![Suzhousaurus by FunkMonk (Michael B. H.) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/08/Suzhousaurus-c07b50e.jpg?quality=90&crop=8px,35px,1185px,510px&resize=940,400)
17 unusual, bizarre, and downright weird dinosaurs
TheT. Rexmight be king of the dinosaurs, but it looks like his court was home to more than a few jesters - here are some of the weirdest dinosaurs to have roamed the planet.
Suzhousaurus
Suzhousaurus megatheriodes
![Suzhousaurus by FunkMonk (Michael B. H.) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link Suzhousaurus by FunkMonk (Michael B. H.) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/08/Suzhousaurus-c07b50e.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Appearance of a giant rat, three metres tall, six metres long, weighed around 1,300kgs. Furry body, suggesting a distant ancestor of the giant ground sloth.
Pegomastax
Pegomastax africana
![Pegomastax by Todd Marshall - Press release (WebCite copy) ofSereno PC (2012) Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs. ZooKeys 226: 1-225. doi:10.3897/zookeys.226.2840., CC BY 3.0, Link Pegomastax by Todd Marshall - Press release (WebCite copy) ofSereno PC (2012) Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs. ZooKeys 226: 1-225. doi:10.3897/zookeys.226.2840., CC BY 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/08/Pegomastax-a0c180f.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Herbivore, just 60cm long and covered in quills. Described as a cross between a parrot and a porcupine, it had a beak and teeth which sharpened themselves against each other.
Linhenykus
Linhenykus monodactylus
![Linhenykus by NobuTamura, CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, from Wikimedia Commons Linhenykus by NobuTamura, CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, from Wikimedia Commons](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/08/Linhenykus_NT-dbdc425.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Freakishly short arms with tiny claws at the end of them, giving it no obvious defence option. Only known non-aviandinosaurwith one finger!
Epidendrosaurus
Epidendrosaurus ninchengensis
![Epidendrosaurus by Jaime A. Headden (User:Qilong), CC BY 3.0, Link Epidendrosaurus by Jaime A. Headden (User:Qilong), CC BY 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Epidendrosaurus-90e3162.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
一个小小的(12厘米)不会飞的羽毛恐龙elongated forearms completely out of proportion to the rest of its body. The third finger is huge, like an aye-aye's, possibly for probing for insect food inside trees.
Longisquama
Longisquama insignis
![Longisquama by Nobu Tamura - Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link Longisquama by Nobu Tamura - Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Longisquama-63cfe40.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Had six to eight appendages fanned along its back which are believed to have been primitive feathers. Possible precursor to modern birds.
Gigantoraptor
Gigantoraptor erlianensis
![Gigantoraptor by Nobu Tamura - CC BY-SA 1.0, Link Gigantoraptor by Nobu Tamura - CC BY-SA 1.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Gigantoraptor-bab277f.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
At nearly five metres tall and eight metres long, it was possibly the largest feathered dinosaur/bird in history, and may have weighed up to 2,000kg. It had no teeth, and strange claws at the end of its wings.
Mamenchisaurus
Mamenchisaurus constructus
![Mamenchisaurus by Steveoc 86, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons Mamenchisaurus by Steveoc 86, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Mamenchisaurus_youngi_steveoc_86-d0d8b16.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Had a neck 9-12 metres long.
Jeholopterus
Jeholopterus ninchengensis
![Jeholopterus Image CC BY 2.5, Link Jeholopterus Image CC BY 2.5, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Jeholopterus-def41b5.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Vampire dinosaur, preying on the blood of other dinosaurs. Small enough to go undetected on another dinosaur's underbelly.
Incisivosaurus
Incisivosaurus gauthieri
![Incisivosaurus by Tomopteryx - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link Incisivosaurus by Tomopteryx - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Incisivosaurus-4ed7648.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Omnivore, less than a metre long. Had prominent, rodent-like front teeth, face of a raptor, body of an ostrich and hands/feet of a chicken. Truly bizarre.
Sharovipteryx
Sharovipteryx mirabilis
![Sharovipteryx by dmitrchel, CC BY 3.0, Link Sharovipteryx by dmitrchel, CC BY 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Sharovipteryx-b61f759.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Lizard-like flying reptile that fed on insects. It grew wings on its hing legs, rather than its arms and looks like an evolutionary mistake. How it walked remains a mystery.
