Latest news with #Dinosaur
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Rebus scoops three top gongs at RTS Awards as Scots A-listers honoured at glittering bash
Scroll down for the full list of RTS Scotland Awards 2025 Winners HUGE HONOUR Rebus scoops three top gongs at RTS Awards as Scots A-listers honoured at glittering bash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE new Rebus TV series clinched three top gongs at last night's Royal Television Society Scotland Awards as drama shows triumphed throughout the prestigious event. Presenters Shereen Cutkelvin and Still Game star Sanjeev Kholi handed out 27 awards to winners at Glasgow's iconic Old Fruitmarket as the nation's vibrant television industry was celebrated. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Rebus scooped three top gongs at the RTS Scotland Awards last night Credit: Royal Television Society Scotland Awards 5 Michelle McManus was also honoured with the On-Screen Personality Award Credit: Royal Television Society Scotland Awards 5 Hit show Dinosaur scooped the top gong in comedy Credit: Royal Television Society Scotland Awards And the hugely popular rebooted version of the hit Edinburgh detective proved to be a smash hit at the glitzy ceremony. The series, which aired last year, is the latest reimagining of Ian Rankin's John Rebus, portraying him as a 40-year-old cop who is drawn into a violent criminal conflict that turns personal. Outlander star Richard Rankin plays the copper in the rebooted version, after the role was originally played on ITV by John Hannah and Ken Stott. The hit BBC series secured three coveted awards at the RTS Scotland Awards last night for Best Drama, Director: Scripted, and Writer after its international success. My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan was another standout success of the evening, after it also won three top gongs. The show followed Buchanan as he took an epic journey across the Gobi Desert on camels. What an absolutely electric night! The sheer talent on display has been truly inspiring Presenter Shereen Cutkelvin In doing so, he learned more about how the least understood animals survive in one of the most hostile environments on the planet while reflecting on his own modern existence. The BBC show swept the craft categories with three wins for Camera, Editing, and Sound. On-screen talent was also highly praised at the glamorous event last night. Peter Capaldi received the Actor – Male award for his powerful performance in Criminal Record, and Ashley Jensen was honoured as Actor – Female for her compelling role in Shetland. Emmerdale and Coronation Street SNUBBED at Royal Television Society Awards as rivals scoop nominations for best soap Michelle McManus was also honoured after she won the On-Screen Personality Award. Hit TV show Dinosaur, now in its second series, scooped the top gong in comedy. Scottish comedians were also celebrated with awards for Janey in Documentary and Rikki in Entertainment categories. When it came to news, Sky News (Scotland Bureau) came out on top over its rivals, STV News at Six and BBC Reporting Scotland. Sky Sports Scotland was also celebrated in the Sport category for their Celtic's Trophy Day match coverage and content. The RTS Scotland Awards stand as a definitive celebration of the finest talent in Scottish television Dan Twist Revenant and Stuart Langfield scooped a double award for their Synthetic Pleasures production. They won in both the Short Form and Post Production Motion Design and Animation categories. While Composer James Gray became the first-ever winner of the RTS Scotland Original Music Score category for his work on All Aboard! Scotland's Poshest Train. The night also paid tribute to significant contributions to the industry. Veteran Scottish broadcast journalist and recently retired STV Political Editor, Bernard Ponsonby, received the prestigious RTS Scotland Outstanding Achievement Award. Full list of RTS Scotland Awards 2025 Winners Actor – Female - Ashley Jensen, Shetland - Ashley Jensen, Shetland Actor – Male - Peter Capaldi, Criminal Record - Peter Capaldi, Criminal Record Camera (Sponsored by No Drama) : Jack Warrender, Jim Incledon & Gordon Buchanan, My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan : Jack Warrender, Jim Incledon & Gordon Buchanan, My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan Children's - The Primrose Railway Children - The Primrose Railway Children Comedy - Dinosaur - Dinosaur Current Affairs - Disclosure: Catching A Killer: The Murder of Emma Caldwell - Disclosure: Catching A Killer: The Murder of Emma Caldwell Daytime & Features - Scam Interceptors - Scam Interceptors Director: Non-Scripted - Colin Murray, The Kingdom: The World's Most Powerful Prince - Colin Murray, The Kingdom: The World's Most Powerful Prince Director: Scripted (Sponsored by ScreenSkills HETV Fund) - Niall MacCormick, Rebus - Niall MacCormick, Rebus Documentary - Janey - Janey Drama (Sponsored by Blazing Griffin) - Rebus - Rebus