Introduction:
Welcome, this is a guide key to the fauna that you will be encountering in Jurassic Park.
Pterosauria - flying reptiles, not dinosaurs, come from Ornithodiran (Bird-necked) Archesaurs (ruling reptiles)
Dinosauria - true dinosaurs, come from Ornithodiran Archesaurs
Saurischia - "lizard-hipped" dinosaur
Theropod - Bipedal carnivores branching from Saurischia
Ceratosaur - earlier forming theropods with flexible tails and 3 or more fingers
Tetanurae - later forming theropods with interlocked stiff tail vertebrae with 3 or less fingers
Sauropodomorpha - quadrupedal herbivores branching from Saurischia
Ornithischia - "bird-hipped" dinosaurs
Miscellaneous Facts:
most small theropods of the cretaceous were covered in feathers
birds did come from dinosaurs - see above
larger theropods probably not covered in feathers during adult stage, but probably covered in feathers as young
Ornithischia is misleading- these dinosaurs did not evolve into birds
birds actually have reptile hips in embryo, but hip positioning changes during gestation to "bird-hip"
more to come with additional species...
- Tommy Q.
I'd like to know if the feathers things was "really" real, it's a plausible hypothesis at the very least...
I've only heard of archeopterix (spelling?) fossils with evidence of feathering~
Apparently they have found many remains with evidence of feathers, such as imprints or actual feather remnants, including everyones favourite Velociraptor.
Incidently, I saw an interview with Spielberg some time ago and he admitted that the Raptors in the movies were embellished slightly to create a more fearsome creature. He actually stated that the change was made because otherwise they would have literally appeared like giant turkey's like the kid jokes in the beginning of the movie. :D
The Raptors appearance in the 3rd film was altered to try and show how they may have been feathered at some time by adding the quill like structures atop their heads.
Accurate or not, the original Raptors are still the iconic bad boy's of the film and hold a fond place in my childhood memories of being terrified and in awe at the same time. :)
actually, you know the velocirapter was found with feathers.
Also, now that I thought of it. I wonder what it would be like to put different species, millions of years apart together in an isolated environment... (I think many species would die, and the majority of the species that were wiped out were from the relatively same time period, or the surviving species were from the relatively same time period...)
very awesome, seems like a really unquie feature!
Ok guys, I will be posting the first document of the guide which is about the Dilophosaurus.
very interesting