Run for your lives!
Dinosaurs may have been a fluffy lot
THE popular image of Tyrannosaurus rex and other killer dinosaurs may have to be changed as a scientific consensus emerges that many were covered with feathers.
Most predatory dinosaurs such as tyrannosaurs and velociraptors have usually been depicted in museums, films and books as covered in a thick hide of dull brown or green skin. The impression was of a killer stripped of adornment in the name of hunting efficiency.
This week, however, a leading expert on dinosaur evolution will tell the British Association, the principal conference of British scientists, that this image is wrong.
found by Twelvetwo
What I find hilarious is that Spielberg was criticized for not using feathered Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. There was a very good reason why he didn’t do that, it would have looked ridiculous and would have killed any sense of terror. It’d be real hard to be afraid of a toucan colored dinosaur running towards you, no matter how big it was.
The image of featherless dinosaurs are so ingrained into the public’s mind that it’ll be decades before feathered ones are featured in movies… if ever.
I love it! The thought of fleet footed beautify plumed creatures crashing through prehistoric savannas are a lot more interesting than the drab theories of old.
Ima is right, it’ll be a long time before the public accepts feathered dinos, right or wrong. If you do a Google image search for “feathered dinosaurs”, you’ll find that even with feathers than can look down right nasty. Of course those are artist renderings, but you get the idea.
The theory goes to say that present day birds are actually the direct descendants of dinosaurs. As far as I understood it, it’s currently believed that SOME dinosaurs may have been feathered, while others maybe not. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to know which, of course.
I agree with Miguel. Some dinosaurs may have been feathered but flightless, much like penguins and ostriches today. I imagine that they would be vegetarian though.
Raptors would more likely be smooth skinned for efficiency. As with vultures, getting blood on the feathers and being unable to clean it off is unhealthy. Not having any upper appendages, the raptors would have to tear the meat with their teeth, thus splashing quite a lot of blood around. The old blood would be an excellent place for bacteria and other parasites to live.
Today’s avian meat eaters either eat their dinner whole or cut pieces off with their sharp beaks.
Just my guess though, I am not all that knowledgeable about dinosaurs.