JP Science




Could anyone really bring dinosaurs back from extinction?

The idea of bringing dinosaurs to life after 65 million years is unlikely even with future technology. Soft tissues that contain DNA are nearly impossible to preserve and the chances of extracting enough DNA of a single dinosaur to produce one are slim. Some scientist believe that a more likely scenario would be to reverse engineer modern birds to develop dinosaur-like traits such as teeth or long tails. Many posses these genes, which have been selectively turned off by evolution. Even so, it'd be far from making a true dinosaur.



What is Chaos Theory?

In Jurassic Park, Ian Malcolm presents his belief in chaos theory that predicts the failure of the park before it even opened. Chaos theory is essentially, a theory that states that small changes in initial conditions can have a great effect on the future of the system. A common phenomenon is the so called "butterfly effect" which symbolizes how subtle changes, such as a butterfly's flapping wings, can have greater effects on the overall system and producing the tornado, symbolic of the change in atmospheric conditions and so forth.



Are birds really living dinosaurs?

The last decade of paleontology has produced numerous evidence to support the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Many paleontologists now consider birds an extant clade of dinosaur. Some skeptics still believe that although they may have shared a common ancestor, they are not the direct descendants. With dinosaur discoveries on the rise, the similarities between dinosaurs and birds become increasingly evident.



Spinosaurus or T-rex?

The thrilling battle from Jurassic Park 3 could never have actually happened as millions of years separated the two carnivores. Discussion over which animal would win a fight is merely speculation. Spinosaurus was slightly larger than Tyrannosaurus, but its jaws were less powerful and designed for cutting flesh. Tyrannosaur jaws however, could absorb tremendous stress and crush bones.



Did Dilophosaurus really spit venom?

The venomous spit from Dilophosaurus was purely fictional, based on Crichton's novel. No venom glands of Dilophosaurus have ever been discovered, but the similarities of dinosaurs to modern day birds and reptiles doesn't rule out the idea that some theropods may have used venom to kill their prey.



Were Raptors really that intelligent?

Quite frankly, no. Studies have shown that dromeosaurs were among the smartest dinosaurs, but there is little evidence to suggest they were any smarter than modern crocodillians. Fossils of multiple Deinonychus together is often believed to exhibit pack hunting, but no one is certain if this was random cooperation or an organized social structure.