Entertainment (Sponsored by BBC Studioworks) - Rikki - Rikki Live Event - Up Late with Nicola Benedetti - Up Late with Nicola Benedetti News - Sky News (Scotland Bureau) - Sky News (Scotland Bureau) On-Screen Personality (Sponsored by Screen Scotland) - Michelle McManus - Michelle McManus Original Music Score (Sponsored by The Nerve) - James Gray for All Aboard! Scotland's Poshest Train - James Gray for All Aboard! Scotland's Poshest Train Post Production: Editing (Sponsored by Screen Scotland) - Simon Hamilton for My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan - Simon Hamilton for My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan Post Production: Motion Design and Animation - Synthetic Pleasures - Synthetic Pleasures Short Form - Synthetic Pleasures - Synthetic Pleasures Sound - Jack Creith & Tom Forbes for My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan - Jack Creith & Tom Forbes for My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan Specialist Factual - In My Own Words: Jackie Kay - In My Own Words: Jackie Kay Sport - Sky Sports Scotland - Celtic 3-2 St Mirren - Celtic's Trophy Day - Sky Sports Scotland - Celtic 3-2 St Mirren - Celtic's Trophy Day Student Award (Sponsored by Channel 4) - On The Red List (Mathilde van Ooijen, Andrea Costa, Carla Basu & Sean Burns from University of the West of Scotland) - On The Red List (Mathilde van Ooijen, Andrea Costa, Carla Basu & Sean Burns from University of the West of Scotland) Writer (Sponsored by Screen Scotland) - Gregory Burke, Rebus - Gregory Burke, Rebus Young Journalist - Selena Jackson, STV - Selena Jackson, STV RTS Scotland Outstanding Achievement Award - Bernard Ponsonby - Bernard Ponsonby RTS Scotland Special Recognition Award - Margaret Cameron And Margaret Cameron, Director of Content at MG ALBA, was honoured with the RTS Scotland Special Recognition Award. Dan Twist, Chair of RTS Scotland, said: "The RTS Scotland Awards stand as a definitive celebration of the finest talent in Scottish television. "This year's outstanding nominees and winners reflect the strength and resilience of a thriving Scottish TV industry, even in the face of widespread sector challenges. "RTS Scotland is proud to continue its unwavering commitment to supporting, educating, and championing talent across all areas of the industry — both on screen and behind the scenes.' Presenter Shereen Cutkelvin: "What an absolutely electric night! "Hosting the RTS Scotland Awards is always such a privilege, and this year was no exception. "The sheer talent on display has been truly inspiring, and it's fantastic to see the incredible work being produced right here in Scotland." 5 Margaret Cameron, Director of Content at MG ALBA, was honoured with the RTS Scotland Special Recognition Award. Credit: Royal Television Society Scotland Awards
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Lidl is selling a £4.99 accessory that helps protect kids in your car – and it's perfect for sunny weather
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIDL is selling a £4.99 accessory that can help protect kids in your car. This bargain buy is perfect as the weather gets hotter. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Lidl is selling a £4.99 accessory that can help protect kids in your car Credit: Lidl 3 This bargain buy is perfect as the weather gets hotter Credit: Lidl 3 Shoppers are rushing to buy the Ultimate Speed Roller Sunshades Credit: Lidl Shoppers are rushing to buy the Ultimate Speed Roller Sunshades. They come in a pack of two, providing both privacy and sun protection. The neat accessories are selling for just £4.99 in-store. The sunshades automatically roll up and lock into place when pushing a button. They're also equipped with suction cups or hooks. And what's more, there's a three-year warranty on the handy car item. Alternatively, Aldi are selling sunshades for £4.99 for a pack of two. They come in either Unicorn print or Dinosaur. In other car news, Lidl shoppers are rushing to buy the Crivit Car Air Bed, which is compact and convenient for cars and SUVs. The neat napping tool is selling now for just £14.99 - available either on Lidl's website or in stores. Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel The item has a handy stabilising support base, meaning it can sit comfortably on the backseat of any car. Happily, this base can also be removed so the bed can double up as a sleeping aide while staying in a tent. Even more handy for campers, it has a quick release valve which means it can deflate quickly - perfect for a quick campsite exit. The air bed also comes complete with a comfortable velour coating and two pillows. The airbed is 135cm in length, 80cm in width and 10cm in height when inflated. The pillows are suitably sized at 35cm in length, 20cm in width and 33cm in height. The bed is light and easy to carry around at just 1.95kg, and can cradle sleepers of all sizes with a maximum load of 250kg. The bed comes in grey, and boasts a three year warranty.
