A gigantic asteroid brought the age of the dinosaurs to an abrupt end about 66 million years ago, as everything from pterodactyls to Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct. Fortunately, the lives of these iconic creatures were preserved in fossils — allowing researchers to decipher this lost world.
At Live Science, our expert writers and editors bring you the latest dinosaur news, features and articles, from extraordinary dinosaur discoveries to answering your burning prehistoric questions like "What color were the dinosaurs?" and "Could evolution ever bring the dinosaurs back?"
Discover more about dinosaurs
—Dinosaurs: Facts about the reptiles that roamed Earth more than 66 million years ago
Latest about Dinosaurs
'I was wrong': Dinosaur scientists agree that small tyrannosaur Nanotyrannus was real, pivotal new study finds
An argument over whether fossils from several small dinosaurs represent a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex or smaller adults of a separate species may finally be settled.
First-ever 'mummified' and hoofed dinosaur discovered in Wyoming badlands
Researchers have unearthed two dinosaur "mummies" in the badlands of Wyoming, confirming duck-billed dinosaurs had hooves, alongside a string of other discoveries.
Rare fossils in New Mexico reveal dinosaurs were doing just fine before the asteroid annihilated them all
New dating has revealed that New Mexico's last dinosaurs were healthy, diverse and thriving at the end of the Cretaceous period, suggesting non-avian dinosaurs weren't in decline before being snuffed out by the asteroid strike.
Gigantic dinosaur with 'claws like hedge trimmers' found with croc leg still in its jaws in Argentina
Speedy megaraptor Joaquinraptor casali had big arms and claws like hedge trimmers that would have made T. rex's forelimbs look puny.
Oldest-known dome-headed dinosaur discovered sticking out of a cliff in Mongolia's Gobi Desert
The juvenile pachycephalosaurs, which predates the previous oldest dome-headed dinosaur by 15 million years, reveals more about how and when this unusual feature developed.
Scientists find baby pterosaurs died in violent Jurassic storm 150 million years ago
Researchers found storm injuries during a baby pterosaur post-mortem, solving a Jurassic mystery that was 150 million years in the making.
'So weird': Ankylosaur with 3-foot spikes sticking out of its neck discovered in Morocco
The ostentatious spikes of a newly described ankylosaur fossil suggest that its armor evolved via sexual selection.
115 million-year-old dinosaur tracks unearthed in Texas after devastating floods
While clearing debris from the devastating floods in Texas in July, volunteers uncovered 15 large dinosaur footprints thought to belong to a formidable prehistoric predator.
T. rex relatives 'moonwalked' to attract mates, newfound dinosaur ‘mating arena' suggests
Researchers have identified a "mating arena" at Dinosaur Ridge where male theropods gathered during the Cretaceous period to display in front of females.
'Ash-winged dawn goddess' is oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America — and it was small enough to sit 'on your shoulder'
A cache of Triassic fossils in Arizona has revealed Eotephradactylus mcintireae, or "ash-winged dawn goddess," the oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America.
