Animals of the Past

Written when 'dinosaur' was still a new word in most homes: the American Museum's own guide to sea-serpents of Kansas, birds with teeth, and why great creatures vanish — with Charles R. Knight's famous restorations.

The Dinosaurs

3 pages in this part of Animals of the Past.

The Dinosaurs

"Shapes of all sorts and sizes, great and small."

The Dinosaurs: Brontosaurus

The smallest of the Dinosaurs whose acquaintance we have made were little larger than chickens; the largest claim the distinction of being…

The Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus

Chief among these is Tyrannosaurus, mightiest of all animals that have walked the face of the earth, reaching to a length of 47 feet…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Animals of the Past (1901) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored plates, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.