It’s a good thing I go to the Jurassic Park and World movies for entertainment and not scientific accuracy! I do enjoy seeing reptiles portrayed eating well and how iguana eyes and head movements are used for the dinosaurs. I don’t let my iguanas watch the movies for that reason – I don’t want them to get ideas! I’ve seen all the movies so far and recently enjoyed Jurassic World Rebirth.
The storyline has people setting out to Ile Saint-Hubert off Suriname to extract DNA samples from body fluids of the aquatic Mosasaurus, terrestrial Titanosaurus, and aviary Quetzalcoatlus. The reason these reptiles were selected is that they are the biggest of their types. Notice I didn’t say “dinosaurs” because if an ancient reptile swam or flew, it wasn’t a dinosaur. Dinosaurs are reptiles that had holes in their pelvis for the muscles that allowed them to put their legs underneath them, rather than out to the side. Oh, and despite “Jurassic” being in the title, all three of these species were actually from the Cretaceous era!
Mosasaurus: The Ocean’s Apex Predator
Mosasaurs were formidable aquatic ancient reptiles. They lived from about 82 to 66 million years ago. Mosasaurs are considered squamate reptiles, placing them in the lizard and snake family. Scientists are still debating whether monitor lizards or snakes are their closest living relatives.
Its four limbs were shaped into paddles, and the tail was long and ended with a paddle-like fluke. Mosasaurus had excellent vision, but a poor sense of smell. Mosasaurs were considered the top of the food chain, eating anything near the ocean surface: fish, sharks, cephalopods, turtles, and other mosasaurs. I believe the first Mosasaurus was encountered in the last Jurassic World movie, dispatching the “bad dinosaur” at the climax of the film. This current Mosasaurus in Rebirth was depicted using humpback whale behaviors in its quest to consume the human characters. I’m not sure if such maneuvers were truly used by the reptile, but it certainly made for great cinema! The boat chase was a lot of fun.
Titanosaurus: A Gentle Giant of the Ancient Forests
This species lived in the forests of today’s Patagonia about 100 to 95 million years ago. I actually learned about it on a trip I took there last November. This very large dinosaur was a plant-eating sauropod. Its distinguishing feature was the long, thin whip-like tail, used to great effect in the movie. Titanosaurs were believed to be peaceful, social herbivores, typically found living in herds. Another exciting and emotional scene.
Quetzalcoatlus: Lord of the Ancient Skies
Quetzalcoatl was known as the Feathered Serpent. One of my highlights on a trip to Costa Rica was seeing the Resplendent Quetzal, a gorgeous bird with a long tail feather. I’m not surprised that the largest flying reptile was named Quetzalcoatlus. It’s believed that this pterosaur behaved like a modern-day heron, plucking prey from the water and launching itself into the air. It could also soar like a condor. This pterosaur lived in what is now Texas around 67 million years ago. Using 33-feet-long wings, the Quetzalcoatlus would jump into the air then fly using its powerful flaps. As shown in the movie, the Quetzalcoatlus was considered to live a solitary life.
Cinematic Fun (with a Grain of Salt!)
I was rather disappointed in the mutant dinosaur antagonist in Rebirth. The eyes were too small for the enlarged head, and the mutant had a mouthful of sharp teeth that were constantly exposed. I worried about those perpetually exposed teeth! I recently read that dinosaurs most likely had lips to cover their teeth and keep them moist and strong.
However, despite my issues with the portrayal of some of the dinosaurs and ancient reptiles, I did enjoy the movie. I confess, I’ll probably always enjoy the Jurassic movies. Still, it would be nice if there was some scientific accuracy conveyed. But I realize, I go to the movies for entertainment. I love reptile stories!
Highlights of the movie for me included:
- The brachiosaurus dying in the middle of rush hour traffic. Just how would you move that much dead animal?!
- The frilled lizard dino was back as the bad guy’s car runs off the road, but at least this time it didn’t spit! A nice homage to the original movie… for those of us old enough to remember the original movie. Still one of my all-time favorites.
- The sleeping T-rex. We don’t often think about how dinosaurs slept. I know how my reptiles sleep, so I could believe a T. rex sleeping contentedly on the ground. I haven’t noticed my reptiles rolling over in their sleep, but I have seen them having bad dreams. I usually stroke their body to reassure them they are safe and I will protect them.
If you like reptile movies, I encourage you to enjoy the Jurassic movies. The reptile eras must have been interesting, exciting, and quite dangerous! After all, it was a reptile-eat-reptile world.
Want to learn more about the amazing dinosaurs that once roamed our state? Check out my award-winning book, Dinosaurs Roamed Arizona!