6 dinosaur myths you absolutely shouldn't believe in

Myth 1. Velociraptors were very smart and worked as a team

The movie "Jurassic Park" showed us some really terrifying velociraptors. There they are large, strong and at the same time unusually quick-witted creatures that hunted in packs. But the real raptors weren't like that at all.

We already toldthat these dinosaurs actually reached a length of one and a half meters and would barely reach a human thigh. And two-meter killing machines from "Jurassic Park" would be more appropriate to call deinonychs.

By the way, both of them were covered with feathers. But in addition to the dimensions of the raptors, the films also misrepresented their behavior.

These animals were not at all as smart and friendly as is commonly believed.

Studies of Velociraptor skulls have shownD. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson, H. Osmólska. The dinosauria

that once a brain with well-developed olfactory parts and a cerebellum was placed in them - that is, these dinosaurs moved quickly and smelled prey well.

But other areas of the brain were poorly developed, so that raptors and other dromaeosaurids could not boast of outstanding intelligence. Most likely, in behavior they resembled a bird of prey, and far from being as smart as the same raven.

The opinion that the raptors were pack hunters who collectively attacked big game is erroneous. Paleontological finds showB. T. Roach, D. L. Brinkman. A reevaluation of cooperative pack hunting and gregariousness in Deinonychus antirrhopus and other nonavian theropod dinosaurs / Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural Historythat these are solitary animals that behaved rather hostile to each other and did not disdain cannibalism.

The level of intraspecific aggression of Velociraptors was too high for them to flock. And they rarely attacked prey exceeding their size, preferring to pick up any lizards from the ground.

In general, as sad as it may be, real raptors were small, stupid and aggressive. Not very much like those intelligent hunters from The Park.

Myth 2. During the time of the dinosaurs, gravity on Earth was lower

The dinosaurs were big. No, of course, there were also enough small individuals smaller than a cat, but all kinds of sauropods there reached truly impressive sizes. Famous diplodocusR. B. J. Benson, N. E. Campione, M. T. Carrano. Rates of Dinosaur Body Mass Evolution Indicate 170 Million Years of Sustained Ecological Innovation on the Avian Stem Lineage / PLoS Biology, for example, it was 24 meters long, or even more. Not the smallest beast.

Some supporters of alternative science, trying to find an original explanation for such dimensions, argue the following. Allegedly in the Mesozoic era, the gravity on our long-suffering globe was noticeably less, so the dinosaurs waved big, big ones. And then the attraction suddenly increased, and the lizards' bones snapped under their own weight.

Why the force of gravity has increased dramatically is a mystery. Apparently, a heavy meteorite fell, and the planet dramatically put on weight.

In fact, this is a theory from the category of unscientific fiction. There is no mechanism in nature that would dramatically change the gravity of the planets. To do this, you need to tear off about half of the mass from the Earth and enjoy the reduced attraction. And then put the selected in place to return the acceleration of gravity to normal. True, while on the planet, hardly anyone will survive.

Dinosaurs didn't have to break the laws of physics to grow up.K. Carpenter. Biggest of the big: a critical re-evaluation of the mega-sauropod Amphicoelias fragillimus / New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin to an impressive size, because with such dimensions they had a relatively small mass.

The reason is that during evolution they grew air sacs for themselves, which were then inherited by their descendants, birds, and hollow bones. Sauropods, for example, weighedC. Woodruff, J. R. Foster. The fragile legacy of Amphicoelias fragillimus / PeerJ from 20 to 120 tons. And this is the maximum and, most likely, greatly overestimated. This is not Godzilla weighing under 82,000 tons, the square-cube principle was fully observed.

Such dimensions were needed to copeP. M. Sander, A. Christian. Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs: the evolution of gigantism / Biological Reviews with predators: not every tyrannosaurus will dare to attack this walking crane, looking down on it. In addition, the large body helped the animals accumulate water more efficiently and survive in drought.

Myth 3. Sauropods preferred to live in bodies of water

Another myth taken from children's books about huge lizards. Supposedly sauropods were so heavy and clumsy that walking on mortal earth was a real challenge for them. And to make their existence easier, they settled in the lakes.

Diplodocus with brachiosaurs prudently remained immersed in the reservoir, and the liquid reduced the load on their bodies. This allowed them to move comfortably so that their legs did not give way. And only the head was sticking out, that's why the neck was so long.

The hypothesis is based on a reasonable assumption: in water, the load on bones and muscles is lower, the blue whale will not let you lie.

But no sauropod will live in the lake for a long time. The fact is that these creatures ate a lot.P. Upchurch, P. M. Barrett. The evolution of sauropod feeding mechanism / PLoS One - no elephant can master that much. And this is not an eating disorder, but a perfectly reasonable way of life - go and fill such a little body with calories.

Scientists have compared this myth with the numerous traces of sauropods, which testified to constant travel by land. And came to the conclusionD. M. Henderson. Tipsy punters: sauropod dinosaur pneumaticity, buoyancy and aquatic habits / Proceedings of the Royal Society Bthat the giants were nomadic and were not tied to the lakes. In addition, narrow tails and wide bodies made these herb-eaters useless swimmers.

