Meet the Dinosaurs of Utah at Dinosaur Island!

Dimetrodon | Early Permian | Carnivore
Fossils Found in Utah

Did you know that the Dimetrodon had two sets of teeth to better grab and eat their prey? Talk about a long appointment at the dentist.

Edaphosaurus | Early Permian | Herbivore
The Edaphosaurus was a sailed synapsid – an early ancestor of the first mammals! Humans are also synapsids, so technically, the Edaphosaurus is a (very distant) cousin.

Diplocaulus | Late Carboniferous | Carnivore
The Diplocaulus was a 3-foot-long amphibian with a boomerang-shaped head that helped it swim as fast as it could in the water. It was like a salamander, but way bigger and with sharper teeth.

Tenontosaurus | Middle Cretaceous | Herbivore
Fossils Found in Utah

Even though the Tenontosaurus weighed around two tons and was 20 feet long, they were surprisingly agile and used their long tail to hit and stun predators.

Brachiosaurus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore
Fossils Found in Utah

The Brachiosaurus is known for its super long neck – but did you know they could even rear up on their back legs to get even taller? I bet they had a killer view.

Styracosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore
The Styracosaurus had a spiky frill that might’ve been used to attract mates. Kind of like a really nice hairline, the better the frill, the hotter they were.

Ankylosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore
The Ankylosaurus had incredible defensive skills, including protective armor around its head and face and a club-like tail that, when swung, was powerful enough to stun large predators. Like the intense version of Heads or Tails.

Triceratops | Late Cretaceous | Herbivore
The Triceratops was one of the largest land animals of its time, measuring up to 30 feet long. Those three horns must’ve contributed to that, right?

Tyrannosaurus Rex | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore
We all know the T. rex has a big head and little arms, but those arms were actually useful in gripping prey. They had more use than you’d think!

Deinonychus | Early Cretaceous | Carnivore
Fossils Found in Utah

We often don’t associate dinosaurs as having a lot of smarts, but Deinonychus was a highly developed animal that adopted many social behaviors to coordinate hunting with members of its pack. They were easily the scariest gang of their time.

Deinosuchus | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore
Picture the largest and scariest crocodile. Then make it bigger and scarier. That’s Deinosuchus, an apex killer that hunted dinosaurs, turtles, and fish both on land and in the sea (although they were best in water, not super agile on land).

Stegosaurus | Late Jurassic | Herbivore
Fossils Found in Utah

I can’t imagine the Stegosaurus doing any critical thinking – yes, their brain was *literally* the size of a walnut.

Giganotosaurus | Late Cretaceous | Carnivore
This was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever lived – reaching lengths of up to 43 feet and weighing nearly 8 tons. This guy was the predator and never the prey.

Lessemsaurus | Late Triassic | Herbivore
The Lessemsaurus is named after “Dino” Don Lessem, a paleontologist who advised Steven Spielberg during the filming of Jurassic Park and the creator of the animatronic dinosaurs in Dinosaur Island.