This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Designing Dinosaurs. How do we know details about dinosaurs that are not readily apparent from the fossil record? How can we tell what we can tell about the colors, sounds, and behaviors of these magnificent little beasties?
Later in the show, we are going to talk with Stephanie Warren Drimmer from National Geographic about her new book, Jurassic Smarts.
Fossils, including those of dinosaurs, have been known about since ancient times. These findings led to legends of dragons, cyclopseseseses, and at least one odd guess at giant humans.
Listen to the podcast version of this episode here, or watch it as a video:
Fossils tell us a lot about ancient life including dinosaurs. I mean, a two-meter-long thigh bone couldn’t POSSIBLY fit inside a chicken-sized dinosaur. Right? I mean, Seriously! How would they walk?
But how do we know what dinosaurs looked like or how they behaved? The answer lies in the incredible work of paleontologists and the deeper clues they uncover from these ancient snapshots of lifeforms.
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Fossils are, basically, nature’s time capsules. They preserve records of ancient life, including dinosaurs. Most dinosaur fossils are bones and teeth, but sometimes we get lucky and find skin impressions or patterns of feathers! These provide valuable information about a dinosaur’s physical appearance.
Just four decades ago, dinosaurs were nearly universally believed to be overgrown lizards covered in scales.
In the 1990s, the discovery of fossilized feathers on certain dinosaur species led scientists to conclude that some dinosaurs had feathers in place of scales. It is possible primitive feathers may have served as thermal insulation before becoming instruments of flight.
Some paleontologists now propose that all dinosaurs may have had at least some feathers, although not all species were covered in the bird-like structures. This was a game-changing revelation in our understanding of how dinosaurs looked!
But what about color? This is where things get really interesting. Features of melanin-containing organelles called melanosomes can be preserved in fossils. Study of these tiny structures can reveal the colors of the creature.
Some dinosaurs may have even been rainbow-colored. Or… Oh no. Not…
[[
A purple dinosaur singing and playing mandolin:
Dinosaurs roamed for years galore, One-six-five million, maybe more. Dinosaurs big, dinosaurs small, Some could fly, some could crawl.
Humans are just a tiny speck, In time’s grand scheme, just a fleck. 300,000 years up to today, but will you make it to next Thursday?
]]
To add a little color to the discussion of Designing Dinosaurs, we welcome Stephanie Warren Drimmer from National Geographic, author of Jurassic Smarts, back to the show.
Well, what about the behaviors of dinosaurs? That’s a bit trickier. Paleontologists often look at modern animals with similar features to make educated guesses. For example, if a dinosaur has sharp teeth and claws, it could have been a predator. Nesting sites can give clues about their parenting behavior.
Sometimes, we get extraordinary fossils called “trace fossils”. These include footprints, nests, or even coprolites (fossilized poop!). These can tell us about a dinosaur’s diet, its gait, and how it may have interacted with its environment.
It’s important to remember that while these methods provide valuable insights, there’s still much we don’t know about dinosaurs. Our understanding is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made.
So the next time you see a depiction of a dinosaur, remember the incredible detective work that went into bringing these magnificent creatures back to life, using the tools of SCIENCE!
Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we learn why Greece is the Word, talking about the birth of science in the ancient world. We’ll be joined by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes, hosts of the Greeking Out podcast. We’ll discuss their new book of the same name, plus mythology, culture, and the earliest days of western civilization.
Make sure to join us starting on 7 October, [<<<] which is also… Cephalopod Awareness Day [<WAVE<]. So, invite a squid, octopus, or nautilus to watch the show with you on the couch while you… cuttlefish.
This is the part of the show where I ask you to subscribe, follow, share, all that hullabaloo. But I know you are ALREADY subscribed to the show on all your favorite social networks, because viewers and listeners of The Cosmic Companion are just smart that way. You [OO] ARE smart enough to have subscribed or followed ALREADY, right? Mmm hmm. Thought so.
Clear skies!
James
INTRO/COLD OPEN:
Two dinosaurs are eating leaves from a tree. One of them, a female named TRISHA, is looking up at the sky. She is wearing glasses.
TRISHA (Nervous) Hey… REX… Look at that light in the sky.
REX What’s that?
TRISHA I’m worried, Rex. I think it’s an asteroid.
REX An asteroid? What’s that?
TRISHA It’s a giant rock from space. Look. If it hits Earth, it could wipe us all out.
REX (Laughs) Ha! You’re being ridiculous. Asteroids aren’t real. Next thing you know, you’ll try to tell me the Earth isn’t flat!
TRISHA But I saw it, Rex! It’s huge!
REX Okay, okay. Just calm down. I’m sure it’s nothing.
TRISHA (Sighs) I hope you’re right.
The two dinosaurs continue eating leaves. Trisha keeps glancing up at the sky, but Rex ignores her.
Suddenly, there is a bright light and a loud rumble. The two dinosaurs look up and see a massive asteroid streaking towards them.
REX (Eyes wide) Oh my god.
The asteroid hits the Earth with a deafening explosion. A shockwave spreads out from the impact, killing both Rex and Trisha instantly.
FADE TO BLACK
Designing Dinosaurs with Stephanie Warren Drimmer, National Geographic