Dinosaurs have captured imaginations for generations. Through film, TV, art and other media, we have sought to depict these long-dead animals.
But experts like palaeontologist Jack Horner (inspiration for the character of Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park) believe that we have been too restricted by old ideas about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.
Horner says that birds descended directly from dinosaurs, so it might have been possible they were as equally as colourful and vibrant? He asks if dinos might have been singers, or dancers, like birds. This image of dinosaurs as colourful and weird may come as a surprise to many who have grown up with dinos as big, grey-brown monsters. Horner explains that even Tyrannosaurus rex may have been coloured and feathered.
Originally published by Cosmos as Dinosaurs like T.rex could have resembled brightly coloured birds, says palaeo expert
Cosmos
Cosmos is a quarterly science magazine. We aim to inspire curiosity in ‘The Science of Everything’ and make the world of science accessible to everyone.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
