Stepping out of the legendary realm and into pre-history, the next monster on our list is the infamous T. Rex, probably one of the most famous of all the dinosaurs. One of the largest land carnivores known to exist during the late Cretaceous period, T. Rex specimens have been measured to 42 ft long and 13 feet tall. While this is short of the MIMP description of an animal that eats suburbs for desert, there is no denying that T. Rex was a large beast. There is ongoing debate, however, as to how ferocious the 'king of the dinosaurs' actually was. Because of the immense size of the fossilized remains and large serrated dentition found early on in the history of paleontology, it was assumed that Rex was a ferocious hunter. Recently, however, studies have suggested that the animal's gait and stature (especially in the small forearms) suggest a scavenger that would use it's bulk to scare off competitors. Originally described as its own species in 1905, Rex has undergone significant changes in the past 100 years. Early size estimates have been slashed, early models of locomotion and posture have been changed, and models of behavior and social structure have been altered. One thing that has not changed, however, is the public's fascination with this dino.
Probably one of the only animals popularly known by it's scientific rather than common name, Rex is one of the most instantly recognizable dinosaurs in history. The first film appearance of T. Rex was in King Kong. Claymation appearances continued throughout the sci-fi genre and the T. Rex became fodder for any movie that needed a good monster. In 1993, Jurrasic Park rehabilitated the dinosaur's image with a more serious approach to dinosaur effects. Since then, T. Rex appearances have been more on the serious side, with a boom in documentaries on prehistoric life and a number of dinosaur themed animated movies focused on children. This dominance in popular culture has lead many to credit the T. Rex for their interest in paleontology as children and into adulthood.
Next week: another hybrid beast with strong roots in medieval lore.
No comments:
Post a Comment