Buzz
Nearly two decades after its groundbreaking debut in 1993, Steven Spielberg’s iconic film Jurassic Park, renowned for its revolutionary special and visual effects, is making a comeback in 3D this week. Meanwhile, the field of dinosaur paleontology has continued to evolve, unveiling remarkable discoveries over the past 20 years that have transformed our understanding of their biology, behavior, and evolution. To celebrate this cinematic milestone, let’s revisit the dinosaurs featured in Jurassic Park and explore how modern science has reshaped our perception of these incredible creatures.
1. Triceratops
Recent research suggests that the horns of Triceratops thickened and curved downward as the dinosaur aged. To learn more about a 2009 study that sheds light on how these formidable horns were used, click here.
2. Parasaurolophus
While they remain silent in the film, a 1998 collaboration between Tom Williamson of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and a team of computer scientists led to the digital recreation of what Parasaurolophus might have sounded like 75 million years ago. Listen to the fascinating results:
3. Dilophosaurus
Despite no scientific evidence supporting the venomous portrayal of Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park, Sam Welles, one of its original discoverers from the University of California Museum of Paleontology, was a huge fan of the movie. In the 1990s, he created a comprehensive webpage detailing the biology, discovery, and Hollywood debut of his favorite dinosaur. Welles remarked, “I thoroughly enjoyed the film and was thrilled to see Dilophosaurus become a global star.”
4. Brachiosaurus
Could a dinosaur of such immense size truly balance on two legs without falling, as depicted in the stunning scene above? Considering its front limbs were much longer than its hind legs (hence the name Brachiosaurus, meaning “arm lizard”), paleontologist Heinrich Mallison suggested in 2011 that rearing up would pose “a significant risk of injury if the animal lost balance.” However, he noted that other sauropod species (“long-necked” dinosaurs) might have been capable of such a feat.
5. Tyrannosaurus
“I believe the true star of this film is the T. rex,” Spielberg once remarked. He’s not alone in his admiration for the “Tyrant Lizard King,” as Tyrannosaurus is the most extensively researched dinosaur in history. One iconic scene from Jurassic Park—where a T. rex chases a jeep at 45 miles per hour—has faced criticism in recent years. A 2002 study claimed that achieving such speed would require 86% of its muscle mass to be in its legs, an unrealistic scenario.
6. Gallimimus
In the film’s climax, a herd of these ostrich-like dinosaurs flees from a pursuing T. rex. If filmed today, the Gallimimus would have their arms positioned differently, as they are shown with their palms facing downward in this sequence.
However, recent discoveries have confirmed that this agile dinosaur and its relatives would have held their hands facing each other, a posture also observed in modern birds.
7. Velociraptor
More than a decade after the last film, a fourth installment in the Jurassic Park series is set to release next summer. While the movie is still over a year away, it has already sparked scientific debate. Director Colin Trevorrow recently stated that the “raptors” will remain featherless to maintain continuity with previous films, despite strong evidence suggesting these fast predators were partially feathered. In 2007, “quill knobs,” which anchor feathers in birds, were discovered on the forearms of a Mongolian Velociraptor specimen. For a detailed overview of the original film’s portrayal of Velociraptors, click here.
