some are named after the location where they are found, others are named for their behavior or size, and some are named to honor a person. The name has to be approved by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
For a page of many Greek, Latin, and other roots used in dinosaur names, click here.
| Dinosaur | Head Feature |
|---|---|
| Brachyceratops | Short-horned faced |
| Corythosaurus | Helmet lizard |
| Dilophosaurus | Two-ridged lizard |
| Homalocephale | Level (flat) head |
| Microceratops | Small-horned faced |
| Ornatotholus | Ornate dome |
| Pachyrhinosaurus | Thick-nosed Lizard |
| Pentaceratops | Five-horned head |
| Saurolophus | Crested lizard |
| Triceratops | Three-horned head |
| Dinosaur | Feature |
|---|---|
| Baryonyx | Heavy claw |
| Brachiosaurus | Arm Lizard (because its arms are longer than its legs) |
| Ceratosaurus | Horned Lizard |
| Dacentrus | Sharp-point tail |
| Deinocheirus | Terrible hand |
| Elaphrosaurus | Lightweight lizard |
| Panoplosaurus | Fully-armed lizard |
| Spinosaurus | Spiny lizard |
| Centrosaurus, Kentrosaurus, and Styracosaurus | Spiked Lizard |
| Barosaurus, Epachthosaurus, and Lurdusaurus | Heavy Lizard |
| Dinosaur | Feature |
|---|---|
| Astrodon | Star tooth |
| Deinodon | Terrible tooth |
| Heterodontosaurus | Different-tooth lizard |
| Hypsilophodon | High-ridged tooth |
| Iguanodon | Iguana tooth |
| Microdontosaurus | Tiny-tooth lizard |
| Troödon | Wounding tooth |
| Dinosaur | Feature |
|---|---|
| Brachypodosaurus | Short-footed lizard |
| Deinonychus | Terrible claw |
| Saltopus | Leaping foot |
| Velocipes | Swift foot |
| Dinosaur | Paleontologist it was named after |
|---|---|
| Chassternbergia | Charles Sternberg |
| Drinker | Edward Drinker Cope |
| Lambeosaurus | Lawrence Lambe |
| Marshosaurus and Othnielia | Othniel C. Marsh |
| Dinosaur | Place it was named for |
|---|---|
| Albertosaurus | Alberta, Canada |
| Andesaurus | The Andes mountains, South America |
| Coloradisaurus | Colorado Formation in Argentina |
| Denversaurus | Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Edmontosaurus and Edmontonia | Edmonton Formation in Alberta, Canada |
| Indosaurus and Indosuchus | India |
| Lesothosaurus | Lesotho, South Africa |
| Utahraptor | Utah, USA |
| Shunosaurus and Szechuanosaurus | Szechuan, China |
| Dinosaur | Behavior it was named for |
|---|---|
| Maiasaura | Good mother lizard |
| Oviraptor | Egg thief (even though it wasn't) |
| Velociraptor | Speedy robber |
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