How did dinosaurs become extinct and can whales fart? Try our kids’ quiz

Illustration: Hennie Haworth/The Guardian

1. Elsie, 8, asks: how did dinosaurs (like the one pictured above) become extinct?

   1. The world got too cold for them to survive

   2. Because an asteroid hit the Earth

   3. They were eaten by top predators

   4. The ocean covered the world so there was no land for dinosaurs to live on

2. Solly, 8, asks: how many dinosaurs feature on English 50p coins?

   1. 0

   2. 6

   3. 2

   4. 50

3. Maya, 8, asks: can whales fart?

   1. Oh no they can’t

   2. Of course they can

   3. Blue whales can but smaller ones rarely do

   4. The only whale that can’t fart is a blue whale because they would be too big

4. Faye, 6, asks: how does skin tan?

   1. Sunshine creates more of a pigment called melanin in your skin that makes it turn darker

   2. The sun bleaches skin

   3. The tan comes from vitamins in the sun

   4. Skin tans whenever it gets hot

5. Luca, 8, asks: how did the zones of the ocean get their names?

   1. They are named after types of sea creatures

   2. They are named after ocean explorers

   3. The zones were given their names by famous fishermen

   4. The names come from how much light shines there

Solutions

1:B - We think dinosaurs became extinct because an asteroid hit the Earth. It looks as if volcanic eruptions caused climate change as well. The dinosaurs that survived were the birds., 2:B - Commemorative 50p coins feature megalosaurus, iguanodon, hylaeosaurus, temnodontosaurus, plesiosaurus and dimorphodon. But you can’t use them for payment., 3:B - Yes, when a whale farts you can see bubbles coming out of its bottom! Lots of animals fart, and dinosaurs could probably fart. If you have a pet dog, you’ll know that dogs can! We think all mammals fart except sloths., 4:A - Human skin contains a pigment called melanin, which gives the skin its colour. People with lots of melanin have naturally darker skin. When the sun shines on skin, it creates more melanin., 5:D - The sunlight zone is at the top of the ocean, where there’s lots of sunlight. Below that comes the twilight zone, where there is only a little light. In the midnight zone, it’s pitch black. Below this are two further layers, the abyssal and the trenches.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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