Editing Dinosaur

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{{Infobox Species
| image        = Dinosaur.jpg
| aka          = "Terrible lizards"
| type         = Reptilian giants
| affiliation   = Silurian 
| origin       = Earth
| first         = The Didus Expedition (comic story)
| appearances  = [[Dinosaurs - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]
| individuals  = [[Kevin (When Worlds Collide)|Kevin]]
}}
'''Dinosaurs''' were a group of [[animal]]s which lived on [[Earth]] [[Distant past|millions of years ago]]. As they were the dominant order of animal life in the lengthy era where they existed, it was known as the "[[Age of the Dinosaurs]]".

The term "Dinosaur" was created by [[human]] [[scientist]]s early after they discovered the creatures' existence. According to the [[Fourth Doctor]], it meant '''terrible lizards''' and was something of a misnomer; while they were [[reptile]]s, the Dinosaurs were not exactly lizards. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Doctor Who Dinosaur Book (novel)|The Doctor Who Dinosaur Book]]'')

They lived on Earth for around 165 million years before, according to a [[Coal Hill School]] textbook, they became extinct. The word dinosaur comes from the term ''Dinosauria'' - meaning "terrible lizard" - which was coined by Sir [[Richard Owen]], at the suggestion of [[the Doctor]], in [[1842]]. Dinosaur bones and fossils had been found as early as [[1818]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A History of Humankind (novel)|A History of Humankind]]'')

== History ==
=== Original reign ===
{{main|Age of the Dinosaurs}}
The first dinosaurs appeared around [[Distant past|230 million BC]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Land of the Dead (audio story)|The Land of the Dead]]'')

Many species of dinosaurs [[evolution|evolved]] and went [[Extinction|extinct]] over millions of years. Just before they went extinct, the last one of each species was captured and brought to the [[Museum of the Last Ones]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Dodo (novel)|The Last Dodo]]'')

The [[Tenth Doctor]]'s [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] accidentally crashed into another ship, causing both of them to crash on [[Earth]] during the [[Cretaceous]] period. The Doctor had to deal with dinosaurs while trying to get off the planet. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Health & Safety (comic story)|Health & Safety]]'')

Also during the Cretaceous, a group of aliens tried to build a colony on Earth using [[slave]] labour. [[Ace]] led the dinosaurs in destroying the colony's construction site, witnessed by the [[Seventh Doctor]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Living in the Past (short story)|Living in the Past]]'')

{{O'Mara|c}} did several studies on dinosaurs. She obtained a [[tyrannosaurus rex]] embryo for study, which was accidentally aged to adulthood by [[time spillage]] in [[The Rani's TARDIS|her TARDIS]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mark of the Rani (TV story)|The Mark of the Rani]]'') She also planned to use her [[time brain]] to stop the extinction of the dinosaurs and study what they would evolve into. ([[TV]]: ''[[Time and the Rani (TV story)|Time and the Rani]]'')

The [[Silurian]]s used dinosaurs in a variety of ways. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)|Doctor Who and the Silurians]]'', ''[[Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (TV story)|Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Blood Heat (novel)|Blood Heat]]'') When their civilisation was threatened, they preserved dinosaurs along with themselves, both in stasis under the Earth ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)|Doctor Who and the Silurians]]'') and in the [[Silurian Ark]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (TV story)|Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]'') The [[Sea Devil]]s used dinosaurs as beasts of burden but also claimed to hunt them for sport, holding a very low opinion of the creatures. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Clara Oswald and the School of Death (comic story)|Clara Oswald and the School of Death]]'')

In around [[Distant past|65 million BC]], the dinosaurs went extinct when a [[Briggs' freighter|space freighter]] filled with [[anti-matter]], which had travelled back in time from the [[26th century]], crashed into Earth. ([[TV]]: ''[[Earthshock (TV story)|Earthshock]]'')

