Bipedal means walking on two legs. Animals that move around on two legs, like humans, are called bipedal animals.
bi·ped·al
/bye-PED-uhl/
adjective
Many dinosaurs were bipedal, which means they walked and ran on their two back legs. This way of moving allowed them to run quickly and freed up their front limbs for other uses, like grabbing food or fighting.
Not all dinosaurs were bipedal. Some, like the long-necked Brachiosaurus, walked on all four legs. Scientists can tell if a dinosaur was bipedal by looking at its fossil bones, especially the shape of its hips, legs, and feet.
Think of a T. rex standing tall on its powerful back legs. That’s a perfect example of a bipedal dinosaur. Its tiny arms show that it didn’t use them for walking, only its strong back legs.
Did you know that some dinosaurs could switch between walking on two legs and four legs? Dinosaurs like Iguanodon might have walked on all fours when moving slowly but could run on two legs when they needed to move fast!
What are some examples of bipedal dinosaurs? Many famous dinosaurs were bipedal. These include Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Allosaurus, and Compsognathus. Most theropod dinosaurs (meat-eaters) were bipedal, as were some plant-eaters like Iguanodon and Parasaurolophus.
Were all meat-eating dinosaurs bipedal? Most meat-eating dinosaurs (theropods) were indeed bipedal. Walking on two legs helped them move quickly to chase prey. However, not all bipedal dinosaurs were meat-eaters. Some plant-eating dinosaurs, like Thescelosaurus, also walked on two legs.
How did being bipedal help dinosaurs? Being bipedal had several advantages for dinosaurs. It allowed them to run faster, which was useful for both hunting and escaping danger. It also freed up their front limbs for other uses, like grabbing food, fighting, or in the case of some dinosaurs that evolved into birds, flying.
