---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we measured success by longevity, then…"
description: "\"If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must rank as the number one success story in the history of land life.\" — Robert T. Bakker"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg"
---

#  If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must…

![“If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must rank as the number one success story in the history of land life.” quote by Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg)

> “If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must rank as the number one success story in the history of land life.”

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Dinosaurs, having existed for millions of years, exemplify ultimate longevity, making them the most successful terrestrial organisms in terms of duration.

**In simple terms:** Dinosaurs were the longest‑lasting land animals.

Key Takeaway

Value longevity as a measure of success.

Themes

evolution longevity success extinction history

Mood

thoughtful educational reflective

Type

scientific philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- studying fossil records
- assessing species resilience
- teaching about deep time

Key Concepts

Evolutionary biology macro‑evolution survival strategies

Questions to Reflect On

- What other measures define success in nature?
- How can we apply dinosaur longevity lessons today?

A Different Perspective

Longevity alone ignores ecological impact and adaptability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dinosaurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinosaurs/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Longevity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longevity/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-stories/) [Success story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-story/)

## Related quotes

> [I had that perfect deadpan ... for these commercials. Within the first eight months I had eight national TV commercials. I'm a true Hollywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/i-had-that-perfect-deadpan-for-these-commercials-within-the-first/)

[Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/)

> [Retirement savings is probably behavioral economists' greatest success story. It is a prototypical behavioral-economics problem because saving for retirement is cognitively hard - figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/retirement-savings-is-probably-behavioral-economists-greatest-success/)

[Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/)

> [Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change. A company that stands still will soon be forgotten. Trying to provoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/every-success-story-is-a-tale-of-constant-adaption-revision-and/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [A flight from London carrying the artist we all used to know as Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, was forced to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/a-flight-from-london-carrying-the-artist-we-all-used-to-know-as-cat/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [It takes so many people to make a success story like that. It starts with the song and the songwriters, then Mark Wright's producing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ann-womack/it-takes-so-many-people-to-make-a-success-story-like-that-it-starts/)

[Lee Ann Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ann-womack/)

> [Scottish Theatre's greatest success story of recent times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-chadwick/scottish-theatre-s-greatest-success-story-of-recent-times/)

[Alan Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-chadwick/)

> [Outsiders think of Silicon Valley as a success story, but in truth, it is a graveyard. Failure.. is Silicon Valley's greatest strength. Every failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-malone/outsiders-think-of-silicon-valley-as-a-success-story-but-in-truth-it/)

[Michael Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-malone/)

> [I think there's a longer shortlist for that particular position and others.Highly qualified men and women who have come to Bedminster, come to Trump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-think-there-s-a-longer-shortlist-for-that-particular-position-and/)

[Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/)

> [From the very beginning, Europe has been not only a success story but also a story of success achieved by learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/from-the-very-beginning-europe-has-been-not-only-a-success-story-but/)

[Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/)

> [A conventional ‘success’ story is one where, with each next, the protagonist has more money, more respect, and more possessions. I’d like to suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-bronson/a-conventional-success-story-is-one-where-with-each-next-the/)

[Po Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/po-bronson/)

> [Don't lose faith. Promise yourself that you will be a success story, and I promise you that all the forces of the universe will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/don-t-lose-faith-promise-yourself-that-you-will-be-a-success-story/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Dig into almost every overnight success story and you’ll find about a decade’s worth of hard work and perseverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/dig-into-almost-every-overnight-success-story-and-you-ll-find-about-a/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [ \[Performing artists\] are making greater percentages. People are going to live events more and it's a big success story for everyone - except the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/performing-artists-are-making-greater-percentages-people-are-going-to/)

[Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/)

> [This business can be very frustrating but there is success story after success story of people who take the bull by the horns. Actors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-shalhoub/this-business-can-be-very-frustrating-but-there-is-success-story/)

[Tony Shalhoub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-shalhoub/)

> [Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/every-success-story-is-a-tale-of-constant-adaption-revision-and-change/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

