Comments on: Why Is It Cool To Hate On Dinosaur Discoveries?

By: Dino Hunter

Dino Hunter — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:19:51 +0000

The reason why larger tyrannosaurids didn’t have feathers is because there are Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus specimens with scale impressions (fossilized scales) not feathers. I have a cast of the Albertosaurus scales.

By: Dan Peterson

Dan Peterson — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:41:08 +0000

For heaven’s sake people, there is absolutely NO evidence that T-Rex was covered with feathers, only that one of its much earlier ancestors was. On the other hand, I understand that there is good fossil evidence to prove that Albertosaurus, a much closer T-Rex relative, was at least partially covered in scales. The biggest problem here is the tendency for people to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ over every new find, and simply ignore all of the earlier ones. Let’s just hope we will eventually find a T-Rex mummy along the lines of those remarkable Hadrosaurs. Until then, the scaly Albertosaurus evidence will trump the fluffy Yutyrannus as to the actual ‘look’ of T-Rex.

By: chuck

chuck — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:48:24 +0000

Things like this oughta make us all think about just how much we know scientifically. Think for a minute about how much scientific knowledge has been superceded by newer and better knowledge in the last 20 years. It should make us think twice about taking action based on knowledge gained in fields of research that are in their infancy.

By: Joey

Joey — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:28:26 +0000

I’m glad to read an article about one of these recent publicized discoveries. The article did not go into the tyrannosaur laying eggs and the supposed mating posture but that’s for a whole other article.
Personally I think the term “Dinosaurs” needs to be changed. Just as in Jurassic Park Grant said dinosaurs have more in common with birds than they do with reptiles, the term dinosaur needs to be thrown out.

The more that science uncovers fact, the more we will see that we’ve been lied too on a grand scale.

By: 'Dr'. S Beckmann, BS

'Dr'. S Beckmann, BS — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:10:06 +0000

Oh No!!! New Coke!!!!

By: Babbletrish

Babbletrish — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:51:03 +0000

“It’s like Pluto has been upgraded to super-planet, the scientific consensus is that it’s made of pure gold and it’s home to a race of hyperintelligent centaurs, but the old-school Pluto fans are ticked off because it’s not the Pluto they grew up with.”

“If you don’t like dinosaurs as they actually are then you don’t like dinosaurs.”

Well said! I’ll have to add that mainstream press reports on dinosaurs with feathers has to take some blame as well. They seem to think that the whole of avian diversity begins and ends on the KFC menu.

By: Tomozaurus

Tomozaurus — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:28:34 +0000

Eh. It may seem harsh, but myself, I have no sympathy whatsoever for those in the scaly camp. If you don’t like dinosaurs as they actually are then you don’t like dinosaurs.
Not to say that some aren’t scaly – thyreophorans are likely completely scaly, sauropods show scales and are unlikely feathered, large ceratopsians and hadrosaurids seem to be pretty much completely scaled; Carnotaurus and Concavenator are both extensively scaly, which leaves the door wide open for other large ceratosaurs and carnosaurs. Stick to these. And if other members of these clades get found with feather-like integument, then deal with it.

It’s time to suck it up.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:56:48 +0000

There’s always someone who likes your old stuff better than your new stuff!

By: Decimus

Decimus — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:51:02 +0000

It’s funny , people are often afraid of Cassowarys and large Ratite birds in general but laugh at the idea of a feathered Tyrannosaur. Give a Cassowary a robust jaw full of sharp teeth, clawed forelimbs and then make it at least 2-3 times larger, that’s a pretty scary animal.

By: 220mya

220mya — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:47:38 +0000

Just like Apatosaurus vs Brontosaurus, "birds are dinosaurs", and a whole host of other transgressions on cherished cultural received "knowledge", its just a generational thing. People are most comfortable with what they learned as a kid, and they become uncomfortable as adults when the paradigm changes. Look, folks older than 40 still like Brontosaurus, but those in their 20s-30s who grew up with the change are happy calling it Apatosaurus. When I say "birds are dinosaurs", there's still a bit of disbelief from members of the public who are over 30, but those in their teens and 20s are totally cool with it and you can see that they're thinking, "yeah, whatever, we already knew that." The same will happen with feathered tyrannosaurs. Those that are under ten today have grown up with feathery dinosaurs, and will have no problem with a feathery T. rex.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:38:19 +0000

I can’t figure it out either – especially considering how many people are afraid of birds. Plop a large goose in front of them and they’ll back away slowly, plop a feathery tyrannosaur and… they claim it isn’t scary?

Someone should let these people loose in the same pasture as a flock of emu’s and watch the silly people run in terror! XD

By: Matthew R. Francis

Matthew R. Francis — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:55:31 +0000

Having tangled with the Pluto Monomaniacs on several occasions, I completely agree with your analogy. (I also admit I never liked the idea of purely scaly dinosaurs, but I was a weird child.)

By: Mark Wildman

Mark Wildman — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:36:44 +0000

Nice post Brian – sums up the situation rather well. For me it is a purely personal thing since I am more “comfortable” with scaly dinosaurs – they were the animals that I grew up with and loved with a passion.

So a lot of them now have integument of various kinds but does this make them any less interesting? Of course not. The important thing is not to deny the science and that I would never do. I may be old school because I like my dinos scaly but they are still the coolest animals that ever lived.

More feathered dinosaurs? Bring it on! (Just leave a few scaly’s for me!)

By: Matt Martyniuk

Matt Martyniuk — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:12:35 +0000

I think part of the problem is that many people growing up with dinosaurs see them as “characters” rather than types of animal. Mark Witton covered this here: http://www.lurvely.com/photo/522293984/Ha_ha_Charade_you_are/

Changing T. rex from scaly reptilian monster to feathery weird giant bird, for many people, is less like finding out a cynodontid may have had fur and more like some hack new artist taking over the Batman franchise and changing his black cowl to a pink boa. In one instance you modify our understanding of an animal. “Cool!” I the other you mess with an institution. “How dare you!”

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:11:51 +0000

I totally agree at first Dinosaurs with feathers were something strange but then I kind of started to like it. Some dinosaurs even look better with feathers an i can Imagine a even more menacing T-Rex with feathers, eg eagles are cool looking animals so why not a t-rex?