PRIMEVAL SUSPECT

EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST AND BROADCASTER DR BEN GARROD GIVES THE EXPERT’S VIEW

What makes dinosaurs so perfect for the big screen?

Dinosaurs are the perfect cast members; they are not only the focus of ongoing scientific research and have countless mind-blowing facts surrounding them but they also fire the imagination. yes, the science is impressive but you can’t fail to wonder what a huge herbivorous titanosaur would have sounded like walking past – thudding footsteps, deep rumbling guts and (probably) nature’s loudest farts – or what it would be like to encounter a tyrannosaurus-rex walking down the high street while shopping.

What’s the biggest myth that dinosaur movies propagate?

Ah, there are so many. Like how a certain dinosaur film franchise won’t feather their theropods but can have chameleon-like, genetically hybridised monsters and cite creativity and accuracy reasons. Don’t get me started on those huge Velociraptors . . . tHey WeRe tINy! Is the three-foot tall, frilled-neck, venom-spitting Dilophosaurus your favourite dinosaur? good. It’s a fake. Also, dinos probably didn’t roar.

What’s the most accurate portrayal of dinosaurs in movies?

the Jurassic Park franchise is great in many ways. Let’s ignore the giant Velociraptors and the feather-free, roaring tyrannosaurus-rex but the herbivores are (for the most part) spot on. A lot of attention to detail is clear in the anatomy and even social behaviours like herding in the giant sauropods and mixed species groups is included.

Which neglected dinosaur deserves more screen time?

It’s easy to love a bad guy and the predators are the ultimate baddies in many dinosaur films. their sleek bodies, sharp teeth, claws and frills (regardless of their authenticity) are much sexier than lumbering giants with flat teeth, small heads and sprout-breath. But the herbivores were awesome beasts too. It’s easy to slip into the idea that these plant-munching Mesozoic mega-fauna were all there simply to keep the likes of Allosaurus and Deinonychus from starving and that they were fairly boring. But if you’ve spent any time watching large herbivores alive today, then you’ll know they’re aggressive, territorial, clever, social and interesting. Let’s get to know the likes of the Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus and Diplodocus better. If you want to get more acquainted with one dinosaur superstar you’ve probably never heard of then go and google Patagotitan right now.

Ben Garrod’s So You Think You Know About… Dinosaurs? books are available now from Zephyr.