Dinosaur science has come a long, long way since 1984. Evidence enough of this is a book by Dr. Michael Benton, published that year, which recently resurfaced in my home. Compared with the graceful dinosaurs in Dr. Thomas Holtz's 2004 book with a similar title, the clunky, tripod-like dinosaurs of the older publication are almost comic in appearence.
Not that I blame Dr. Benton, of course. The book is 26 years old. A lot of discoveries have been made, and the book is quite comprehensive for the time. But a look back from over a quarter of a century can be an entertaining experience. A short list of the things said in the book is enough to warrant at least a quiet snicker.
*Tyrannosaurus is the largest carnivore of all time, at 50 feet. (It grew to 43 feet.)
*"Warm-blooded Dinosaurs?" is shown with a skeptical question mark in the index.
*Crocodiles are cited as dinosaurs' closest living relatives. Birds are overlooked.
*Poor Diplodocus is cited as the "most stupid dinosaur", as it has the lowest brain-to-body ratio of any dinosaur. (I don't know if this is still true or not. I'll have to check.
Even the taxonomical differences between then and now are enough to fill this post.
*Tyrannosaurids are Carnosaurs (They're coeulurosaurs.)
*"Anatosaurus", rather than Anatotitan.
*At least it doesn't use "Brontosaurus" as a valid name!
*Oviraptorosaurs are ornithomimosaurs (They're not.)
*All large carnivores, including coelophysoid Dilophosaurus, megalosauroid Megalosaurus and Spinosaurus, and, as mentioned before, tyrannosauroid Tyrannosaurus are apparently Carnosauria.
* Smaller coelophysoids are coelurosaurs (They're not!)
*Therizinosaurus and Deinocheirus are in the Deinocheiridae, which is apparently part of Deinonychosauria. (That's a new one.)
*"Dravidosaurus"
*Elaphrosaurus is an ornithomimosaur (It's a ceratosaur)
*Interestingly, Hypselosaurus is cited as being closely related to Alamosaurus, Saltasaurus, and Titanosaurus, all of which (including Hypselosaurus) would, in 1993, be classed into Titanosauria. (More points for Dr. Benton!)
*It suggests that Mamenchisaurus stood in the middle of ponds and swept around like a vacuum cleaner to eat.
*Noasaurus is claimed to be a deinonychosaur, which would have made it the only of that kind known from South America. Ironically, it wasn't until decades later that unenlagiine dromaeosaurids were found in the same area.
*Pachycephalosaurus is said to be an ornithopod. (It's a cerapod.)
*Though rightfully told to be a saurischian, Segnosaurus is said to be a fish-eater, as this was originally how it was thought to feed. It was, in reality, either herbivorous or omnivorous like other therizinosaurs.
*Spinosaurus is shown as a close relative of Acrocanthosaurus.
*Syntarsus (now Megapnosaurus, or big dead lizard, which is just about the worst dinosaur name ever; no surprise, it wasn't named by actual paleontologists) was one of the first dinosaurs depicted with feathers, but the author approaches this claim with much caution.
But, of course, again, we can't blame Dr. Benton. This was another age (at least in dinosaur science). The book has some very informative parts in the back about the history of the science, as well as the preparation of mounted dinosaur skeletons. And hey. I can assure you, in 2036, paleontologists will be making fun of us for our mistakes. But if we can't laugh at tripods and croc-like bellies, then what can we laugh at?
Not that I blame Dr. Benton, of course. The book is 26 years old. A lot of discoveries have been made, and the book is quite comprehensive for the time. But a look back from over a quarter of a century can be an entertaining experience. A short list of the things said in the book is enough to warrant at least a quiet snicker.
*Tyrannosaurus is the largest carnivore of all time, at 50 feet. (It grew to 43 feet.)
*"Warm-blooded Dinosaurs?" is shown with a skeptical question mark in the index.
*Crocodiles are cited as dinosaurs' closest living relatives. Birds are overlooked.
*Poor Diplodocus is cited as the "most stupid dinosaur", as it has the lowest brain-to-body ratio of any dinosaur. (I don't know if this is still true or not. I'll have to check.
Even the taxonomical differences between then and now are enough to fill this post.
*Tyrannosaurids are Carnosaurs (They're coeulurosaurs.)
*"Anatosaurus", rather than Anatotitan.
*At least it doesn't use "Brontosaurus" as a valid name!
*Oviraptorosaurs are ornithomimosaurs (They're not.)
*All large carnivores, including coelophysoid Dilophosaurus, megalosauroid Megalosaurus and Spinosaurus, and, as mentioned before, tyrannosauroid Tyrannosaurus are apparently Carnosauria.
* Smaller coelophysoids are coelurosaurs (They're not!)
*Therizinosaurus and Deinocheirus are in the Deinocheiridae, which is apparently part of Deinonychosauria. (That's a new one.)
*"Dravidosaurus"
*Elaphrosaurus is an ornithomimosaur (It's a ceratosaur)
*Interestingly, Hypselosaurus is cited as being closely related to Alamosaurus, Saltasaurus, and Titanosaurus, all of which (including Hypselosaurus) would, in 1993, be classed into Titanosauria. (More points for Dr. Benton!)
*It suggests that Mamenchisaurus stood in the middle of ponds and swept around like a vacuum cleaner to eat.
*Noasaurus is claimed to be a deinonychosaur, which would have made it the only of that kind known from South America. Ironically, it wasn't until decades later that unenlagiine dromaeosaurids were found in the same area.
*Pachycephalosaurus is said to be an ornithopod. (It's a cerapod.)
*Though rightfully told to be a saurischian, Segnosaurus is said to be a fish-eater, as this was originally how it was thought to feed. It was, in reality, either herbivorous or omnivorous like other therizinosaurs.
*Spinosaurus is shown as a close relative of Acrocanthosaurus.
*Syntarsus (now Megapnosaurus, or big dead lizard, which is just about the worst dinosaur name ever; no surprise, it wasn't named by actual paleontologists) was one of the first dinosaurs depicted with feathers, but the author approaches this claim with much caution.
But, of course, again, we can't blame Dr. Benton. This was another age (at least in dinosaur science). The book has some very informative parts in the back about the history of the science, as well as the preparation of mounted dinosaur skeletons. And hey. I can assure you, in 2036, paleontologists will be making fun of us for our mistakes. But if we can't laugh at tripods and croc-like bellies, then what can we laugh at?
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