Dinosaur

The mighty dinosaurs appeared in the histories of several different planets.

Earth dinosaurs
Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the Earth for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago.



Despite the Doctor's fondness for Earth and his time travelling abilities, he has not been shown to meet dinosaurs in their own time period (though he has encountered them). He still had great respect for them and believed they were some of the most successful creatures on Earth (DW: Earthshock). The Rani, on the other hand, has made frequent trips to prehistoric Earth and believed that the dinosaurs never reached their true potential. (DW: The Mark of the Rani)


 * Though the Doctor and his companions visited the Jurassic period via time contour, they did not encounter any actual dinosaurs. (DW: Time-Flight'')

At the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, dinosaurs suffered a catastrophic extinction, due to the crash of a freighter filled with anti-matter. (DW: Earthshock)

The Silurians and Sea Devils both have unknown origins and may be related to the dinosaurs. The Myrka, on the other hand, was modified out of a deep-sea creature and may be more closely related to the Plesiosaurus. In an alternative timeline present day, the Silurians re=introduced a multitude of dinosaur species back to the Earth ecosytem. (NA: Blood Heat)

True dinosaurs

 * Apatosaurus (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
 * Megalosaurus (TDA: The Last Dodo)
 * Stegosaurus (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
 * Triceratops (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
 * Tyrannosaurus rex (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs, The Mark of the Rani)
 * An unidentified Theropod in a Silurian cave (DW: Doctor Who and the Silurians)

Similar Creatures
There are other prehistoric reptiles which are generally classed in the same group.
 * Plesiosaurus (DW: Carnival of Monsters)
 * Pterosaurs, like the Pterodactyl (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the Torchwood Pteranodon. (TW: Everything Changes, Cyberwoman)

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 Mondasian 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. (TVC: The Planet of the Daleks)

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)

Minor references

 * The Doctor hoped to see "prehistoric monsters" (which implies dinosaurs). (DW: The Underwater Menace)


 * Following the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith meeting the dinosaurs in London, which Operation Golden Age had brought them to the present (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs) 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 would also later boast of this incident to Rose Tyler. (DW: School Reunion)