Lies that you were told about dinosaurs

It has been widely circulated that all dinosaurs perished 65 million years ago due to the impact of a colossal asteroid, resulting in a catastrophic extinction event. However, this notion is entirely erroneous. Contrary to popular belief, a particular species of dinosaur called theropods managed to survive. These theropods possessed feathers and hollow bones, enabling them to take flight and escape the devastation caused by the asteroid. Remarkably, many scientists now hypothesize that these theropod dinosaurs eventually evolved into birds. Therefore, technically speaking, dinosaurs are still present today, albeit in the form of avian creatures. Nevertheless, the misinformation surrounding dinosaurs extends beyond this aspect. From the existence of non-existent species to misconceptions about the eyesight of Tyrannosaurus Rex, numerous myths have clouded our understanding of the Mesozoic Era. One of the most astonishing fallacies is the belief that all dinosaurs were monstrous and green. In reality, many dinosaurs likely had feathers, as they served various purposes such as insulation and aiding flight in certain avian-based dinosaurs. Furthermore, dinosaurs exhibited a diverse range of colors. Fossil evidence has revealed preserved pigments, indicating that dinosaurs were not solely brown, black, or green. They may have displayed a multitude of vibrant hues, and some even possessed specific camouflage patterns based on their surroundings. Additionally, dinosaurs did not uniformly possess scaly and slimy skin. Different species of dinosaurs would have exhibited distinct textures on their skin. As for your query about fluffiness, it remains uncertain if any dinosaurs had such a characteristic.

When considering dinosaurs, it is common to imagine them as massive creatures. The T-Rex, for example, could reach a length of 12 meters, while the long-necked Brachiosaurus could stand up to 13 meters tall. However, not all dinosaurs were giants. In contrast to popular belief, many dinosaurs were actually quite small, with some being the size of modern-day birds. One such small dinosaur was the microraptor, which was similar in size to a crow and even had wings and feathers, resembling a bird. Dinosaurs are often depicted as slow-moving, cold-blooded reptiles, but recent scientific discoveries have challenged this notion. It is now believed that dinosaurs may have had a metabolic system known as mesothermic, which falls between cold and warm-blooded. This would allow them to generate some internal heat, although not as much as warm-blooded animals. Dinosaurs with feathers may have been warm-blooded, as feathers are typically associated with warm-blooded animals. While many species of dinosaurs may have been cold-blooded, there were also warm-blooded and mesothermic dinosaurs. The Brontosaurus, with its iconic long neck and tail, is one of the most well-known dinosaurs. However, it is interesting to note that these creatures almost did not exist.

In the 19th century, the Brontosaurus was mistakenly classified as the Apatosaurus due to their similar traits. It wasn't until 2015, after extensive research, that the Brontosaurus was reclassified as its own dinosaur. This situation is reminiscent of Pluto's status as a planet, with the dinosaur community struggling to reach a consensus on the validity of the name Brontosaurus. Movies like Jurassic Park often depict the Tyrannosaurus Rex as a fearsome predator, capable of detecting movement only. However, this portrayal is inaccurate. The T-Rex actually had binocular vision, allowing it to accurately judge distances and see objects in three dimensions, similar to humans. Research indicates that the T-Rex may have had superior eyesight compared to modern-day birds, thanks to its large optic nerves. It's important to note that dinosaurs did not all exist at the same time. The Mesozoic Era, also known as the age of dinosaurs, spanned over 180 million years and was divided into three distinct periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. Different species were unique to each era, evolving and going extinct over time. Iconic dinosaurs like the stegosaurus and T-Rex did not coexist, living millions of years apart. The popular depiction of the T-Rex as a towering, upright creature like Godzilla is inaccurate. Paleontologists have discovered that the T-Rex had a more horizontal posture, with its tail held off the ground and its body balanced over its hips.

The typical portrayal of the T-Rex's stance that we often see in Hollywood movies may be entertaining, but it would actually be unstable and impractical for the dinosaur to move freely. When fossils are discovered, paleontologists use the shrink wrap method to depict how the dinosaurs might have looked. This involves tightly drawing the skin and features against the skeleton. While this technique has resulted in some iconic dinosaur representations, it is highly inaccurate in terms of their actual appearance. The issue lies in the fact that it does not consider the presence of muscles, fat, or other soft tissues that the dinosaur would have had. Fortunately, this method is now considered outdated. Paleontologists now take into account the muscles and the likelihood that dinosaurs had layers of fat. They compare the dinosaurs to modern animals to determine where muscles would typically be attached to the bones. This approach has led to a more realistic depiction of dinosaurs. Paleontologists have already identified over 1,000 different dinosaur species, but there are still many more waiting to be discovered. The exact number varies, but some research suggests that we have only found about 30 percent of all dinosaur species, and some may never be found due to gaps in the fossil record. Depending on where a species lived, it may not have been fossilized due to its environment. However, many more species will likely be unearthed in the future. On average, paleontologists discover approximately 50 new dinosaur species each year. As for the sounds dinosaurs made, we have very limited knowledge. Fossilization rarely preserves soft tissues like vocal cords, making it challenging for paleontologists to determine their exact vocalizations. However, it is unlikely that dinosaurs produced the massive roars often depicted in movies. Scientists believe that dinosaurs may have sounded more similar to birds and crocodiles, as they are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. Researchers have created models based on fossilized skulls, suggesting that dinosaurs may have emitted low-frequency rumbles or bird-like calls. Regardless of the exact sounds they made, the scientific community agrees that dinosaurs did not produce the dramatic roars commonly associated with them.

Although it may seem fascinating, the likelihood of discovering intact Dino DNA is extremely low due to the degradation of DNA over time. Even if some were to be found, extracting uncontaminated DNA would be a challenging task. Preserving DNA in Amber, as depicted in the movie, is also improbable as DNA cannot survive for millions of years inside Amber. The Mesozoic period was a remarkable era in Earth's history, and our understanding of it continues to grow. However, the events following the extinction of dinosaurs at the end of this period is a tale for another time.