Buzz
Since the inception of the Jurassic Park series, paleontologist Jack Horner has served as a consultant. However, the creators of Jurassic World presented him with a unique challenge: designing a genetically engineered dinosaur. If traditional dinosaurs were intimidating, the Indominus Rex takes fear to a new level. mental_floss interviewed Horner about the development of Indominus Rex, integrating recent dinosaur discoveries into the film, and the idea of having an office pet raptor.
WARNING: This contains spoilers for Jurassic World! Proceed with caution.
Jurassic Park motivated you to create a dino-chicken, and now the team behind Jurassic World tasked you with genetically engineering a hybrid dinosaur. How did that experience feel?
It was an incredible experience. The most fascinating aspect is the concept of hybridization and transgenic engineering used to create Indominus, which is grounded in highly plausible scientific principles.
While watching the film, I thought, 'Audiences might assume the genetic modifications are purely science fiction!' However, in reality, such genetic experimentation is quite common today.
Exactly. This is actually the most scientifically credible idea in the entire series. With current advancements, if we could resurrect dinosaurs as depicted in Jurassic Park, creating hybrid dinosaurs and modifying them transgenically would be entirely feasible. As unusual as it sounds, it’s entirely plausible.
When collaborating with the filmmakers to design Indominus Rex, which dinosaurs served as inspiration for its physical traits?
Therizinosaurus was our starting point due to its massive claws and large arms. It’s essentially the antithesis of a T. Rex—instead of tiny arms, it features enormous, powerful limbs.
Indominus Rex possesses unique abilities due to the DNA of other animals integrated into its genetic makeup. What specific capabilities did you envision for this dinosaur?
For years, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of giving a dinosaur the ability to camouflage. We drew inspiration from the cuttlefish, which is a master of disguise. This capability was incorporated into our dinosaur. Ideally, I wanted a creature that could blend into its surroundings so perfectly that it wouldn’t need to chase prey—it could simply wait for its meal to come close. However, in a Jurassic Park movie, we needed to keep the action dynamic, so running was essential.
The dinosaur can also regulate its body temperature, a trait derived from tree frog DNA. What inspired this feature?
That was an additional trait included in its design. I believe [director Colin Trevorrow] came up with that idea. Essentially, I gave Colin the freedom to incorporate any characteristic from modern animals. The possibilities were vast—he could have even added an electrified dinosaur!
Perhaps that’s an idea for the sequel! How did the visual creation process of Indominus Rex unfold? Did you start with sketches?
The process involved continuous digital collaboration. They would share digital sketches of the creature with me, and I would provide feedback, highlighting limitations and suggesting areas for exaggeration or enhancement.
I envisioned Indominus Rex with distinctive features—spikes, plates, and various protrusions on its head. While it does have some spiky elements, I would have preferred a more intricate design. The final version was relatively restrained.
Paleontology is constantly evolving. Were there any recent discoveries you felt were essential for the filmmakers to incorporate into the movie?
One key detail is that dinosaur skulls undergo significant changes as they mature. We ensured the baby triceratops in the film had differently shaped horns compared to the adults. Juvenile triceratops have horns that curve backward, a feature that shifts forward as they reach adulthood. This detail was accurately included.
I worked closely with the team at ILM [Industrial Light & Magic], particularly Glen McIntosh, the lead. Our discussions emphasized the importance of portraying the dinosaurs as birdlike rather than reptilian, a distinction that is clearly reflected in the film.
The four films in the series form a cohesive narrative, which limits our ability to update the dinosaurs based on new scientific findings. As a result, the dinosaurs designed for the original movie remain unchanged in Jurassic World. My role primarily involved advising on the creation of the new hybrid dinosaur rather than revising existing ones.
The concept of training raptors is fascinating. When the trailer showed Chris Pratt riding a motorcycle alongside raptors, many dismissed it as unrealistic. However, given their high intelligence in the movie universe, why wouldn’t training them be possible?
Raptor birds can be trained, and since birds are their modern descendants, it’s entirely logical. There’s nothing far-fetched about the idea.
Scientists recently reversed a bird’s beak to resemble a dinosaur snout. While it’s not your dino-chicken, it’s the closest achievement to date. What are your thoughts on this breakthrough?
The beak modification is remarkable. It’s an exciting development. While that focuses on one feature, my lab is concentrating on recreating the dinosaur tail.
It doesn’t matter who achieves this breakthrough. The concept is already in motion, and I’m thrilled to see others contributing to it. I hope we’ll soon see a bird with a tail and wings transformed back into arms and hands. This reality feels closer than ever.
Could this eventually result in a miniature version of Jurassic Park?
Jurassic Park suggests these creatures belong in parks, but that’s not necessarily true. We’ve domesticated wolves into breeds like Chihuahuas, which live in our homes. There’s no reason why these creations couldn’t coexist with us outside of parks.
We recently discussed this in the office and thought having a small office raptor would be amazing!
Absolutely. If an office Chihuahua is acceptable, why not an office raptor?
