Why dinosaurs are the most awesomest animals to ever walk the earth

Everyone loved dinosaurs as a child. Their shear majesty enters our hearts and sparks our imagination like nothing else. The universal love of dinosaurs can be seen in the countless books about them. Heck, they’ve even got their own children’s show in PBS’ “Dinosaur Train.” Even as adults, we all still secretly (or not so secretly) love dinosaurs. Every natural science museum worth it’s salt has a dinosaur section, and it’s always the most popular attraction.

Besides being mind-blowingly awesome, what exactly is a dinosaur? The term ‘dinosaur’ represents a diverse group of animals that lived from the Triassic period, 231 million years ago, until the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago. In total, dinosaurs ruled the earth for 135 million years. That’s 825 times longer than humans have existed. Dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles, and they included fish, land animals, and birds; hence, they truly ruled the earth. And dinosaurs still exist today! According to the fossil record, most scientists agree that birds evolved from dinosaurs. So, if that’s enough to convince you, here are the reasons why dinosaurs are the best animals ever.

1, They're big. I mean BIG.

Dinosaurs, aside from some sea creatures alive today like the blue whale, are the largest animals to ever walk the earth. They existed in a massive time and on a massive scale. In fact, many dinosaurs were so big that it boggles the mind. Single skeletons fill entire hallways of museums. Pictures take up entire two-page spreads in our dinosaur books. How big where they? Well, there are dinosaurs named Giganotosaurus and Titanosaurus, so that should give you an idea. And these two aren’t even the biggest of the dinosaurs; that title belongs to Argentinosaurus, coming in at 130 feet long and weighing upwards of 100 tons.

2. They were the ultimate predators.

Dinosaurs were the ultimate predators, the perfect killing machines. Ask anyone what their favorite dinosaur is, and nine out of ten will tell you Tyrannosaurs Rex; the tyrant king. T-Rex is the star of many, many movies, of which Jurassic Park is only one. T-Rex was a 40 foot long, 13 foot tall predator, making him one of the largest predators of all time. He captures the imagination like no other dinosaur or other creature to walk the earth.

And T-Rex was just one among many. There’s the fearsome Velocirapters, with their hook-clawed feet, who hunted in packs. There’s the Allosaurus, the number two predator behind T-Rex in terms of awesomeness. There were small predators that preyed on lizards and bugs (the predecessor of today’s birds), and there were predators greater than even the mighty T-Rex, namely the Giganotosaurus named above.

3. Their skeletons are awesome.

Every museum, or at least every one your kids and you want to go to, has dinosaur skeletons. Just look at those skeletons below. They are some seriously majestic skeletons; almost as majestic as a real life dinosaur. These skeletons are the first thing you want to see when you get to the natural science museum and the last thing you want to see before you leave. No other skeleton or exhibit tickles your curiosity like these bad boys. Just look at the previous two points; you're looking at the skeleton of a giant apex predator. In your mind, it's so easy to see these beasts coming to life right before your very eyes. So yeah, dinosaur skeletons: super rad.

4. They make awesome toys.

Just like their skeletons, dinosaur toys are ubiquitous. Every museum gift shop, every toy store, hell, even every department store is stocked with toy dinosaurs. After seeing their skeletons, who wouldn't want to run home and act out their own Jurassic adventures. The thrill of the hunt. The chomping of the T-Rex (all dinosaur toy sets include a T-Rex, of course) into his prey. Making their bellowing roars, running them through imaginary jungles, ruling the seas, skies, and land. Everyone loves a good dinosaur toy, because dinosaurs are just plain bad ass.

Dinosaurs were awesome because:

• They were huge
• They were really, really huge
• They were on the earth for over 100 million years
• Some of them were unstoppable killing machines
• Their skeletons are awesome
• They make awesome toys
• They are in every museum that's a good museum
• They evolved into birds

If those aren't enough reasons to convince you that dinosaurs are the ultra jams of animals, I don't know what to say. You must be dead inside. Somewhere along the way, you forgot how to feel the awesome power of things that are awesome. And, my friend, I pity you, for the rest of us are basking in the glow of the amazingness that is the lizard kings.