UPI
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Pigeon Fest to celebrate New York's most controversial birds
The High Line elevated park in New York City announced it will host Pigeon Fest, a celebration of the city's most common birds, on June 14. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo May 22 (UPI) -- A New York park is celebrating one of the city's most iconic animals next month with Pigeon Fest, a day-long event featuring art exhibitions, science demonstrations and the city's first Pigeon Impersonation Pageant. The High Line, an elevated park on the West Side of Manhattan, announced Pigeon Fest will be held from noon to 8 p.m. June 14, coinciding with National Pigeon Appreciation Day. The park's website said the event is partially inspired by Dinosaur, artist Iván Argote's 17-foot-tall aluminum pigeon sculpture that resides at the park. Alan van Capelle, the park's executive director, told The New York Times that the festival will include "a pigeon impersonation pageant and a panel on urban ecology and bird conservation." The events also include a Zumba-style Pigeon Dance Party and a puppet show put on by Tina Piña Trachtenberg, aka Mother Pigeon, who is famous in New York for feeding the birds while dressed in a giant pigeon costume. "Love them or hate them, people are fascinated by our feathered friends," van Capelle told TimeOut New York. "This festival felt like a fitting way to celebrate New Yorkers' dynamic relationship with art, nature and, most specifically, pigeons."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
26 Dinosaur Facts That Are So Absolutely Bonkers I'm Questioning My Entire Education Right Now
We've seen them in Dinosaur, Jurassic Park, and The Land Before Time, but how much do you really know about dinosaurs? After speaking with paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, I can honestly say — I didn't know as much as I thought! I mean, did you know dinosaurs likely didn't roar or that they still have living descendants today? What about the actual size of a velociraptor? There's more, too. From the speed of a T-Rex to a pterosaur's extensive wingspan, here are more fascinating dinosaur facts you probably didn't know. For context, Dr. Lacovara has discovered some of Earth's largest dinosaurs, including the massive Dreadnoughtus from Jurassic World — he even consulted on early Jurassic films. This interview was conducted during a press trip to Mantua, New Jersey, to tour Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, which Dr. Lacovara founded and opened on March 29. It has been edited for length and clarity. weren't as big and threatening as you think. Universal Pictures / Via Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Gr / Denver Post via Getty Images Dr. Lacovara says, "Velociraptors are nowhere near the size they were in Jurassic Park. A velociraptor skull is about six inches — they're roughly turkey-sized. So think about velociraptor as a pissed-off turkey. The size of the velociraptor in Jurassic Park is more like the size of a dinosaur named Deinonychus, which would be a terrible thing to encounter. You would be dead quickly. They were human-sized, fast, bipedal predators, equipped with deadly sickle-shaped claws, and thanks to their specialized wrists, they could swing those claws sideways in a motion able to impale and gaff hook their prey in a single, deadly strike." were EXTREMELY dangerous. Hadrosaurs, also known as duck-billed dinosaurs, are often portrayed as friendly, approachable creatures. According to Dr. Lacovara, that's far from the truth. "Too often, they are portrayed as dopey, friendly, gentle giants. In Jurassic Park, you can walk up and pet them. In reality, they will kill you." He adds, "There are no safe dinosaurs. Stay away from dinosaurs." 