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What Were the Smallest & Largest Dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs drastically ranged in size from one species to another. Some were as small as a chicken, others much larger than elephants. The smallest dinosaurs exhibited some bird-like characteristics, while the largest had massive humps and small heads. Because dinosaurs only exist as fossils, it's difficult to know for certain which species were smallest and largest; new discoveries have changed these facts more than once.

Microraptor
- The microraptor was the smallest dinosaur, according to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia. It was only about as large as a crow. This species shared many similarities with birds and probably had feathers. Like many birds and dinosaurs of similar size, the microraptor was carnivorous. The well-known archaeopteryx was also a birdlike dinosaur, but slightly larger than the microraptor.
Compsognathus
- The compsognathus was probably the second smallest species of dinosaur and was thought to be the smallest until recently. Scientists estimate that a compsognathus weighed around 3 lbs., according to Britannica Ready Reference. Its legs were much stronger and longer than its arms, making it resemble a miniature tyrannosaurus. Like the microraptor, it had some similarities with bird species. The compsognathus was carnivorous, like many of the smallest dinosaurs.
Argentinosaurus
- The argentinosaurus had a long neck and tail with four legs. It was around 115 feet long with a weight of 75 to 100 tons, likely making it the largest of dinosaurs, according to the BBC. It was thought to have lived in herds. As its name suggests, South America was home to the argentinosaurus. Like the paralititan, it consumed vegetation with the help of its long neck.
Paralititan
- The paralititan was the second largest dinosaur, according to National Geographic. It weighed approximately 75 tons and boasted a length of up to 100 feet. It lived in the swamps of Egypt and ate plants. These ancient swamps have since become a desert. Such creatures fell prey to smaller (but still massive) meat-eating dinosaurs, which could maneuver and attack more easily.
Brachiosaurus
- Paleontologists formerly considered the brachiosaurus the largest of dinosaurs. It boasted a weight of approximately 80 tons and measured almost 100 feet long, according to Britannica Ready Reference. A plant-eating sauropod, the brachiosaurus was nearly as large as the argentinosaurus and paralititan dinosaurs. The Encarta Encyclopedia indicates that this Jurassic species lived in North America and Africa.

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