What Dinosaur Names Mean: Rex Saurus Raptor Explained
Dinosaur names mix Greek and Latin roots, from tyrant lizard to swift thief.
Why are names Greek and Latin?
Discoverers name new species with Greek or Latin roots describing horns, size or habits. Tyrannosaurus rex from 1905 joins Greek tyrant lizard with Latin king, fitting a 12-meter predator weighing 9 tons.
Triceratops from 1889 means three-horned face, counting 1-meter brow horns plus a nose horn. Brachiosaurus from 1903 means arm lizard because 2.5-meter front legs stood taller than 2-meter hind legs for high browsing.
Who names thieves and swift hunters?
Velociraptor from 1924 joins Latin swift with thief, though the 2-meter real animal weighed only 15 kilograms. Oviraptor from 1924 means egg thief, named from a nest of 15 eggs later proved to be its own brood.
Rules require a published description plus a type fossil stored in a museum with a 6-digit catalog number. Over 1,200 valid names exist, with 30 to 50 new ones added each year from digs on 7 continents.
- Tyrannosaurus tyrant lizard king 12 meters
- Triceratops three-horned face 1889
- Brachiosaurus arm lizard front legs 2.5 meters
- Velociraptor swift thief 15 kilograms
- 1,200 names plus 30-50 yearly