The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs

Last updated

The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs
The truth about killer dinosaur.jpeg
DVD cover
Narrated by Bill Oddie
Production
Running time60 minutes
Original release
Network BBC 1
Release28 August (2005-08-28) 
4 September 2005 (2005-09-04)

The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs is a two-part BBC documentary film, directed by Bill Oddie, in which a group of men test out dinosaur weapons, using studies. The first episode determines the winner of a battle between Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops , and the second compares the strength of an Ankylosaurus and Velociraptor . The episodes were broadcast on BBC 1 in August and September 2005. In the U.S., The Truth About killer Dinosaurs was also known as Dinosaur Face-Off.

Contents

Episodes and animals

These are the episodes and the evidence revealed in them.

1 Tyrannosaurus vs. Triceratops

Original air date: August 28, 2005 [1]

Tyrannosaurus, with a design to what is seen on the film. Tyrannosaurus rex 1-heavyline.svg
Tyrannosaurus, with a design to what is seen on the film.

Tyrannosaurus

  • Evidence of head injuries on Triceratops indicates that Tyrannosaurus rex attacked Triceratops.
  • Using a steel Tyrannosaurus rex skull, scientists learned that Tyrannosaurus could easily crush a small mini cooper.
  • Scientists learn that Tyrannosaurus could run at 25 miles per hour
  • Scanning an endo cast from a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, scientists theorize that Tyrannosaurus rex had a brain similar to that of a modern-day alligator.
  • Tyrannosaurus had nice vision, and a big sense of smell.
  • Tyrannosaurus could bite through bone, at a bite force of at least four tons per square inch.

Triceratops

  • Doing a crash test with a Triceratops skull, made of solid resin, scientists learn that contrary to portrayals in the media, Triceratops probably did not charge at predators nor other dinosaurs, for its skull would likely break.
  • Triceratops may have gored its predators.
  • Triceratops was slower than Tyrannosaurus, but was more agile.

Face Off

An even match. In the episode, it is shown that if the rex makes an attack, it might attack the Triceratops, but if the plant eater discovers a booby trap, he could beat his opponent and kill it.

The T. rex is seen stalking the Triceratops. It suddenly runs out of the bush and being fast, it takes the Triceratops. The rex bites into the Triceratops' neck, knocks it down and eats it alive.

The T. rex is wandering through the forest looking for a tasty meal. It soon comes across two male Triceratops battling. While the two are done battling, the Tyrannosaurus singles one of them as a target. After picking its victim, the T-rex charges, but the Triceratops finds it just in time and turns away to face the hungry killer. The T-rex seizes the horn of the Triceratops and breaks it off. The herbivore tries to retreat again, but the T-rex chomps on his frill. After making a loud charge, the Triceratops slashes one of his horns into the T-rex's belly. The T-rex limps away, falls to the ground and slowly dies. The Triceratops then watches his attacker die and goes away to finish another day of eating.

2 Velociraptor vs. Ankylosaurus

Original air date: September 4, 2005 [2]

Velociraptor

  • Velociraptor was only the size of a turkey.
  • Velociraptor had feathers.
  • A robotic Velociraptor leg provides evidence that Velociraptor did not cut its meal.
  • The fossil of a Velociraptor fighting a Protoceratops shows that the Velociraptor pierced the neck of its prey, possibly to impale the arteries or the vein.
  • Velociraptor's wings were used for balance and agility, much like the wings of an African ostrich.
  • Along with its claws, Velociraptor's teeth were useful weapons.
  • Velociraptor most likely hunted in small packs.
  • Teeth of this dinosaur were found among its next meals.
  • The claw provides evidence that the Velociraptor could not penetrate the ankylosaurus 's armor, it broke when tested on a croc's skin.

Ankylosaurus

  • Ankylosaurus armor was similar to a crocodile's, though significantly harder.
  • Young crocs have no armor, especially on the neck. Baby ankylosaurus were probably similar.
  • A robotic ankylosaurus tail shows that the tail club could break wood and bone with ease.
  • This dinosaur's armour and club was used only on more threatening predators than Velociraptor.
  • In the U.S version, it was known as Ankylosaurus , although Ankylosaurus itself lived in North America. The ankylosaurus in this fact have been Pinacosaurus .