Helicoprion
Helicoprion bessonovi
![Helicoprion by Nobu Tamura - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link Helicoprion by Nobu Tamura - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Helicoprion-e400e5d.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
A shark-like fish. As it grew new teeth, they pushed the older teeth forwards from the snout, thus it continually extended its jaw as it grew. Believed to have initially survived thePermianextinction event, later to die out with the other remaining dinosaurs.
Carnotaurus
Carnotaurus sastrei
![Carnotaurus by Lida Xing and Yi Liu - Persons WS IV, Currie PJ (2011) Dinosaur Speed Demon: The Caudal Musculature of Carnotaurus sastrei and Implications for the Evolution of South American Abelisaurids. PLoS ONE 6(10): e25763. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025763, CC BY 2.5, Link Carnotaurus by Lida Xing and Yi Liu - Persons WS IV, Currie PJ (2011) Dinosaur Speed Demon: The Caudal Musculature of Carnotaurus sastrei and Implications for the Evolution of South American Abelisaurids. PLoS ONE 6(10): e25763. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025763, CC BY 2.5, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Carnotaurus-82f861a.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Bipedal dinosaur with unique thick horizontal horns across the top of its head above the eyes. Name means "meat-eating bull". Its anatomy was baffling, including vestigial forelimbs even smaller than a T-rex's, a strangely-shaped head and small teeth.
Nigersaurus
Nigersaurus taqueti
![Nigersaurus by Carol Abraczinskas, Paul C. Sereno, Jeffrey A. Wilson, Lawrence M. Witmer, John A. Whitlock, Abdoulaye Maga, Oumarou Ide, Timothy A. Rowe - Structural Extremes in a Cretaceous Dinosaur. PLoS ONE. 2, 11, e1230. 2007. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0001230(1), CC BY 2.5, Link Nigersaurus by Carol Abraczinskas, Paul C. Sereno, Jeffrey A. Wilson, Lawrence M. Witmer, John A. Whitlock, Abdoulaye Maga, Oumarou Ide, Timothy A. Rowe - Structural Extremes in a Cretaceous Dinosaur. PLoS ONE. 2, 11, e1230. 2007. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0001230(1), CC BY 2.5, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Nigersaurus_taqueti_skeleton-6aedb7f.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Unusually small sauropod with a unique head and jaw shape not seen in any other animal. All its 500 teeth are at the end of its jaw at the front of the mouth, making its head look like the attachment to a vacuum cleaner. Each mature tooth had nine replacement teeth stacked up behind it ready to take over when it wore down.
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Amargasaurus
Amargasaurus cazaui
![Amargasaurus By © N. Tamura | http://spinops.blogspot.com | http://paleoexhibit.blogspot.com - http://spinops.blogspot.com/2015/11/amargasaurus-cazaui.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link Amargasaurus By © N. Tamura | http://spinops.blogspot.com | http://paleoexhibit.blogspot.com - http://spinops.blogspot.com/2015/11/amargasaurus-cazaui.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Amargasaurus-a4f591e.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Possessed a bizarre double row of parallel spines along its neck and back, taller than any other sauropod.
Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis
![Pachycephalosaurus by Fred Wierum - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link Pachycephalosaurus by Fred Wierum - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Pachycephalosaurus-1-58b8c8a.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Had a truly bizarre domed head for display. Although the skull roof was up to 25cm thick, it was fairly brittle bone.
Dracorex
Dracorex hogwartsia
![Dracorex by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link Dracorex by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Dracorex-e93d7c7.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
Extraordinary head shape and adornments evolved for head-butting opponents; closest-looking dinosaur to a mythical dragon. It's latin name means meaning "dragon king of Hogwarts" after the Harry Potter series of books.
Parasaurolophus
Parasaurolophus walkeri
![Parasaurolophus By Marmelad - Based on Image:Human-parasaurolophus size comparison2.png, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link Parasaurolophus By Marmelad - Based on Image:Human-parasaurolophus size comparison2.png, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2018/05/Parasaurolophus-e186b98.jpg?quality=90&resize=700,466)
具有管状扩展它skull which had acoustic properties. Thought to be a means of "trumpeting" calls over large distances.
科学关注播客:恐龙的真相
The image ofdinosaursas drab, slow-witted reptilians is slowly being overturned thanks to exciting new fossil discoveries and advances in the technology used to analyse them. Check out theScience Focus Podcastepisode where we speak to Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist based at the University of Edinburgh and author ofThe Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs: The untold story of a lost world(£20, Macmillan), about palaeontology’s emerging golden age that is revealing what dinosaurs really looked like and why they were much smarter than we used to think.Listen to the podcast here.
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