3.T-Rex had exceptionally good eyesight, despite what movies may have made you think. T-Rex are as dangerous as they've been portrayed. "They're the largest land predators ever. They had excellent vision. They could see you if you were standing still — they could smell you, too. Scientists estimate that those grapefruit-sized eyes could spot details with up to five times the sharpness of a falcon and 13 times better than a human. And, like birds and crocs today, T-Rex could see more colors than us, with vision extending into the ultraviolet range." "They were also fast — they could outrun the best Olympic sprinter." while you might not be able to outrun a T-Rex, you probably could out-maneuver one. "They can't turn well. Their head and their tail are so far apart, there's a lot of angular momentum, making it hard to turn around quickly. So if you were to be confronted by a T-Rex, don't try to outrun it, try to out-maneuver it." dinosaurs were precocial — meaning they were self-sufficient almost immediately after birth. "Some, like titanosaurs, got up and walked away just like an antelope does today. Others gave birth to altricial babies — think a little baby robin that's totally helpless when it's born. Some dinosaurs were born like that." oldest known dinosaur is the Nyasasaurus, which lived roughly 237 million years ago. "It lived in the Triassic period in Tanzania. It was small — maybe the size of a golden retriever. Other early dinosaurs are even smaller, more like the size of a house cat. They lived in a world dominated by crocodiles and other nasty reptilian beasts. Dinosaurs didn't become dominant until the Jurassic period, about 36 million years later." but pterosaurs are not dinosaurs. "They're flying reptiles." Related: 18 Adorable Celeb Pets That'll Make You Say "Awwww!" were the first creatures to fly that were bigger than a bug. The largest had a wingspan of 36 feet — roughly the size of a small plane. likely that dinosaurs didn't roar — they probably grumbled or whistled. "Dinosaurs don't roar like lions. They don't have a larynx. They have an analogous or a syrinx like birds and crocodiles. They probably made low gargles and grumbles and could have even made low whistles and pops like birds do." are descended from dinosaurs. "Your children's books lied to you about pterosaurs. The only dinosaurs that have ever flown are birds." Birds evolved from dinosaurs 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Park period. were among the most intelligent dinosaurs. Paleontologists measure dinosaur intelligence using a method called the encephalization quotient, in which their brain size is compared to their body size. "Troodon, a medium-sized feathered predator that lived in modern-day North America during the Cretaceous Period, is often considered one of the brainier dinosaurs because of its high EQ. However, Dr. Lacovara notes, "It's a crude measure. What is for sure is that dinosaurs were smart enough to be dinosaurs. Organisms tend to have the brains they need." would use its massive body weight to crush prey. Dr. Lacovara estimates Dreadnoughtus was about 65 tons. "That's nine times the weight of the T-Rex and about 10 times heavier than a Boeing 737. So you are not gonna mess with a T-Rex. Dreadnoughtus could lean against a T-Rex and press it into a tree and kill it." Related: 21 Extremely Rare Photos That'll Change Your Perception Of The Entire World of course, not all dinosaurs existed at the same time. For example, Dreadnoughtus didn't live at the same time as T-Rex, and T-Rex didn't exist with Stegosaurus. "Dinosaurs spanned 165 million years. Most of them never saw each other. T-Rex lived 66 million years ago and walked among the fossil bones of dinosaurs that are older than our fossils of T-Rex." animals, including frogs, turtles, sharks, clams, and fish lived millions of years before dinosaurs. contrary to what you may have heard, oil does NOT come from them. "Sorry, Elon Musk," Dr. Lacovara says, claiming he once got into a "Twitter fight" with Elon over whether dinosaurs produced oil. "It comes from the smallest creatures, marine plankton. There would never be enough dinosaurs in the world to make all the petroleum that we have." shows velociraptors had feathers — not scales like you've seen in the movies. Deinonychus is another dinosaur believed to have had feathers. dinosaur poop is called coprolite. dinosaur species could swim. "To clarify, Mosasaurs and Plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs — they were reptiles, but dinosaurs could do some swimming, just like any vertebrae animal. There are places where paleontologists have seen a dinosaur trackway that appears to be going into a lake, then the tracks become lighter and lighter until you see a few scrapes on the ground where their claws were swishing against the mud as they swam out into the lake." colors we've seen attributed to dinosaurs are completely fabricated. "The way we assess