Dinosaur

Dinosaurs were a group of animals that were found on Earth from approximately 230 million years ago to 65 million years ago. They were wiped out at the end of the Cretaceous period when a space freighter, which had travelled back in time from the 26th century, filled with anti-matter crashed into Earth. (DW: Earthshock)

In the 1970s, Operation Golden Age brought dinosaurs through time to London, forcing the city to evacuate. (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)

In the 41st century, Wumba's World of Wild featured genetically bred dinosaurs co-existing with Humans for the entertainment of tourists. (DWAM: Save the Humans!)



Types of Dinosaurs
Though there were many millions of species of dinosaurs (NSA: The Last Dodo), the Doctor has only encountered a few species in his travels.


 * For a full list, see dinosaurs.



Similar Creatures
On many other planets, creatures similar to the dinosaurs of Earth evolved.

Asteroid dinosaurs
The Doctor, John and Gillian visited an unnamed asteroid which was home to a large, four-legged dinosaur-like creature. Upon encountering it, they took refuge in a nearby spacecraft, where they met Grig. (TVC: The Therovian Quest)

Mondas dinosaurs
The planet Mondas, Earth's twin planet, also had dinosaur species at one stage of its development. At an early point in their history, the Cybermen partially cyber-converted dinosaurs and on some occasions, used them as mounts. (DWM: The Cybermen)

Gallifreyan dinosaurs
The planet Gallifrey had dinosaur-like species called Gargantosaurs. (DWM: The Stolen TARDIS)

Skarosian dinosaurs
The planet Skaro was also home to creatures that resembled dinosaurs, specifically the Triceratops but with only one horn. Normally peaceful herbivores, they would attack Daleks on sight. The Doctor and Finney used a herd of these to destroy a group of Daleks that had taken them to Skaro. (TVA: The Planet of the Daleks)

Spekran dinosaurs
The planet Spekra was home to friendly dinosaur-like creatures similar in appearance to the Apatosaurus. Having very keen hearing, two of the creatures were summoned by the Doctor's ultrasonic device to break down the prison walls and take the prisoners back to their spacecraft. Although Gritog's men shot at the creatures, their thick skin protected them from harm. (TVC: Prisoners of Gritog)

Spidron dinosaurs
The home world of the Spidrons was another planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures. One of these resembled a pterodactyl, which attacked the Doctor shortly after he arrived on its world. Another, a tyrannosaur-like creature, stepped on some Spidrons that were pursuing the Doctor and Arnold. (TVC: Nova)

The Sanctified dinosaurs
A previously warlike race known as the Sanctified became dinosaur farmers on their home planet. (TWM: Rift War! Part Ten: The Storm)

Minor references

 * The Doctor hoped to see "prehistoric monsters" (which implied dinosaurs). (DW: The Underwater Menace)
 * Operation Golden Age was brought up on a number of occasions. The newly regenerated fourth incarnation did so (DW: Robot), as did the Doctor later in his seventh incarnation, to Ace, to the latter's awe. (DW: The Happiness Patrol) Sarah Jane Smith also boasted of this incident to Rose Tyler. (DW: School Reunion)
 * Donna Noble suggested that dinosaurs lived at the centre of the Earth. (DW: The Runaway Bride)
 * At some point in his life, Jack Harkness had to survive on the carcasses of dinosaurs, since they were the only source of cooked meat after an asteroid hit. (TW: Fragments)
 * Since the K-T extinction was actually caused by a crashed freighter, instead of an asteroid, he may have been referring to an early asteroid collision, Or he did not know about the Freighter's involvment.


 * The Doctor mentioned tracking down an alien dinosaur in London. (NSA: The Eyeless)