At some point in his life, [[Jack Harkness]] had to survive on the carcasses of dinosaurs. They were the only source of cooked meat after an [[asteroid]] hit. ([[TV]]: ''[[Fragments (TV story)|Fragments]]'')

=== Modern times ===
A female [[tyrannosaur]] was accidentally transported to the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[London]] when [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] of the [[Twelfth Doctor]] got stuck in her [[throat]]. Her presence alerted the local authorities and led to the involvement of the [[Paternoster Gang]] to solve the situation. Eventually, the T-rex was killed and burnt by the [[Half-Face Man]] in order to steal her optic nerve. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')

In the [[1960s]], a mad scientist in [[New York City]] used a chemical to bring life-sized dinosaur statues to life as part of his plan to liberate [[zoo]] animals. The [[Second Doctor]] created an antidote which reversed the process. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Monsters from the Past (comic story)|The Monsters from the Past]]'')

[[File:Dinosaur skyline.jpg|right|thumb|An [[apatosaurus]] in central [[London]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs (TV story)|Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'')]]
In the [[1970s]], as a part of [[Operation Golden Age]], [[Whitaker (Invasion of the Dinosaurs)|Whitaker]] used [[time eddy]]s to transport various dinosaurs from their home time to central [[London]] in his present day. These included tyrannosaurus, [[apatosaurus]], [[triceratops]] and [[pterodactyl]]. The appearances prompted the evacuation of eight million people and the instigation of [[martial law]].

The [[Third Doctor]] captured one dinosaur, a tyrannosaurus, but it was freed by [[Finch (Invasion of the Dinosaurs)|General Finch]], who was participating in the operation. After Whitaker and his co-conspirator, [[Charles Grover|Sir Charles Grover]], were sent back in time, the dinosaurs ceased appearing. ([[TV]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs (TV story)|Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'')

[[The Sanctified]] farmed dinosaurs as livestock. Numerous dinosaur livestock of the Sanctified (including Brachiosaurids, [[ankylosaurus]] and a [[baryonyx]]) came through the [[Cardiff Space-Time Rift]] to [[Cardiff]] in [[2008]]. The [[Torchwood Three]] team were ultimately able to capture the dinosaurs and send them back through a [[rift storm]] to where they came from.

When [[Vox]] absorbed the power of the Cardiff Rift, the Sanctified sent several dinosaurs to [[Wales|Barry]] to try and stop him. However, Vox easily obliterated the dinosaurs with the power of the Rift. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Rift War! (comic story)|Rift War!]]'')

In [[2008]], [[Majenta Pryce]] featured dinosaurs as one of the exhibits in the [[Hotel Historia]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Hotel Historia (comic story)|Hotel Historia]]'')

In [[2010]], dinosaurs were among the prehistoric creatures brought through time into [[Sydney]] by [[chronal wave]]s released by the [[SKARDIS]]. They later froze to death when another chronal wave brought [[ice]] from the [[Ice Age]] into Sydney. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Age of Ice (comic story)|The Age of Ice]]'')

[[File:Tricey close up.jpg|thumb|left|A [[triceratops]] on a [[Silurian Ark]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (TV story)|Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]'')]]
In the [[21st century]], Professor [[Saurian (Extinction Event)|Saurian]] used a "[[roll-back machine]]" to bring dinosaurs from the [[Jurassic]] to [[New York City]]. The [[Eleventh Doctor]] was able to send him and the dinosaurs back in time. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Dinosaurs in New York! (comic story)|Dinosaurs in New York!]]'')

