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Prehistoric creatures in Crystal Palace Park


Following information is taken from the three information panels on display around the dinosaur lake. The creatures are listed in roughly chronological order, with the most recent at the top of the page.

PeriodYears Ago
Quatenary (Ice Age)2 million - 10,000
Tertiary100-50 million
Cretaceous 175-100 million
Jurassic250-175 million
Triassic275-250 million
Permian325-275 million


A large sloth like creature hugging a tree
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Megatherium

Megatherium

Name means : Giant Beast.
Lived : Ice Age.
Died out : 11,000 years ago.
Diet : Herbivore.

A stag like creature with enormous antlers
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Megaloceros

Megaloceros

Name means : Giant Antler.
Lived : From 400,000 years ago, through the Ice Age.
Died out : End of Ice Age.
Diet : Herbivore.

A tapir-like beast mooching around by a lake

Palaeotherium

Name means : Ancient Beast.
Lived : Tertiary period.
Diet : Herbivore.
Problems with models : Given a tapir-like appearance; probably actually linked to the horse family.

Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Megaloceros A group of three stocky, short legged camel-faced mammals

Anoplotherium

Name means : Short Canine Teeth.
Lived : Tertiary period.
Diet : Omnivore.
Problems with models : Given a camel-like face and hooves; probably should be more like hippos, with clawed feet.

A large lizard-like creature lolling in the water
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Megaloceros

Mosasaurus

Name means : Meuse Lizard (first fossils were found in the river Meuse).
Lived : Late Cretaceous period.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous.
Diet : Carnivore.

A giant lizard-like creature, with a small horn on its nose
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Iguanodon

Iguanodon

Name means : Iguana Tooth.
Lived : Early Cretaceous period.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Herbivore.
Problems with models : Modelled as a quadruped; fossil tracks show the Iguanodon could walk on two or four legs. Models have what should be a thumb spike fitted as a nose horn.

A lizard beast with a spiky spine and its back to the camera
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Hylaeosaurus

Hylaeosaurus

Name means : Woodland Lizard.
Lived : Early Cretaceous period.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Herbivore.

A giant lizard with a hump and a lot of birds sitting on it
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus

Name means : Great Lizard.
Lived : Jurassic period.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Carnivore.
Problems with model : Probably should be bipedal.

Snaky necked winged lizards on a rock
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Pterodactylus

Pterodactylus

Name means : Flight Finger.
Lived : Jurassic period.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Carnivore.

Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Teleosaurus Two crocodile-like beasts with very long snouts

Teleosaurus

Name means : End Reptile.
Lived : Late Triassic and throughout the Cretaceous period; survived mass extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Carnivore.

A sea lizard with a very long flexible neck
Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Plesiosaurus

Plesiosaurus

Name means : Ribbon Lizard.
Lived : Late Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Died out : End of the early Cretaceous period.
Diet : Carnivore.

Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Ichthyosaurus A giant long snouted sea reptile

Ichthyosaurus

Name means : Fish Lizard.
Lived : Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Died out : End of the Cretaceous period.
Diet : Carnivore.

A pair of shelled frog-like creatures

Dicynodon

Name means : Two Dog Teeth.
Lived : Late Permian and Triassic periods.
Died out : End of Triassic period.
Diet : Herbivore.
Problems with model : Depicted as a shelled turtle-like creature; should be more like a small hippopotamus.

Back to Mr Monkey's sighting of the Labyrinthodon A smooth skinned lizard headed frog-like creature crawling out of the lake A rough skinned lizard headed frog-like creature crawling into the lake

Labyrinthodon

Name means : Maze Tooth.
Lived : Late Permian and Triassic periods.
Died out : End of Triassic period.
Diet : Carnivore.
Problems with model : Depicted as two sorts of frog-like creature (one rough skinned, the other smooth skinned); should be more like a small crocodile.

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Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 10 October 2006