And because of the numerous air bagsD. M. Henderson. Tipsy punters: sauropod dinosaur pneumaticity, buoyancy and aquatic habits / Proceedings of the Royal Society B their bodies were, in fact, huge floats. And it would not have been possible to dive normally with the same diplodocus. If the typical sauropod really set out to dive to the bottom, he would have to wear the lead ballast vest that divers use.

But, despite the inability to swim normally, sauropods still liked to live near water - there is more vegetation there, and you can always find a drink. But they did not climb deep into the reservoirs.

Myth 4. Triceratops were planted on the horns of tyrannosaurs

In various children's books about dinosaurs, Triceratops are schooling herbivorous lizards who selflessly defended their offspring. It is said that when a Tyrannosaurus rex attacked their peacefully grazing herd, the adults individuals stood in a circle, protecting the young with their shields, and pierced with horns those who dared to approach predators.

But paleontologists have debunked this myth long ago.P. Dodson. The Horned Dinosaurs / Princeton University Press. They reliably determined that Triceratops were solitary animals and did not gather in flocks. In addition, these dinosaurs did not care about their offspring: they laid eggs and forgot about the nest.

The idea to stand in a circle and hold the defense, like 300 Spartans, did not enter the heads of the Triceratops: the brains are small, tactical maneuvers are difficult to develop. Let's go and eat better.

If a tyrannosaur accidentally passing by decided that the time was approaching for dinner and it would not hurt to have a bite with a herb-eater, he did not even try to butt him.

Research showsA. J. Martin. Introduction to the Study of Dinosaurs / Oxford: Blackwell Publishingthat the horns and collar of the dinosaur served him for courtship during the mating season and a demonstration of his toughness in front of females, and not as a real weapon. They are too fragile, these horns - you will break about a tyrannosaur, and he will not understand what it was.

But the Triceratops could sensitively hit with its huge beak. But he rarely did it, preferring to banally run away from predators. Therefore, most of the found skeletons of killed Triceratops have traces of numerous tyrannosaur bites to the fifth point - when the catch-up ended not in favor of the horned one.

Myth 5. Dinosaurs roared

In all films about extinct lizards, they growl like catechumens. Tyrannosaurus roars like no bear can, ceratopsians and sauropods trumpet, velociraptors scream - in general, everyone makes exactly the sounds that the viewer expects from them.

But real dinosaurs definitely couldn't growl. Scientists do not know exactly how they sounded, but we would hardly have waited for a roar, like that of today's crocodiles and Komodo monitor lizards. The fact is that constructively these lizards were closer to birds than to reptiles. And they weren't able to vocalize like the same modern alligators.

Most scientists are now inclined to believeJ. A. Clarke, S. Chatterjee, Z. Li. Fossil evidence of the avian vocal organ from the Mesozoic / Naturethat dinosaurs made sounds with a special organ called a syrinx. Birds also have this - thanks to it, they chirp, cluck and scream. But the syrinx did not allow to growl.

Have you ever seen a roaring bird? So a tyrannosaurus would rather cluck than roar.

Paleontologists suggest that even large theropods did not growl like today's predators, but cooed and hummed. University of Washington professor Cynthia Fox saysDid dinosaurs actually roar? / Dr. Universe: If you want to imagine what it was like, listen to the sounds made by emu ostriches.

But, of course, the typical therapod must have purred louder. And his cooing did not bode well.

However, there are also doubtsJ. A. Clarke, S. Chatterjee, Z. Li. Fossil evidence of the avian vocal organ from the Mesozoic / Naturethat Tyrannosaurus or Allosaurus used to intimidate victims with sounds before attacking, like today's lions and bears. Modern birds chirp and scream to communicate with members of their own species or to scare off opponents, but not when hunting.

So the therapods might well have been kicking during the mating season, but they attacked in silence. Well, really, why warn your lunch?

And by the wayWhat Did Dinosaurs Sound Like? / Carnegie Institute, in order to vocalize, the dinosaurs did not open their mouths.

Myth 6. Birds descended from Archeopteryx

This wild-eyed chicken is Archeopteryx. The animal was about the size of a crow and was a kind of transitional link between reptiles and birds. Archeopteryx lived approximatelyG. M. Erickson, O. W. M. Rauhut. Was Dinosaurian Physiology Inherited by Birds? Reconciling Slow Growth in Archeopteryx / PLoS One 150-147 million years ago, in the Cretaceous.

In many popular science books, this creature is referred to as the primitive ancestor of modern birds.

However, it is not. Archeopteryx was indeed considered the ancestor of birds in the past, but modern paleontology has found manyM. Kaplan. Archeopteryx no longer first bird / Nature other species that were more advanced in their structure creatures. And it is from them that the birds originated.

Archeopteryx was a dead-end branch of evolution. To say that birds came from him is still to say that you are descended from a Neanderthal. Kinship, of course, is, but not special.