colors is by looking at modern analogs today. So for example, what color are really giant animals today? Well, disappointingly, they're gray — from whales to hippos and rhinos. So probably the really big dinosaurs were gray or very drab." dinosaurs, however, were probably very colorful. "They could have used their color for signaling. Today, we see animals use color for threat displays, mating displays, and camouflage, of course, so there are all kinds of uses for color and pattern that dinosaurs could have used, too." 2004, paleontologists found the skull of what was believed to be a new dinosaur species. It was named Dracorex hogwartsia, a nod to the Harry Potter books, and is known for its dragon-like head. But according to Dr. Lacovara, "there's convincing research that shows that Dracorex is really just a juvenile Pachycephalosaurus." Pachycephalosaurs have high, dome-like skulls and were first discovered around the mid-1800s. "If true, the Dracorex name would go away, and it would just be called Pachycephalosaurus." fossils are among the hardest to find. Paleontologists first discovered them in the early 1900s — sadly, those fossils were later destroyed in a bombing. "The fossils were first found in 1911 in Egypt. The bones were brought to the Bavarian Museum of Natural History and were on display for decades until those bones and the bones of three other species were destroyed in April of 1944 in an Allied bombing raid. They became known as the Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt — until paleontologists found more spinosaurus fossils in Morocco in 2014." Some scientists believe they were a swimming dinosaur. didn't roar at their food. "Just think – you don't walk up to your salad and yell at it before you eat it. It would have scared off prey." can't de-extinct a dinosaur. "The de-extinction portrayed in the Jurassic movies is probably not realistic. DNA is a water-soluble molecule and doesn't seem to persist that long. The oldest DNA that's been recovered from an organism so far is about 800,000 years, and the oldest environmental DNA is less than two million years. That's a long way from 66 million years and beyond. But scientists are, through genetic engineering, bringing back species that went extinct in the very recent past, such as the dodo, the marsupial wolf, and the mammoth." In April, scientists claimed to have resurrected the dire wolf over 12,000 years after it became extinct. asteroid event that caused dinosaurs to become extinct made global surface temperatures rise as hot as a toaster or pizza oven. "Geophysicists estimate that within an hour of impact, global surface temperatures soared to somewhere between toaster oven and pizza oven. If you were on Earth that day, exposed on the surface with nowhere to hide, you were toast." Most surviving creatures were able to burrow beneath the surface. the largest creature on Earth after the asteroid event was likely badger-sized. Were you surprised by any of these facts? Have any others to share? Write them in the comments below. And be sure to check out Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, which features dinosaur reconstructions, live animal exhibits, a dig experience at the backyard quarry (where thousands of fossils have already been unearthed), and more! Also in Animals: 21 Animals Mother Nature Encoded With A Secret Message
Buzz Feed
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Dinosaur Facts That Will Blow Your Mind
We've seen them in Dinosaur, Jurassic Park, and The Land Before Time, but how much do you really know about dinosaurs? After speaking with paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, I can honestly say — I didn't know as much as I thought! I mean, did you know dinosaurs likely didn't roar or that they still have living descendants today? What about the actual size of a velociraptor? There's more, too. From the speed of a T-Rex to a pterosaur's extensive wingspan, here are more fascinating dinosaur facts you probably didn't know. Velociraptors weren't as big and threatening as you think. Dr. Lacovara says, "Velociraptors are nowhere near the size they were in Jurassic Park. A velociraptor skull is about six inches — they're roughly turkey-sized. So think about velociraptor as a pissed-off turkey. The size of the velociraptor in Jurassic Park is more like the size of a dinosaur named