Although they lived more than 60 million years ago, scientists know what dinosaurs ate, what they looked like, and even how they died.
Meanwhile, how exactly these extinct creatures had sex has proven to be a mystery, but now an expert is shedding light on this very prehistoric sexual relationship.
American paleontologist Riley Black says dinosaurs probably had penises and mated in a similar way to modern mammals, with the male mounting the female.
However, dinosaur species that had large, pointed tails, such as Stegosaurus, may have had to get “creative” to avoid causing injuries.
“For more than a century, paleontologists have wondered how dinosaurs mated,” says Ms. Black in an article for Smithsonian Magazine.
“Comparisons with modern-day birds and crocodiles suggest that individual dinosaurs often had a phallus or clitoris, although hard evidence for such structures has yet to be discovered.”
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth for about 165 million years, but disappeared 66 million years ago when our planet was hit by a massive asteroid.
All dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ammonites, and most non-bird marine reptiles perished, while birds, crocodiles, and turtles survived, as well as some mammals, from which humans evolved.
American paleontologist Riley Black says dinosaurs probably had penises and mated in a similar way to modern mammals: the male mounted the female.

It is possible that the large dinosaurs simply fell to the ground and needed water to sustain themselves. Artist’s rendering of male (top) and female (bottom) Triceratops dinosaurs mating in a lake.
The specific details of dinosaur sex remain a mystery, largely because reproductive organs do not fossilize.
What’s more, fossils of dinosaurs caught in the act have never been found, but researchers can make educated guesses.
The process began with a kind of courtship ritual, which probably involved scratching the ground and performing coordinated movements, something like a “dance.”
In 2016, paleontologists revealed evidence of dinosaur “mating grounds” in what is now western Colorado.
At the site, large carnivorous dinosaurs gathered to scratch the ground with their feet, a courtship display to attract mates.
This form of “prehistoric foreplay”, evidenced by scratch marks on dusty ground, was similar to that of some modern birds.
It is believed that some dinosaur species developed elaborate horns in different colors and shapes to attract the attention of potential suitors.
Once dinosaurs paired, the male would likely have mounted the female from behind, similar to how dogs and other mammals do today.


The specific details of dinosaur sex remain a mystery, largely because reproductive organs do not fossilize. What’s more, fossils of dinosaurs caught in the act have never been found.

University of Colorado Denver researcher Martin Lockley (right) and Ken Cart pose next to a large dinosaur scraping they discovered in western Colorado.
“All dinosaurs used the same basic position for mating,” said Dr. Beverly Halstead, a legendary English paleontologist who was one of the first to address the topic.
“He rode from behind, put his forelimbs on her shoulders, raised one hind limb over her back, and swung his tail under hers.”
Luis Villazón, a BBC zoologist and science educator, said the dinosaurs would have mated “a bit like giraffes”.
Due to the great weight, the male (which in some cases weighed up to 80 tons), the dinosaurs would have mounted and dismounted from the female as quickly as possible.
“The actual moment of copulation was probably very brief, to minimize mechanical stresses on both partners,” Villazón said. Scientific approach.
“The male may have placed one leg over the female’s tail and used a relatively long extendable penis to reach the female’s genitals.”
Really large dinosaurs could have fallen on land and therefore would have needed water to sustain themselves.
In general, stegosauruses, which had plates and spikes on their backs and tails, would have had to use the most “creative” positions, according to Ms Black.

Some of the smaller dinosaur species would have had easier physical encounters. Dinosaurs roamed the Earth for about 165 million years, but disappeared 66 million years ago when our planet was hit by a massive asteroid.

Comparisons with modern-day birds and crocodiles suggest that individual dinosaurs often had a phallus or clitoris.
The spikes on the tail may have been a dangerous obstacle for whichever stegosaurus was on top, unless both were “lying on the ground and face down.”
“The spikiest stegosaurs would have had to be the most creative of all,” Ms Black said. IFL Science.
The academic hopes that paleontologists will make new discoveries about the sexual lives of dinosaurs in the coming years, such as evidence of two dinosaurs that died during mating.
“Courting and copulating dinosaurs could have left their distinctive footprints on an ancient surface, showing how they moved and positioned each other,” Ms Black added.
“Given that many mysteries remain about the sex of dinosaurs, it is likely that the fossil record still contains a lot of surprises about how dinosaurs shook the Earth.”