The [[Silurian Ark]] was found by the Pirate [[Solomon (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)|Solomon]], who woke up the dinosaurs to sell them and ejected the Silurians from the ship. He was unable to pilot the ship and accidentally caused it to return to [[Earth]] in [[2367]], causing missiles to be fired at it. The [[Eleventh Doctor]] diverted its course and sent the dinosaurs aboard to the planet [[Siluria]], while Solomon was killed when his ship was hit by the missiles. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (TV story)|Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]'')

Dinosaurs were found in the rooms of the [[Hotel Historia]], a [[time travel]]ling hotel chain. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Hotel Historia (comic story)|Hotel Historia]]'')

In the [[41st century]], [[Wumba's World of Wild]] featured genetically bred dinosaurs co-existing with [[human]]s for the entertainment of tourists. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Save the Humans! (comic story)|Save the Humans!]]'') When [[the Nun]] sabotaged [[George Sheldrake]]'s time portals, dinosaurs were brought to the 41st century upon their activation. The [[Tenth Doctor]] managed to repair the damage and return the creatures to their own time. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Wrong Woman (audio story)|The Wrong Woman]]'')

[[EarthWorld]] had dinosaurs, but due to historical inaccuracies they were placed with humans. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[EarthWorld (novel)|EarthWorld]]'')

== Alternate timelines ==
In one [[alternate timeline]], bodies of dinosaurs were found frozen in ice. They were exhibited in the [[National Museum]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'')

In [[Silurian Earth|another timeline]], the [[Silurian]]s were victorious over the humans and conquered the [[Earth]]. They brought back species of extinct dinosaurs. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Blood Heat (novel)|Blood Heat]]'')

When trapped in the [[Jurassic]] period, Professor [[Saurian (Extinction Event)|Saurian]] set up a shield to protect Earth from impacts. Instead of [[human]]s evolving, intelligent dinosaurs did. However, the Doctor used his watch to hypnotise Saurian into releasing his telepathic hold on the dinosaurs, who promptly rampaged, destroying the machine. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Dino World (comic story)|Dino World]]'')

[[File:DWA CS 223 DINOSAURS IN NEW YORK.jpg|thumb|Several species of dinosaurs, brought to [[21st century]] [[New York City]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Dinosaurs in New York! (comic story)|Dinosaurs in New York!]]'')]]

At some point in the 21st century, Amy Pond was transformed into a dinosaur as a result of the Eleventh Doctor causing a galactic space-war at the dawn of human civilisation, which changed the course of human history every time something exploded. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Short-Change (comic story)|Short-Change]]'')

In [[Alternate timeline (Supremacy of the Cybermen)|an alternate timeline]] where the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] joined forces with {{Sumpter}}, the [[Cyber-Silurian]]s used partially upgraded dinosaurs as war beasts. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Supremacy of the Cybermen (comic story)|Supremacy of the Cybermen]]'')

== Types of Dinosaurs ==
{{section stub}}
Though there were many species of dinosaurs, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Dodo]]'') [[the Doctor]] only encountered a few species in their travels.

== Similar creatures ==
On many other planets, creatures similar to the dinosaurs of [[Earth]] evolved.

The [[First Doctor]], [[John Who|John]] and [[Gillian Who|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]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Therovian Quest (comic story)|The Therovian Quest]]'')

[[File:Mondasian Dino.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Mondas]]ian dinosaur. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Cybermen (comic story)|The Cybermen]]'')]]
The [[planet]] [[Mondas]], Earth's [[twin planet]], also had dinosaur species at one stage of its development. Early in their history, the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] partially [[Cyber-conversion|cyber-converted]] dinosaurs and on some occasions, used them as mounts. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Cybermen (comic story)|The Cybermen]]'')

The [[planet]] [[Gallifrey]] had dinosaur-like species called [[Gargantosaur]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Stolen TARDIS (comic story)|The Stolen TARDIS]]'')

On [[planet (Slight Glimpses of Tomorrow)|one planet]], "cavemen" co-existed with dinosaurs, and the men [[hunt]]ed them. Far later on in this planet's history, [[evolution]] brought back dinosaur-like creatures, which became the dominant, though [[River Song]] noted these were more accurately large [[lizard]]s. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Slight Glimpses of Tomorrow (audio story)|Slight Glimpses of Tomorrow]]'')

