Dinosaur time gap

Did Triceratops and Apatosaurus live at the same time?

No. Triceratops (Late Cretaceous) and Apatosaurus (Late Jurassic) are separated by 71 million years.

Triceratops to you: 66 million years.

More time separated them than separates Triceratops from you.

Triceratops

Late Cretaceous · 72–66 million years ago

Named by Marsh, 1889

Fossils from United States, Canada

Apatosaurus

Late Jurassic · 155–143 million years ago

Named by Marsh, 1877

Fossils from United States

Silhouette by Elihu Guzmán Arroyo

Dig from Apatosaurus down to Triceratops →

Between Apatosaurus and Triceratops

  • Barilium Early Cretaceous · 137–133 million years ago
  • Acrocanthosaurus Early Cretaceous · 121–113 million years ago
  • Oryctodromeus Late Cretaceous · 106–94 million years ago
  • Pteranodon Late Cretaceous · 86–84 million years ago
  • Centrosaurus Late Cretaceous · 84–72 million years ago
  • Elasmosaurus Late Cretaceous · 84–72 million years ago
  • Maiasaura Late Cretaceous · 84–72 million years ago
  • Rhabdodon Late Cretaceous · 84–72 million years ago

Fun Facts

  • Every Apatosaurus fossil here comes from the United States.
  • Pectinodon and Triceratops could have met.
  • Triceratops is known from 166 fossil sites.
  • Apatosaurus and Diplodocus could have met.

Did they live at the same time?

Every animal you can pick →