Face Off

The ankylosaurus would win, although Velociraptors could easily kill young ankylosauruses, which have armor.

The ankylosaurus is being attacked by three Velociraptors. They try to attack it four times but its armor proves thick. The ankylosaurus is able to drive them away by swinging its tail club (one hit would have killed one of the pack).

The ankylosaurus is grazing and her young dollies come very close to her to avoid some danger, but one of them runs off to an unsafe playground. Two Velociraptors lay a trap around the female dolly, one of them bursts out of cover to stampede the dolly and the dolly escapes the Velociraptor, only to be driven into the claws of another one. The two Velociraptors attack the dolly, slashing her with their claws. The dolly tries desperately to save herself with her tail club, but is quickly overwhelmed. One of the raptors drives a claw into the dolly's neck, killing her. The Velociraptors then have the female baby as their payback.

Minor appearances

Tarbosaurus

Protoceratops

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> Genus of Late Cretaceous theropod

Tyrannosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species Tyrannosaurus rex, often called T. rex or colloquially T-Rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived throughout what is now western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. Tyrannosaurus had a much wider range than other tyrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of rock formations dating to the Maastrichtian age of the Upper Cretaceous period, 72.7 to 66 million years ago. It was the last known member of the tyrannosaurids and among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

<i>Velociraptor</i> Dromaeosaurid dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous

Velociraptor is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis, named and described in 1924. Fossils of this species have been discovered in the Djadochta Formation, Mongolia. A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material from the Bayan Mandahu Formation, China.

<i>Ankylosaurus</i> Ankylosaurid dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous Period

Ankylosaurus is a genus of armored dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the Cretaceous Period, about 68–66 million years ago, in western North America, making it among the last of the non-avian dinosaurs. It was named by Barnum Brown in 1908; it is monotypic, containing only A. magniventris. The generic name means "fused" or "bent lizard", and the specific name means "great belly". A handful of specimens have been excavated to date, but a complete skeleton has not been discovered. Though other members of Ankylosauria are represented by more extensive fossil material, Ankylosaurus is often considered the archetypal member of its group, despite having some unusual features.

<i>Protoceratops</i> Genus of reptiles (fossil)

Protoceratops is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. The genus Protoceratops includes two species: P. andrewsi and the larger P. hellenikorhinus. The former was described in 1923 with fossils from the Mongolian Djadokhta Formation, and the latter in 2001 with fossils from the Chinese Bayan Mandahu Formation. Protoceratops was initially believed to be an ancestor of ankylosaurians and larger ceratopsians, such as Triceratops and relatives, until the discoveries of other protoceratopsids. Populations of P. andrewsi may have evolved into Bagaceratops through anagenesis.

<i>Extreme Dinosaurs</i> American animated television series

Extreme Dinosaurs is an American animated series produced by DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment in 1997 based on a 1996 toy line from Mattel. This show is a spin-off of Street Sharks.

Cretaceous Mongolia is one of the strangest and best preserved of all Mesozoic ecosystems. The shifting sand of what was, even then, the Gobi Desert have ensured that fossils of the animals that lived there can be found in exactly the position in which they were buried, with most of the bones together. The most notable fossil is the very well preserved remains of a Velociraptor, locked in combat with a Protoceratops, a small ceratopsian.

<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> in popular culture

Tyrannosaurus rex is unique among dinosaurs in its place in modern culture; paleontologist Robert Bakker has called it "the most popular dinosaur among people of all ages, all cultures, and all nationalities". Paleontologists Mark Norell and Lowell Dingus have likewise called it "the most famous dinosaur of all times." Paleoartist Gregory S. Paul has called it "the theropod. [...] This is the public's favorite dinosaur [...] Even the formations it is found in have fantastic names like Hell Creek and Lance." Other paleontologists agree with that and note that whenever a museum erects a new skeleton or bring in an animatronic model, visitor numbers go up. "Jurassic Park and King Kong would not have been the same without it." In the public mind, T. rex sets the standard of what a dinosaur should be. Science writer Riley Black similarly states, "In all of prehistory, there is no animal that commands our attention quite like Tyrannosaurus rex, the tyrant lizard king. Since the time this dinosaur was officially named in 1905, the enormous carnivore has stood as the ultimate dinosaur."