The [[planet]] [[Quorus]] was home to tyrannosaur-like creatures. {{Delgado|c}} took some [[egg]]s from Quorus and brought them to Earth, where he hatched a creature and used it in his plan to take over Earth. The [[Third Doctor]] disrupted the Master's control over the creature, which died when it touched a live electrode. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who Fights Masterplan "Q" (short story)|Doctor Who Fights Masterplan "Q"]]'')

[[File:Skaro Dinosars.jpg|thumb|Dinosaurs of [[Skaro]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Planet of the Daleks (comic story)|The The Planet of the Daleks]]'')]]
The [[Dalek]] home [[planet]] [[Skaro]] was also home to creatures that resembled dinosaurs, specifically the [[Triceratops]] but with only one horn. They were normally peaceful [[herbivore]]s but would attack [[Dalek]]s on sight. The [[Third Doctor]] and [[Finney]] used a herd of these to destroy a group of Daleks that had taken them to Skaro. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Planet of the Daleks (comic story)|Planet of the Daleks]]'')

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 [[First 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 skins protected them from harm. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Prisoners of Gritog (comic story)|Prisoners of Gritog]]'')

The homeworld of the [[Spidron]]s was another planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures. One of these which resembled a [[pterodactyl]], attacked the [[Third Doctor]] shortly after he arrived. Another, a tyrannosaur-like creature, stepped on some Spidrons that were pursuing the Doctor and [[Arnold (Children of the Evil Eye)|Arnold]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Nova (TVC comic story)|Nova]]'')

A previously warlike race known as [[the Sanctified]] became dinosaur farmers on their home planet. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Rift War! (comic story)|Rift War!]]'')

Professor [[Saurian (Extinction Event)|Saurian]]'s world had creatures like dinosaurs. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Extinction Event (comic story)|Extinction Event]]'', ''[[Dinosaurs in New York! (comic story)|Dinosaurs in New York!]]'', ''[[Dino World (comic story)|Dino World]]'')

The Eleventh Doctor told [[River Song]] he was late for their date because he encountered a giant space dinosaur in the [[Dundra system]] and claimed it was typical of that area. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Pond Life (comic story)|Pond Life]]'')

Due to a fracture in time caused by the [[Time War]], dinosaurs on [[Traxis]] coexisted with [[mammoth]]s, [[neanderthal]]s and [[robot]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Weapons of Past Destruction (comic story)|Weapons of Past Destruction]]'')

== Minor references ==
The [[Second Doctor]] at one point hoped to see "prehistoric monsters". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Underwater Menace (TV story)|The Underwater Menace]]'') He later compared the [[Saurian (Lords of the Galaxy)|Saurians]] to "ancient Earth dinosaurs." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Lords of the Galaxy (short story)|Lords of the Galaxy]]'')

The Doctor later referenced Operation Golden Age on a number of occasions. He did so in his newly [[regenerated]] [[Fourth Doctor|fourth incarnation]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'') and later in his [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]], to [[Ace]], to the latter's awe. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Happiness Patrol (TV story)|The Happiness Patrol]]'') [[Sarah Jane Smith]] also boasted of this incident to [[Rose Tyler]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'') The Doctor later in his [[Eleventh Doctor|eleventh incarnation]] mentioned dinosaurs to [[Amy Pond]] as an example of what you could find on the [[London Underground]]. ([[GAME]]: ''[[City of the Daleks (video game)|City of the Daleks]]'')

The [[Eighth Doctor]] and [[Charley Pollard]] once spent a day placing wagers on dinosaur fights. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Memory Lane (audio story)|Memory Lane]]'')

On [[Deimos]] in the [[23rd century]], the Eighth Doctor told his former companion [[Lucie Miller]] that he loved dinosaurs. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Resurrection of Mars (audio story)|The Resurrection of Mars]]'')

