Dinosaurs: Terrible Lizards Or Gentle Parents?

Ever since dinosaurs were first identified as a separate species in 1841 by Sir Richard Owen, dinosaurs have been in people’s imagination for centuries. However, it wasn’t until T-rex, discovered by Barnum Brown in the 1910s, that dinosaurs were on the minds of everyone. This first Tyrannosaurus rex specimen was put up in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The term Dinosaurs were charcaterized as stupid, cold-blooded, giant reptilian monsters. Since then, there have been countless films showing dinosaurs as nothing more than stupid lizards. Tyrannosaurus rex took the blunt of it. The fossil was displayed with it’s tail on the floor it’s spine was bent vertically and caused an abnormal space between vertebrae.  He was the biggest theropod known at that time. However, were dinosaurs really terrible?

However, decades later, minds changed on Dinosaurs and the world had calmed down. During this time, more research was done by paleontologists. The realized that they Barnum Brown was wrong as to how it walked. Paleontologists began to notice the bird-like characteristics of this theropod and repositioned him to the posture we know today. In fact, the original postition for T-rex would have broken it’s back. It’s vertebrae were not designed that way. This was the genesis of modern paleontology.

In the 1970s, Paleontologist John R. “Jack” Horner from Montana made the revolutionary discovery of Dinosaur Parenting. Not only had he discovered Maiasaura peeblesorum, but, he ended the centuries old sterotype of dinosaurs as big stupid lizards. Now, it’s widely believed that Dinosaurs were excellent parents that took care of their young until they can fend for themselves. Not only had Horner found Maiasaura, he found a bunch of nests along with other Maiasaura.

Paleontology, like all other fields, will continue to improve as more research is conducted and more time has passed. There will also be many revolutionary discoveries or theories which lead to another (e.g. Einstein’s theory of relativity led to the discovery of Black Holes, and John Horner’s discovery of Maiasaura led to the idea of dinosaur parenting and the proven innocence of Oviraptor, and Coelophysis.)  The latter is true. Dinosaur’s were good parents and were smarter than orignally thought. They are animals with the same basic needs as you and me.