A Spinosaurus
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared on Earth during the Triassic period, 231.4 million years ago, and were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for 135 million years, from the beginning of the Jurassic (about 201 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (65 million years ago), when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of most dinosaur groups (and some three-quarters of plant and animal species on Earth) at the close of the Mesozoic era.
Although it is a common mistake in some past medias, the pterosaurs, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs are "not" part of the clade Dinosauria.
The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period and, consequently, they are considered a subgroup of dinosaurs. Some birds survived the extinction event that occurred 65 million years ago, and their descendants continue the dinosaur lineage to the present day.
The appearance of Dinosaurs in the various TMNT universes have been a common occurrence over the years. In addition to the anthropomorphic dinosaur samurai Chote, and dinosaur-like aliens of Triceratons and Styracodons, the Ninja Turtles have run into actual dinosaurs many times.
Contents
Mirage
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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
- Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol.1, #7 - Savanti Romero lures the Turtles into the Cretaceous era. Here, he has multiple dinosaurs at his beck and call, including Deinonychuses and a Tyrannosaurus rex, with also non-dinosaurs prehistoric creatures like some Pterosaur. The Turtles use a Triceratops to their advantage in combat against Romero.
- In the frontispiece for Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 #7, in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Original Vol. 1 Series, Treasury Edition, the four elderly Turtles, back in the prehistoric age, ride atop a triceratops.
- Spinal Tapped - Savanti has a tiny dinosaur servant that was magically transformed from an ordinary sea lizard.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Attack!!! - Henry presses some buttons and accidentally unleashes a number of dinosaurs on the present time.
- In Volume 4, talking raptors appear.
1987 series
- Turtles at the Earth's Core - The Turtles meet a friendly Diplodocus they named Dippy in an underground cave. Other dinosaurs that appear in this episode are Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Archaeopteryx, and Brachiosaurus.
- Leonardo is Missing - There is an anthropomorphic Pachycephalosaurus, a Tyrannosaurus rex and a biped Triceratops in this episode.
- Night of the Dark Turtle - The Triceratons cartoon debut.
- Enter: Krakus - After being pushed into the Prehistoric past, Titanus gets chased by an enraged Pachyrhinosaurus.
Magazine
Parasaurolophus appear in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magazine story "Dino A Go-Go".
TMNT Adventures
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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
Dinosaurs appear in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures issue #15.
2003 series
- Return of Savanti, Part 1/Return of Savanti, Part 2 - Being based on Tales of TMNT Vol. 1 #7, plays out much the same in terms of dinosaurs. The official site flip-flops between calling Romero's first minions Deinonychuses and Velociraptors, however. The Triceratops that the Turtles befriend is named Zog, by Michelangelo in this incarnation, as a tribute to their fallen Triceraton comrade. With Zog, they were able to beat Romero's T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus rex).
Fast Forward
- Timing is Everything - Sh'Okanabo and Viral create a Time Window, which goes haywire. The window ends up summoning entities from several different eras of time, including dinosaurs, vikings, and Shredder with his Foot Ninja. The dinosaurs seen include Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. A Triceraton postal worker sees a rampaging Triceratops and gives a double thumbs-up.
Back to the Sewer
- Tempus Fugit - This episode sees the Turtles being hurled through various different times, including an era populated by dinosaurs, the Middle Ages, and a distant future that is occupied by three different Shredders. The Turtles enlisted the assistance of a Triceratops, dubbed "Zog II" by Mikey, against a Spinosaurus.
- Incredible Shrinking Serling - Serling encountered a Velociraptor during his random time jumps.
- Web Wranglers - A T-Rex is briefly seen amongst the animals Cyber Shredder has made real from photos on the internet, and had made plans to transport into the real world as a mutated monster.
Mayhem From Mutant Island!!!
- Monstrous mutant dinosaurs are the central theme to the TMNT in... Mayhem From Mutant Island!!! mini-episodes. The first few chapters feature the Turtles batting hideous mutants known as Chomper Bug, Scorpion, Winged Dino, and Stego, according to the Playmates action figures (the bug creatures are also referred to as dinosaurs in the story, likely just as a method of convenience). The Turtles later encounter a T-Rex (with the same design as the one in "Web Wranglers").
