Cavemen and dinosaurs are usually associated with each other, and it may get you to question if humans ever lived with dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are ancient reptiles that lived on the earth for an extended period. Both life forms have inhabited the earth and can trace back ancestors for millions of years. Dinosaurs lived on the earth for around 165 million years before becoming extinct. Birds are dinosaur ancestors that exist with us and are the closest relative to the extinct dinosaurs.

The earth is 4.543 billion years old, and it is estimated that life started around 3.5 billion years ago. There are around 700 different dinosaur species we have discovered that once lived on earth, and that number will continue to grow for decades to come.

In this article, you will discover the periods that which dinosaurs and humans existed. Humans and dinosaurs lived in separate eras of time, but they are both significant parts of the earth’s extensive history.

Did Humans Live With Dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs like the T-rex, or Veolocirpator have never existed with humans, and we are separated by about 65 million years. Dinosaurs went extinct before early humans or even neanderthals. Humans are a young species when compared with dinosaurs. The first human ancestors appeared around 5 to 7 million years ago. However, humans as a species – known as Homo Sapiens – first appeared about 300,000 years ago.

Birds are the closest relative to the extinct dinosaurs alive today. Birds started to evolve during the end of the Jurrasic period (145 million years ago), and into the Cretaceous period. Modern birds have existed for around 66 million years. Modern birds are classified as theropods, similar to other dinosaur species.

Humans and the extinct dinosaurs never lived together, but birds are the link that binds the two. Birds, crocodiles, and other life forms have been around for millions of years, and have fossil evidence to show for it.

When Did Dinosaurs Live?

Dinosaurs lived long ago in a period of time called the Mesozoic Era, also known as the age of the dinosaurs.

Around 240 million years ago the first dinosaurs started appearing, lasting until about 66 million years ago. Other animals also existed with dinosaurs like fish and small mammals.

The Mesozoic Era

The Mesozoic era is one of three geologic eras of Phanerozoic time. This also includes the Paleozoic, and Cenozoic time periods. The three major eras are divided by the life forms that existed in their time. The Mesozoic era lasted around 186 million years and included the following periods:

• Triassic Period: The Triassic period occurred between 252 to 201 million years ago. During this period the current continents were grouped together in a mass called Pangea, which existed into the mid-Triassic Period. Dinosaurs, other reptiles, arthropods, and ferns are what were dominant at this time.

• Jurassic Period: After the Triassic Period ended the Jurrasic era occurred next. It lasted for 56 million years and ended about 145 million years ago. During this period Pangea slowly drifted apart, from itself. Dinosaurs, mammals, and fish are some of the animals that thrived. 
• Cretaceous Period: The Cretaceous period lasted 145.5 to 66 million years ago, and was the end of the age of the dinosaurs. At the end of this period was the extinction of the dinosaurs, except for birds. Flowers, ants, butterflies, and various other life appeared, as the dinosaurs lost their dominance.

What Animals Existed With The Dinosaurs?

Humans and dinosaurs never existed together, but there was plenty of other life that existed with the dinosaurs. Some animals we see today were alive alongside the dinosaurs. Fish, small mammals, insects, and other reptiles also inhabited the earth during the Mesozoic period.

The Great Dying

The age of the dinosaurs occurred right after the Great Dying. It is the earth’s most severe extinction event. The Permian age ended around 251 million years ago. It is estimated by scientists that around 90 percent of life died during the great dying.

Killing off most life on Earth, the Great Dying was the mass extinction event that made it possible for the dinosaurs to become the dominant animal on the planet. With most of their natural predators gone, dinosaurs became the most prominent animals in the Mesozoic Era.

It is estimated that there have been around 5 mass extinction events that occurred during the earth’s lifetime. Each time these events wiped out nearly 85% of species that lived on earth. Dinosaurs benefited from the great dying, but the next mass extinction event to occur would also lead to their demise.

How Did Dinosaurs Become Extinct?

Dinosaurs became extinct around 65 million years ago when an asteroid wiped out most life on the planet. 75 percent of the species alive were killed at the end of the Cretaceous period. Birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are some of the animals that were able to survive. The asteroid that hit the earth was around 7.5 miles in diameter (12 kilometers), and struck the earth in the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico.

The crater where the asteroid hit is over 110 miles (177 kilometers) in diameter and changed the earth instantly when it impacted it. Dinosaurs got destroyed by the impact. Other effects like tsunamis and a long winter also affected the life that was not instantly killed. This mass extinction event made it possible for other animals to thrive since their natural predators were gone.

The Cenozoic age is what occured after the Mesozoic era, and it is known for the growth and evolution of a variety of mammalian life. Mammals were able to thrive and evolve since many dinosaurs no longer existed.

When Did Humans Begin To Exist?

Humans are a young species, and our ancestors first started appearing around 5 to 7 million years ago. Humans never lived with dinosaurs like the T-rex, but only birds. Modern humans are much younger and have only evolved recently, around 300,000 years ago. With fossil and DNA evidence we can tell that humans only became modern recently. The first primitive primates that we evolved from appeared around 55 million years ago. Slowly over the last 5 to 7 million years, we have slowly been evolving into the modern humans we are today. The oldest human ancestor ever discovered was Orrorin tugenensis, who lived around 5.8 million years ago, and walked on two legs.

Fossils are extremely rare, so documenting human evolution is difficult because of the lack of resources. Specimens like Homo erectus have been found around the world, and showcase the evolution humans have gone through. The mastering of travel, farming, and technology over the years is what made us into the species we are today.

Animals Alive Today That Are Modern Dinosaurs.

Humans and dinosaurs are separated by millions of years in time, but there are some animals that are reminiscent of prehistoric times that once were. Birds are the dinosaur species that humans live with. The variety of bird species that we see today is direct descent from the animals that survived long ago.

Crocodiles are another group of animals that stem back millions of years ago. Large crocodiles lived during the age of the dinosaurs, and they were able to survive the asteroid that hit.

Life on earth is always changing and adapting. Today the world looked extremely different than long ago, but the past is not lost. Through evidence and observation, we are able to get a glimpse of the past, and how life used to be.

Humans and extinct dinosaurs never existed together, but birds are a great example of how we can use the present to learn about the past. Birds are the dinosaur that survived the great extinction, and also years of evolution. Other animals like crocodiles also exist that can give us a glimpse of animals of the past. While humans may have never existed with dinosaurs, we can still get an idea of what these monstrous lizards looked like, with fossils and other resources.