Deinonychus, which would be a terrible thing to encounter. You would be dead quickly. They were human-sized, fast, bipedal predators, equipped with deadly sickle-shaped claws, and thanks to their specialized wrists, they could swing those claws sideways in a motion able to impale and gaff hook their prey in a single, deadly strike." Hadrosaurs were EXTREMELY dangerous. Hadrosaurs, also known as duck-billed dinosaurs, are often portrayed as friendly, approachable creatures. According to Dr. Lacovara, that's far from the truth. "Too often, they are portrayed as dopey, friendly, gentle giants. In Jurassic Park, you can walk up and pet them. In reality, they will kill you."He adds, "There are no safe dinosaurs. Stay away from dinosaurs." T-Rex had exceptionally good eyesight, despite what movies may have made you think. T-Rex are as dangerous as they've been portrayed. "They're the largest land predators ever. They had excellent vision. They could see you if you were standing still — they could smell you, too. Scientists estimate that those grapefruit-sized eyes could spot details with up to five times the sharpness of a falcon and 13 times better than a human. And, like birds and crocs today, T-Rex could see more colors than us, with vision extending into the ultraviolet range.""They were also fast — they could outrun the best Olympic sprinter." But while you might not be able to outrun a T-Rex, you probably could out-maneuver one. "They can't turn well. Their head and their tail are so far apart, there's a lot of angular momentum, making it hard to turn around quickly. So if you were to be confronted by a T-Rex, don't try to outrun it, try to out-maneuver it." Some dinosaurs were precocial — meaning they were self-sufficient almost immediately after birth. "Some, like titanosaurs, got up and walked away just like an antelope does today. Others gave birth to altricial babies — think a little baby robin that's totally helpless when it's born. Some dinosaurs were born like that." The oldest known dinosaur is the Nyasasaurus, which lived roughly 237 million years ago. "It lived in the Triassic period in Tanzania. It was small — maybe the size of a golden retriever. Other early dinosaurs are even smaller, more like the size of a house cat. They lived in a world dominated by crocodiles and other nasty reptilian beasts. Dinosaurs didn't become dominant until the Jurassic period, about 36 million years later." Sorry, but pterosaurs are not dinosaurs. "They're flying reptiles." Pterosaurs were the first creatures to fly that were bigger than a bug. The largest had a wingspan of 36 feet — roughly the size of a small plane. It's likely that dinosaurs didn't roar — they probably grumbled or whistled. "Dinosaurs don't roar like lions. They don't have a larynx. They have an analogous or a syrinx like birds and crocodiles. They probably made low gargles and grumbles and could have even made low whistles and pops like birds do." Birds are descended from dinosaurs. "Your children's books lied to you about pterosaurs. The only dinosaurs that have ever flown are birds." Birds evolved from dinosaurs 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Park period. Troodon were among the most intelligent dinosaurs. Paleontologists measure dinosaur intelligence using a method called the encephalization quotient, in which their brain size is compared to their body size. "Troodon, a medium-sized feathered predator that lived in modern-day North America during the Cretaceous Period, is often considered one of the brainier dinosaurs because of its high EQ. However, Dr. Lacovara notes, "It's a crude measure. What is for sure is that dinosaurs were smart enough to be dinosaurs. Organisms tend to have the brains they need." Dreadnoughtus would use its massive body weight to crush prey. Dr. Lacovara estimates Dreadnoughtus was about 65 tons. "That's nine times the weight of the T-Rex and about 10 times heavier than a Boeing 737. So you are not gonna mess with a T-Rex. Dreadnoughtus could lean against a T-Rex and press it into a tree and kill it." But of course, not all dinosaurs existed at the same time. For example, Dreadnoughtus didn't live at the same time as T-Rex, and T-Rex didn't exist with Stegosaurus. "Dinosaurs spanned 165 million years. Most of them never saw each other. T-Rex lived 66 million years ago and walked among the fossil bones