<i>Stegosaurus</i> in popular culture

Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable types among cultural depictions of dinosaurs. It has been depicted on film, in cartoons, comics, as children's toys, as sculpture, and even was declared the state dinosaur of Colorado in 1982. Stegosaurus is a subject for inclusion in dinosaur toy and scale model lines, such as the Carnegie Collection.

Dinosaur Walk Museum was a series of attractions that feature life-size sculptures of dinosaurs and replicas of fossils. Branches of the museum were located in Riverhead, New York and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinosaur Park</span> United States historic place

Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore. Constructed by the city of Rapid City and the Works Progress Administration, WPA Project #960's dinosaurs were designed by Emmet Sullivan. Sullivan also designed the Apatosaurus at Wall Drug nearby in Wall, South Dakota, the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and the dinosaurs at the now closed Dinosaur World in Beaver, Arkansas.

<i>Dinosaur Train</i> Preschool animated television series on PBS Kids

Dinosaur Train is a animated television series aimed at preschoolers ages 3 to 6 and created by Craig Bartlett, who also created Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!. The series features a Tyrannosaurus rex named Buddy who, together with the rest of his family, who are all Pteranodons, takes the Dinosaur Train to explore his time period, and have adventures with a variety of dinosaurs. It is co-produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with the Infocomm Media Development Authority, Sparky Animation, FableVision, Snee-Oosh, Inc., Reel FX, and Sea to Sky Entertainment. As of September 2018, PBS Kids had ordered 11 more episodes, taking the total number of episodes to 100. A film based on the series from Universal Pictures and Universal 1440 Entertainment titled, Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island premiered on April 12, 2021.

The Dinosaurs! is an American television miniseries produced by WHYY-TV for PBS in 1992, featuring some of the then-modern theories about dinosaurs and how they lived. It aired four episodes from November 22 to November 25, 1992.

Last Day of the Dinosaurs is a 2010 Discovery Channel television documentary about the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. It portrays the Alvarez hypothesis as the cause of extinction. The documentary was released on August 28, 2010 and narrated by Bill Mondy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighting Dinosaurs</span> Fossil specimen of two dinosaurs in combat

The Fighting Dinosaurs is a fossil specimen which was found in the Late Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia in 1971. It preserves a Protoceratops andrewsi and Velociraptor mongoliensis trapped in combat about 80 million years ago and provides direct evidence of predatory behavior in non-avian dinosaurs. The specimen has caused much debate as to how both animals came to be preserved together with relative completeness. Several hypotheses have been proposed, including a drowning scenario, burial by either dune collapse or sandstorm, or alternatively they were not buried simultaneously.

You Are Umasou is a Japanese picture book series by Tatsuya Miyanishi, published by Poplar. The series has spawned an animated film and anime adaptations. The fourth film My Tyrano II: Easter, Garden was planned to release in 2024 but was delayed to 2025.

Dinofroz is an Italian animated series made by Giochi Preziosi in partnership with the Italian studio Mondo TV.

Feeding behaviour of <i>Tyrannosaurus</i>

The feeding behaviour of Tyrannosaurus rex has been studied extensively. The well known attributes of T. rex are often interpreted to be indicative of either a predatory or scavenging lifestyle, and as such the biomechanics, feeding strategies and diet of Tyrannosaurus have been subject to much research and debate.

Dinosaurs is a set of miniatures published by Grenadier subsidiary Pinnacle Products.

The Dueling Dinosaurs or Montana Dueling Dinosaurs is a fossil specimen originating from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. It consists of the fossilized skeletons of an adolescent Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops horridus entangled with one another, and entombed in sandstone. The "dueling" inference comes from the numerous injuries sustained by both dinosaurs, including a tooth from the Tyrannosaurus embedded within the Triceratops, although it is not known whether they were actually buried fighting one another. Despite the scientific importance of the specimen, it has remained relatively obscure due to a lengthy legal dispute over property rights to the specimen, which has since been resolved. The fossil is currently in the possession of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

References

  1. "The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs, Episode 1". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 11 October 2005. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. "The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs, Episode 2". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 14 October 2005. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2023.