- Not all dinosaurs were ferocious, terrifying beasts. Some were just a bit weird.
Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Spinosaurus… Even if you know next to nothing about dinosaurs, some of them are so iconic that you can picture them just by the name.
Not all dinosaurs are like that, though.
For each legendary dino, there were two (if not more) absolute weirdoes roaming primordial Earth. We missed the International Dinosaur Day on June 1, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate all the strange ancient reptiles.
Here’s a sampler of some of the weirdest dinosaurs to ever live.
1. Mamenchisaurus
Many of the largest dinosaurs ever were sauropods, a type of dinosaur famous for their long necks. Yet, when it comes to relative neck length, the Mamenchisaurus just might take the cake.
These huge dinosaurs are estimated to have grown up to 85 feet long. Of that length, roughly half was made of neck.
It’s likely the Mamenchisaurus may have had one of the longest necks out of any animal relative to its body length. The dinosaur used it to harvest leaves off of tall trees some 150 million years ago.
2. Bajadasaurus
Bajadasaurus is another sauropod, but it was much smaller than the Mamenchisaurus. Instead, its claim to fame are its bizarre neck spines.
These bony protrusions stuck out from the base of the dinosaur’s skull all the way to its back. The things are so strange that their ultimate purpose is a mystery.
We do know that the hollow spines contained nerves, but that’s about it. Researchers speculate that they may have supported a sail for thermal regulation, or that the bony spikes were a defensive measure.
3. Concavenator
Speaking of weird things growing out of spines, how about the Concavenator? This small (relatively speaking, it was still 16 feet long) carnivorous dinosaur has a strange bony hump above its hips.
A couple of its vertebrae jut up, forming a distinctive, odd-looking protrusion. Much like the Bajadasaurus’ spines, the purpose of the Concavenator’s hump is a mystery.
It may have been used for cooling or heating, but researchers also suspect that it could simply be a crest for attracting mates. In which case, the most crooked humpback would’ve made for the hottest Concavenator.
4. Microraptor
It’s well established that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. Yet, dinos didn’t turn into birds overnight, and there were several strange combinations along the way.
Take the Microraptor, for instance. This small, chicken-sized raptor had four wings in total—its fore- and hindlimbs all sported long feathers.
The creature likely wasn’t capable of true flight, but researchers believe it could use its wings to glide. Although it’s small and a bit ridiculous-looking, you wouldn’t want to get this weirdo angry.
You would otherwise have a sharp-clawed and toothed murder chicken gliding right in your face. You know, we’re surprised this guy hasn’t appeared in the Jurassic Park movies.
5. Sharovipteryx
On the topic of gliding, meet Sharovipteryx. This lizard-like reptile sported a leathery wing that it could spread to zoom through the air, like a modern gliding lizard.
The placement of its wing was unusual, though. Instead of stretching from the forelimbs to its legs (like on bats), the gliding membrane stretched out between Sharovipteryx’s hind legs.
This means that it was flying around spread-eagled.
6. Longisquama
The Longisquama was discovered in the same pile of ancient rock as the Sharovipteryx. It, however, is much more bizarre than its friend.
The Longisquama was a small reptile that had a bunch of… Things growing off of its back. No one’s quite certain what they are or how they were arranged.
Some researchers believe the long protrusions were arranged in two rows, like wings, while others think they formed a single row. Still others think they weren’t part of the Longisquama at all, and are simply plant fronds that fossilized under the reptile’s skeleton.
7. Mononykus
Many two-legged dinosaurs — T. Rex perhaps as the most famous example — had comparatively small arms. Yet, the Mononykus stands out in this stubby crowd.
This four-foot-long dinosaur boasted a pair of teeny-tiny arms that weren’t longer than a few inches. Each terminated in a single claw, resulting in what’s possibly the most unthreatening pair of dinosaur limbs.
Yet, the Mononykus (which means “single claw”) had a use for its arms. Researchers believe the small dinosaur used them to break open termite mounds and anthills.
8. Deinocheirus
On the other end of the arm size scale, we have the Deinocheirus, or “horrible hand.” This beast was known for ages only from a single preserved pair of enormous clawed arms.
With arms like that, it was believed for more than 50 years to be one hell of a predator. Then, the 2010s, they found several, more complete Deinocheirus skeletons.
It turns out that this thing was the platypus of dinosaurs.
The Deinocheirus had a duck-like bill, a humpback like a camel, and it’s quite possible the tip of its tail sported a fan of colored feathers. And those arms and claws? This slow, clumsy giant probably used them to stiffly dig up plant parts from the ground.
We’re not saying we’re disappointed, but… We’re a little disappointed.