of dinosaurs that are older than our fossils of T-Rex." Many animals, including frogs, turtles, sharks, clams, and fish lived millions of years before dinosaurs. And contrary to what you may have heard, oil does NOT come from them. "Sorry, Elon Musk," Dr. Lacovara says, claiming he once got into a "Twitter fight" with Elon over whether dinosaurs produced oil. "It comes from the smallest creatures, marine plankton. There would never be enough dinosaurs in the world to make all the petroleum that we have." Evidence shows velociraptors had feathers — not scales like you've seen in the movies. Deinonychus is another dinosaur believed to have had feathers. Fossilized dinosaur poop is called coprolite. Some dinosaur species could swim. "To clarify, Mosasaurs and Plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs — they were reptiles, but dinosaurs could do some swimming, just like any vertebrae animal. There are places where paleontologists have seen a dinosaur trackway that appears to be going into a lake, then the tracks become lighter and lighter until you see a few scrapes on the ground where their claws were swishing against the mud as they swam out into the lake." The colors we've seen attributed to dinosaurs are completely fabricated. "The way we assess colors is by looking at modern analogs today. So for example, what color are really giant animals today? Well, disappointingly, they're gray — from whales to hippos and rhinos. So probably the really big dinosaurs were gray or very drab." Smaller dinosaurs, however, were probably very colorful. "They could have used their color for signaling. Today, we see animals use color for threat displays, mating displays, and camouflage, of course, so there are all kinds of uses for color and pattern that dinosaurs could have used, too." In 2004, paleontologists found the skull of what was believed to be a new dinosaur species. It was named Dracorex hogwartsia, a nod to the Harry Potter books, and is known for its dragon-like head. But according to Dr. Lacovara, "there's convincing research that shows that Dracorex is really just a juvenile Pachycephalosaurus." Pachycephalosaurs have high, dome-like skulls and were first discovered around the mid-1800s. "If true, the Dracorex name would go away, and it would just be called Pachycephalosaurus." Spinosaurus fossils are among the hardest to find. Paleontologists first discovered them in the early 1900s — sadly, those fossils were later destroyed in a bombing. "The fossils were first found in 1911 in Egypt. The bones were brought to the Bavarian Museum of Natural History and were on display for decades until those bones and the bones of three other species were destroyed in April of 1944 in an Allied bombing raid. They became known as the Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt — until paleontologists found more spinosaurus fossils in Morocco in 2014." Some scientists believe they were a swimming dinosaur. Dinosaurs didn't roar at their food. "Just think – you don't walk up to your salad and yell at it before you eat it. It would have scared off prey." You can't de-extinct a dinosaur. "The de-extinction portrayed in the Jurassic movies is probably not realistic. DNA is a water-soluble molecule and doesn't seem to persist that long. The oldest DNA that's been recovered from an organism so far is about 800,000 years, and the oldest environmental DNA is less than two million years. That's a long way from 66 million years and beyond. But scientists are, through genetic engineering, bringing back species that went extinct in the very recent past, such as the dodo, the marsupial wolf, and the mammoth." In April, scientists claimed to have resurrected the dire wolf over 12,000 years after it became extinct. The asteroid event that caused dinosaurs to become extinct made global surface temperatures rise as hot as a toaster or pizza oven. "Geophysicists estimate that within an hour of impact, global surface temperatures soared to somewhere between toaster oven and pizza oven. If you were on Earth that day, exposed on the surface with nowhere to hide, you were toast." Most surviving creatures were able to burrow beneath the surface. Finally, the largest creature on Earth after the asteroid event was likely badger-sized. Were you surprised by any of these facts? Have any others to share? Write them in the comments below.
