SCIENCE

Blog Carnival #32: Scientist Stereotypes, Sauropod Necks, Dinosaur Facts and More

The best of what’s being written about dinosaurs in the blogosphere

June 2, 2011

Best/Worst dressed dinosaurs Courtesy of io9

But I Play One on TV: At Archosaur Musings, David Hone notices a trend regarding how real-life scientists are portrayed during TV interviews: “If you are not sitting next to a series of flasks full of colored liquids then you are obviously not a scientist. Most of them also have a human skeleton in the background too. This is madness….I’m surprised they didn’t have a Van Der Graff generator in there or a shambling hunchbacked servant called Igor in the corner.” Be sure to check out his photo gallery of egregious examples.

Fashion Tips: Paleontology meets Cathy Horyn as I09 presents its list of best- and worst-dressed dinosaurs that have appeared in comic books and on screen. Take note, fashionistas: T-Rex + Green Smoking Jacket = Fabulous!

Before Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth: ArtEvolved has announced that it is accepting submissions for its July gallery devoted to the Carboniferous Period (359 million to 299 million years ago). So, if you’ve harbored a secret desire to paint an intimate portrait of a gastropod, now is your big chance.

Sticking Their Necks Out: Conventional wisdom states that giraffes have long necks so that they can reach higher leaves. But, at Tetrapod Zoology, Darren Naish points to an alternate theory that giraffe necks serve as a sexual signal: “The necks of males are bigger and thicker than those of females…the necks of males continue growing throughout life… females prefer males with bigger necks.” Perhaps inevitably, an article that appeared in the Journal of Zoology applied the “necks for sex” hypothesis to sauropods. Naish and the guys at SV-POW! have posted a preview of their paper refuting the theory.

Out and About: At Whirlpool of Life, Scott Sampson suggests some clever ways to get kids to explore the natural world. First, instead of using the term “hike,” tell them they’re embarking on an “adventure.” Also, introduce them to bird watching, and explain that they are observing “backyard dinosaurs.”

Just the Facts: Bob’s Dinosaur Blog presents “10 Dinosaur Facts Every Person Should Know.” He reminds folks, for instance, that most dinosaurs were vegetarians. (But the jury is still out on whether any were vegans.)

Jurassic Fandom: Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs interviews Terry Alan Davis, creator of the popular online Jurassic Park Encyclopedia, which includes a detailed “bestiary.”