Dinosaur
Dinosaurs were a group of animals on Earth from approximately 230 million to 65 million BC. They were wiped out at the end of the Cretaceous period when a space freighter filled with anti-matter, which had travelled back in time from the 26th century, crashed into Earth. (DW: Earthshock)
Encounters
The Tenth Doctor's TARDIS accidentally crashed into another ship, causing both of them to crash on Earth during the Cretaceous period. The Doctor had to deal with dinosaurs while trying to get off the planet. (DWAN: Health & Safety)
Also during the Cretaceous, a group of aliens tried to build a colony on Earth using slave labor. Ace led the dinosaurs in destroying the colony's construction site, witnessed by the Seventh Doctor. (DWM: Living in the Past)
The Rani did several studies on dinosaurs. She obtained a Tyrannosaurus rex embryo for study, which was accidentally aged to adulthood by time spillage in her TARDIS. (DW: The Mark of the Rani) She also planned to use her Time Brain to stop the extinction of the dinosaurs and study what they would evolve into. (DW: Time and the Rani)
At some point in his life, Jack Harkness had to survive on the carcasses of dinosaurs. They were the only source of cooked meat after an asteroid hit. (TW: Fragments)
- Since the K-T extinction was actually caused by a crashed freighter, instead of an asteroid, he may have been referring to an early asteroid collision or he did not know about the freighter's involvment.
In the 1960s, a mad scientist in New York City used a chemical to bring life-sized dinosaur statues to life as part of his plan to liberate zoo animals. The Second Doctor created an antidote which reversed the process. (TVC: The Monsters from the Past)
In the 1970s, Operation Golden Age brought dinosaurs through time to London, forcing the city to evacuate. (DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
In 2010, dinosaurs were among the prehistoric creatures released into Sydney by Chronal Waves caused by the SKARDIS. A large number of various dinosaurs were brought to 2010 Sydney by a Chronal Wave, and rampaged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They later froze to death when another Chronal Wave brought the Ice Age into Sydney. (DWM: The Age of Ice)
The Silurian Ark carried Dinosaurs aboard to repopulate Earth with once the catastrophe incorrectly predicted by the Silurians passed. These included Ankylosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptors, Pterodactyls and Tyrannosaurus rex. When the Ark began to return to Earth in the 24th century, the Doctor diverted its course and sent the Dinosaurs aboard to the planet Siluria.
Dinosaurs were found in the rooms of the Hotel Historia, a time travelling hotel chain. (DWM: Hotel Historia)
In the 41st century, Wumba's World of Wild featured genetically bred dinosaurs co-existing with humans for the entertainment of tourists. (DWA: Save the Humans!)
EarthWorld had dinosaurs, but due to historical inaccuracies they were placed with humans. (EDA: EarthWorld)
Types of Dinosaurs
Though there were many species of dinosaurs (NSA: The Last Dodo), the Doctor only encountered a few species in his travels.
- For a full list, see dinosaurs.
Similar Creatures
On many other planets, creatures similar to the dinosaurs of Earth evolved.
Asteroid dinosaurs
The First Doctor, John and Gillian visited an unnamed asteroid which was home to a large, four-legged dinosaur-like creature. Upon encountering it, they took refuge in a nearby spacecraft, where they met Grig. (TVC: The Therovian Quest)
Mondas dinosaurs
The planet Mondas, Earth's twin planet, also had dinosaur species at one stage of its development. Early in their history, the Cybermen partially cyber-converted dinosaurs and on some occasions, used them as mounts. (DWM: The Cybermen)
Gallifreyan dinosaurs
The planet Gallifrey had dinosaur-like species called Gargantosaurs. (DWM: The Stolen TARDIS)
Skarosian dinosaurs
The planet Skaro was also home to creatures that resembled dinosaurs, specifically the Triceratops but with only one horn. Normally peaceful herbivores, they would attack Daleks on sight. The Third Doctor and Finney used a herd of these to destroy a group of Daleks that had taken them to Skaro. (TVA: The Planet of the Daleks)
Spekran dinosaurs
The planet Spekra was home to friendly, dinosaur-like creatures, similar in appearance to the Apatosaurus. Having very keen hearing, two of the creatures were summoned by the First Doctor's ultrasonic device to break down the prison walls and take the prisoners back to their spacecraft. Although Gritog's men shot at the creatures, their thick skins protected them from harm. (TVC: Prisoners of Gritog)
Spidron dinosaurs
The home world of the Spidrons was another planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures. One of these which resembled a pterodactyl, attacked the Third Doctor shortly after he arrived. Another, a tyrannosaur-like creature, stepped on some Spidrons that were pursuing the Doctor and Arnold. (TVC: Nova)
The Sanctified dinosaurs
A previously warlike race known as the Sanctified became dinosaur farmers on their home planet. (TM: Rift War! Part Ten: The Storm)
Minor references
- The Second Doctor hoped to see "prehistoric monsters" (which implied dinosaurs). (DW: The Underwater Menace)
- Operation Golden Age was brought up on a number of occasions. The newly regenerated fourth incarnation did so (DW: Robot), as did the Doctor later in his seventh incarnation, to Ace, to the latter's awe. (DW: The Happiness Patrol) Sarah Jane Smith also boasted of this incident to Rose Tyler. (DW: School Reunion) The Doctor later in his eleventh incarnation mentioned dinosaurs to Amy Pond as an example of what you could find on the London Underground. (VG: City of the Daleks)
- Donna Noble suggested that dinosaurs lived at the centre of the Earth. (DW: The Runaway Bride)
- In one alternate timeline, bodies of dinosaurs were found frozen in ice. They were exhibited in the National Museum. (DW: The Big Bang)
- The Doctor mentioned tracking down an alien dinosaur in London. (NSA: The Eyeless)
- When he entered the Doctor's TARDIS, Clyde asked if they could go back in time and see the dinosaurs, but Sarah Jane refused. (SJA: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith)
- When Jorjie Turner suggested using the Space-Time Manipulator to travel through time, Darius Pike argued that it was dangerous and a dinosaur could come out and tear them apart before they could get to the front door. (K9TV: Liberation)
- According to non-narrative information in DWBIT 7, the planet Raxas had unintelligent, dinosaur-like creatures.