[[Donna Noble]] believed that [[Torchwood Institute|Torchwood]]'s [[laser]] drilling to the centre of the [[Earth]] might have had something to do with dinosaurs, mentioning "[t]hat film under the Earth with dinosaurs." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'')

The Tenth Doctor described the [[Steggosian]]s as [[Fascism|fascist]] dinosaur people. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Eyeless (novel)|The Eyeless]]'')

When he entered [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] in [[2009]], Clyde asked if they could go back in time and see the dinosaurs, but [[Sarah Jane Smith]] refused. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)|The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith]]'')

When [[Jorjie Turner]] suggested using the [[Space-Time Manipulator]] to travel through time, [[Darius Pike]] argued that it was dangerous and a dinosaur could come out and tear them apart before they could get to the front door. ([[TV]]: ''[[Liberation (TV story)|Liberation]]'')

When time travelling, [[Oliver Harper]] expected to see [[Shoreditch]] in the "time of the dinosaurs." ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Cold Equations (audio story)|The Cold Equations]]'')

[[George Litefoot]] compared the [[Venus]]ian [[Shanghorn]] to the dinosaurs of the [[Crystal Palace]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Voyage to Venus (audio story)|Voyage to Venus]]'')

The [[Twelfth Doctor]] was able to speak [[Dinosaur (language)|their language]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'')

After the Twelfth Doctor's [[mind]] was connected to a [[mind scythe]], the "holiday snaps" the Doctor showed [[Kygon Brox]] included a [[Tyrannosaurus rex]] near [[Big Ben]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Instruments of War (comic story)|The Instruments of War]]'')

When asked "what happened", the Twelfth Doctor referred to the [[Big Bang]], dinosaurs and [[biped]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Died (TV story)|The Girl Who Died]]'')

[[Alice Obiefune]] and the Eleventh Doctor visited a dinosaur civilisation together. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Whodunnit? (comic story)|Whodunnit?]]'')

Sarah Jane owned a book entitled ''[[The Big Book of Dinosaurs]]''. ([[TV]]: ''[[Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? (TV story)|Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?]]'')

Dinosaurs were filed in the [[Fourth Doctor]]'s memory files. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Iron Legion (comic story)|Doctor Who and the Iron Legion]]'')

In the [[Unbound Universe]], [[Ross Brimmicombe-Wood (Unbound Universe)|Ross Brimmicombe-Wood]] informed [[Unbound Doctor|the Doctor]] that [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Unbound Universe)|the Brigadier]] had concocted a "mad story about dinosaurs" to explain why there was now a [[lake]] in the middle of [[London]]. Enraged, the Brigadier explained, again, to Wood that [[Mike Yates]] had time travelled back to the era of the [[Silurian]]s and detonated [[nuclear warhead]]s to render them extinct before they could awaken in the human era and unleash their dinosaurs. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Sympathy for the Devil (audio story)|Sympathy for the Devil]]'')

== Behind the scenes ==
* ''[[Radio Times]]'' photographed [[Carole Ann Ford]] in front of the dinosaur statues in the [[Crystal Palace]] for the [[Doctor Who Special (1973)|10th Anniversary special]]. The cover of ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' [[DWM 162|Issue 162]] was [[Sophie Aldred]] with the Iguanodons. [[DWM 221|Issue 221]]'s cover image came from the ''Radio Times'' photo shoot.
* Dinosaurs of [[Pete's World]] were planned to appear in the scrapped ''[[Rose Tyler: Earth Defence]]'' spin-off.
* Several types of dinosaur as seen in ''Dinosaurs on a Spaceship'' appear as enemies in the [[video game]] ''[[Legacy (video game)|Doctor Who: Legacy]]'', including [[pterodactyl]]s, [[velociraptor]], [[triceratops]], [[ankylosaurus]] and a "Giant Ankylosaurus".

== External links ==
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[[Category:Species from the real world]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs| ]]
[[Category:Mutter's Spiral species]]