STAR WARS & prehistoric worm

[dragon53]

TRIVIA---in 2023, a team of paleontologists led by Giovanni Mussini discovered fossils of a prehistoric worm in the Grand Canyon from the Cambrian Period over 500 million years ago. It was a priapulid, also referred to as "penis worm" and "cactus worm". Because it had hundreds of branching teeth and the size of the fossil, the paleontologists named it Kraytdraco spectatus after the Krayt dragon, whose skeleton was first seen in the original STAR WARS and the live version was first seen in THE MANDALORIAN.

The prehistoric worm Kraytdraco spectatus was named after the Krayt dragon, whose skeleton was first seen in the original STAR WARS and the live version was first seen in THE MANDALORIAN.

[Shane]

This is weird. Why wouldn't they name it after the Sarlacc, a Star Wars creature that much more obviously resembles the worm?

[crazy8wizard]

Trivia for your trivia: the skeletal neck and head of the Krayt Dragon is actually a re-used prop from a live-action Disney movie from 1975 called One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (Which is a terrible movie btw, it's not worth watching). The Dinosaur in the movie is meant to be a Brontosaurus but was modeled based off of Dippy the Diplodocus.

Unfortunately it also keeps up the star wars tradition of having an animal known from a skull that was fully restored later on and doesn't resemble the original skull whatsoever.

[Over9K]

Trivia for your trivia: the skeletal neck and head of the Krayt Dragon is actually a re-used prop from a live-action Disney movie from 1975 called One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (Which is a terrible movie btw, it's not worth watching). The Dinosaur in the movie is meant to be a Brontosaurus but was modeled based off of Dippy the Diplodocus.

Unfortunately it also keeps up the star wars tradition of having an animal known from a skull that was fully restored later on and doesn't resemble the original skull whatsoever.

Those bones were left where they were placed in the dunes for filming, and whatever is left of them now remain there... if anything at all.

I'd like to know what the skeleton is in the Wampaa icecave on Hoth. Looks like a Hadrosaur to me.

[crazy8wizard]

I'd like to know what the skeleton is in the Wampaa icecave on Hoth. Looks like a Hadrosaur to me.

No, those bones are far too mammalian looking. I'm pretty sure they're cow bones or some other bovid.

[DinoToyForum]

I'd like to know what the skeleton is in the Wampaa icecave on Hoth. Looks like a Hadrosaur to me.

No, those bones are far too mammalian looking. I'm pretty sure they're cow bones or some other bovid.

Definitely mammalian. I wonder if the large vertebral column could be a replica of a mastodon. Or maybe I'm just thinking of mammothy creatures because its an ice planet. 

[Over9K]

I'd like to know what the skeleton is in the Wampaa icecave on Hoth. Looks like a Hadrosaur to me.

No, those bones are far too mammalian looking. I'm pretty sure they're cow bones or some other bovid.

Definitely mammalian. I wonder if the large vertebral column could be a replica of a mastodon. Or maybe I'm just thinking of mammothy creatures because its an ice planet. 

Now THAT would be a sick little Easter egg...

[Paleo Flo]

I'd like to know what the skeleton is in the Wampaa icecave on Hoth. Looks like a Hadrosaur to me.

I still thought it looked like a Corythosaurus but I haven't seen the movie in years. So memory alone want help to identify it. Possible an Edmontosaurus instead?

[Libraraptor]

Interesting discussion. At first I had also thought of the Sarlacc rather than of the Krayt dragon when I read about the fossil.

Quite apart from that, there are probably many other intersections between Star Wars and palaeontology. WHy not collect them here?

[Paleo Flo]

Go for it 

[stargatedalek]

This is weird. Why wouldn't they name it after the Sarlacc, a Star Wars creature that much more obviously resembles the worm?

The design for the Krayt dragon changed gradually over time through non-canon EU appearances, from an elongated lizard-like creature far better matching the skeleton, to the worm-like eventual canon appearance in Mandalorian.