## More by Robert T. Bakker

> [Often extinctions in the ocean occur at the same time as those on land. Then again, the ice age extinctions lost many big animals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/often-extinctions-in-the-ocean-occur-at-the-same-time-as-those-on/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [Inveterate creationists, then or now, never allow their faith to fall victim to facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/inveterate-creationists-then-or-now-never-allow-their-faith-to-fall/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [Traditional dinosaur theory is full of short circuits. Like the antiquated wiring in an old house, the details sputter and burn out when specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/traditional-dinosaur-theory-is-full-of-short-circuits-like-the/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [At Harvard I was in charge of the comparative anatomy labs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/at-harvard-i-was-in-charge-of-the-comparative-anatomy-labs/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [The impact of the magazine was very strong. As I said, it portrayed dinosaurs as part of the geological history, part of the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/the-impact-of-the-magazine-was-very-strong-as-i-said-it-portrayed/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [To me it seems that the warm blooded dinosaurs replaced advanced mammal ancestors that were warm blooded, also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/to-me-it-seems-that-the-warm-blooded-dinosaurs-replaced-advanced/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [Feathers predate birds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/feathers-predate-birds/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [“I love museums more than any other institution the human race has invented. Museum people are always overworked and underpaid, and they all deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/i-love-museums-more-than-any-other-institution-the-human-race-has/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [The public image of dinosaurs is tainted by extinction. It's hard to accept dinosaurs as a success when they are all dead. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/the-public-image-of-dinosaurs-is-tainted-by-extinction-it-s-hard-to/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [Land bridges were everywhere during the extinction, many species were spreading, and there were many diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/land-bridges-were-everywhere-during-the-extinction-many-species-were/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [One researcher just determined that African and Indian elephants make each other sick. When a new animal or plant is introduced to a habitat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/one-researcher-just-determined-that-african-and-indian-elephants-make/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator and name it after the IRS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/i-want-to-find-a-voracious-small-minded-predator-and-name-it-after/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [Also, while I was at Yale, I had a job teaching kids at the museum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/also-while-i-was-at-yale-i-had-a-job-teaching-kids-at-the-museum/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [I also got a chance to go to the American Museum in New York, which helped my interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/i-also-got-a-chance-to-go-to-the-american-museum-in-new-york-which/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

> [It was not an asteroid or comet, because it would have killed everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/it-was-not-an-asteroid-or-comet-because-it-would-have-killed/)

[Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

[Explore all 32 Robert T. Bakker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/)

## More Dinosaurs quotes

> [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/)

[Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/)

> [The combination of such characters, some, as the sacral ones, altogether peculiar among Reptiles, others borrowed, as it were, from groups now distinct from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-owen/the-combination-of-such-characters-some-as-the-sacral-ones-altogether/)

[Richard Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-owen/)

> [There is no such thing as getting anything easy. Trust and believe. Even if you're good at what you do, you still should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jones/there-is-no-such-thing-as-getting-anything-easy-trust-and-believe/)

[Leslie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jones/)

> [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [“The dragon is a more enduring animal than the pterodactyl. I have never yet met anyone who really believed in a pterodactyl; but every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/the-dragon-is-a-more-enduring-animal-than-the-pterodactyl-i-have/)

[Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/)

> [Conservation and rural-life policies are really two sides of the same policy; and down at the bottom this policy rests upon the fundamental law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/conservation-and-rural-life-policies-are-really-two-sides-of-the-same/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [I was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-kahan/i-was-obsessed-with-dinosaurs-when-i-was-a-kid/)

[Noah Kahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-kahan/)

> [I myself have not met a self-confessed liberal since the late fifties (and even then it was a tacky thing to admit, like coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/i-myself-have-not-met-a-self-confessed-liberal-since-the-late-fifties/)

[Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/)

> [“Birds were what became of dinosaurs. Those mountains of flesh whose petrified bones were on display at the Museum of Natural History had done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/birds-were-what-became-of-dinosaurs-those-mountains-of-flesh-whose/)

[Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/)

> [The costume the actors wear and if they're in stylized makeup and wigs in a live-action movie let's say, in a big costume drama,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/the-costume-the-actors-wear-and-if-they-re-in-stylized-makeup-and/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [I do remember when I was little - I had to have been no more than 6 - I redid my room. I talked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-berk/i-do-remember-when-i-was-little-i-had-to-have-been-no-more-than-6-i/)

[Bobby Berk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-berk/)

> [The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail us little to solve all others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-conservation-of-natural-resources-is-the-fundamental-problem/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [When I was growing up in Montana I had two dreams: I wanted to be a paleontologist and I wanted to have a pet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-horner/when-i-was-growing-up-in-montana-i-had-two-dreams-i-wanted-to-be-a/)

[Jack Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-horner/)

> [Amphibians are dying out like crazy, and frogs and salamanders may be largely extinct by the end of the twenty-first century. Imagine an animal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/amphibians-are-dying-out-like-crazy-and-frogs-and-salamanders-may-be/)

[Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/)

> [“Bible-believing Christians cannot accept any evolutionary interpretation. Dinosaurs and humans were definitely on the earth at the same time and may have even lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-r-batdorf/bible-believing-christians-cannot-accept-any-evolutionary/)

Brad R. Batdorf

[Browse all 367 Dinosaurs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinosaurs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must rank as the number one success story in the history of land life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert T. Bakker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then-dinosaurs-must-rank-as-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dinosaurs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then-dinosaurs-must-rank-as-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/robert-t-bakker-19466_dinosaurs_if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then_1253187.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If we measured success by longevity, then dinosaurs must rank as the number one success story in the history…” — Robert T. Bakker",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert T. Bakker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If we measured success by longevity,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then-dinosaurs-must-rank-as-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/if-we-measured-success-by-longevity-then-dinosaurs-must-rank-as-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
