How Did Dinosaurs Sleep?

Bone by bone and study by study, palaeontologists are learning more than ever before about dinosaurs. But there are still many aspects of prehistoric biology that we know little about. In fact, some of the simplest facets of dinosaur lives remain elusive, like how they slept.

A handful of fossils have shown us that at least some dinosaurs curled up just like birds.

Many articulated dinosaur skeletons are found in the classic dinosaur death pose, with their tails tilted up and their necks thrown over their backs.

Mei Long was a tiny, early Cretaceous, a feathery troodontid dinosaur with big eyes and a little switchblade claw on each foot.

The foot-long dinosaur rested its head over its folded arms, and its tail wrapped around the dinosaur’s torso. Mei died sleeping in a roosting position similar to that of modern birds. The dinosaur’s name, which means “sleeping dragon,” is a tribute to the behavior.