2012 series
- There are many references to the Triceratons through out various episodes.
- As in the "Monsters Among Us!", Savanti Romero remains stranded in prehistoric times and is promptly chosen as a meal by a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past
Video Games
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time - Dinosaurs make appearences through the game, at the level Prehistoric Turtlesaurus.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters - Two T-Rexs can be seen in the background of Wingnut's stage in the SNES version.
IDW Comics
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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time issue 1 - The Ninja Turtles are sent back in time to the dinosaur era and there they meet a young Protoceratops they named Pepperoni. Other dinosaurs that appear are Therizinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Gallimimus, Saichania, Shantungosaurus, Velociraptors, and Saurolophus, along other prehistoric animals like the Quetzalcoatlus.
"I would have liked to have drawn some swimming dinosaurs, and it would have been fun to draw the Turtles dealing with something really big, like a Mamenchisaurus. It would be fun to draw something at that scale.", said artist Sophie Campbell when asked if there was any kind of dinosaur that she wanted to add but couldn't. She also stated her favorite pre-historic animals are the Glyptodon and Deinonychus.
Pepperoni along with various other dinosaurs appear in the mini-series TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything!
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Toys
1988-1997
- Dingy Dino (came with Cave Turtle Leo)
- Trippy Tyrannosaurus (came with Cave-Turtle Don)
- Silly Stegosaurus (came with Cave Turtle Mike)
- Bodacious Brontosaurus (came with Cave-Beast Bebop)
- Radical Raptor (came with Cave-Woman April)
- Ankyl Leo
- Tricera Mike
- Stego Raph
- Tyranno Shredder
The Tubular Pterodactyl (came with Cave Turtle Raph) and Pterano Don are excluded since although the Pteranodon and Pterodactyl are prehistoric reptiles they are not dinosaurs.
2003-Present
- T-Rex (came with the Leonardo vs T-Rex action figure set, and is a repaint of Playmates' Sauron Primal Rage figure)
- Paleo Patrol Raptor
- Paleo Patrol Triceratops
- Paleo Patrol Dino Runners Allosaurus with Paleo Patrol Mike
- Paleo Patrol Dino Runners Triceratops with Paleo Patrol Raph
- Mini-Mutants Stego (came with Paleo Patrol Don)
- Mini-Mutants Raptor (came with Paleo Patrol Leo; the Raptor is a standard sized re-paint of the basic Paleo Patrol Raptor).
The following figures are excluded since although those are based in prehistoric creatures those are not dinosaurs.
- Paleo Patrol Pterodon
- Mini-Mutants Scorpion (came with Paleo Patrol Leo)
- Mini-Mutants Chomper Bug (came with Paleo Patrol Mike)
- Mini-Mutants Winged Dino (came with Paleo Patrol Raph)
List of dinosaurs
This is a list of dinosaurs that somehow appeared within the franchise.
Species
- Alioramus
- Allosaurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Apatosaurus
- Archaeopteryx
- Brachiosaurus
- Deinonychus
- Diplodocus
- Gallimimus
- Iguanodon
- Oviraptor
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Pachyrhinosaurus
- Parasaurolophus
- Protoceratops
- Saichania
- Saurolophus
- Shantungosaurus
- Spinosaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Styracosaurus
- Tarbosaurus
- Therizinosaurus
- Triceratops
- Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Velociraptor
The Anhanguera, Pteranodon, Pterodactyl and Quetzalcoatlus seen in some TMNT media are excluded since although those are prehistoric reptiles they are not dinosaurs.
Allies
- Dippy, the Diplodocus
- Pepperoni, the Protoceratops
- Anchovy, the Velociraptor
- Speega, the Tyrannosaurus rex
- Speega's comrades, a Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops
- Zog, the Triceratops
- Zog II, the Triceratops
