Common Misconceptions About Dinosaurs/Paleontology

[stargatedalek]

See what I mean, now? It's easy to laugh at the misconceptions that spread around us about a subject we know well. But it's a lot less easy to recognize that we DO spread misconceptions about other sujects OURSELVES. Just by curiosity, how many of you knew those facts about the Titanic? Maybe not that many. So, now, let's stop ourselves from laughing at funny misconceptions... and let us start laughing at ourselves. We are not proptected from having misconceptions either.

No one is going to know everything about everything, and I think most people commenting here realized this. There is nothing wrong with discussing and even teasing misconceptions so long as it doesn't become strictly inflammatory.

Even besides that point most of the things having been discussed in this thread were in fact common knowledge things that anyone in a first world country should at least be generally aware of, such as birds being dinosaurs, and not just things that enthusiasts would know of.

For the record I think more people than you might expect know most of those Titanic facts, or at the very least know not to trust what comes from the movie. But this is Nova Scotia so maybe the actual science of the Titanic just has more exposure here (what with two museums having large sections dedicated solely to it).

I'm aware of that, of course! I never intended to "Attack" anyone, I just wanted to tell poeple to take dinosaur misconceptions with a grain of salt. We all have misconceptions about one subject or another. 

Aah sorry, my bad.

I've seen some times on other forums where people will complain about silly mistakes that anyone could make (like mistaking a serval and a caracal, or thinking squirrels weren't rodents), so I definitely get what you're saying.

[WarrenJB]

Pacific Rim was on the telly recently. Scientist characters talking about 'the second brain of dinosaurs', in a 2013 film, makes me grind my teeth.

[Bowhead Whale]

Pacific Rim was on the telly recently. Scientist characters talking about 'the second brain of dinosaurs', in a 2013 film, makes me grind my teeth.

Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!  Directors should sometimes make more researches before making their TV shows or movies. In Gilligan's Island, I remember an orang-utan present in an episode was called "gorilla" by the professor; in Daktari, they shown tigers and an asian elephant in Africa; the Visconti movie Il Gattopardo was translated The Leopard in English...

[Papi-Anon]

-Trilobites were alive in the Mesozoic. I remember 'Ecco the Dolphin' for Sega Genesis had that as an enemy when you travel to the Jurassic.

-Allosaurus was the ancestor of T-rex.

-Dromeosaurs were as intelligent as a bottlenosed dolphin.

-Neanderthals went extinct because they were dim witted.

-Neanderthals were savage and acted no different than a rabid chimp.

-Mammoths were the ancestors of modern-day elephants.

-Mammoths and Mastadons are the same thing.

-Smilidon was the ancestor to modern Felids.

[WarrenJB]

in Daktari, they shown tigers and an asian elephant in Africa

If it comes to that: the live-action version of 101 Dalmatians honked me off with american woodpeckers and freakin' raccoons running around the english countryside.

There might have been a skunk or a porcupine too. The pedant klaxons in my head were going too crazy to remember.

Anyway, here's the kind of thing for that kind of thing. Just tie a rope round your middle, in case someone needs to pull you back out in a day or two.

-Dromeosaurs were as intelligent as a bottlenosed dolphin.

I think we have Jurassic Park to thank. I can't recall - was it the film that talked about 'chimp-level intelligence'?

-Mammoths were the ancestors of modern-day elephants.

-Smilidon was the ancestor to modern Felids.

Komodo dragons, crocodylians, various and random ancient lineages (coelacanths and such) are 'living dinosaurs'. Hurts more when you hear it from TV wildlife presenters that you otherwise respect.

-Mammoths and Mastadons are the same thing.

Guy on another part of the web posted up fantasy artwork featuring a 'mastodon', for comment. I said it looked more mammoth-like. "No way! I had no idea there was a difference!"

[BlueKrono]

Raptors/chimps - Muldoon says they have "extreme intelligence. Even problem solving intelligence," when they first meet him.

[Bowhead Whale]

-Trilobites were alive in the Mesozoic. I remember 'Ecco the Dolphin' for Sega Genesis had that as an enemy when you travel to the Jurassic.

-Allosaurus was the ancestor of T-rex.

-Dromeosaurs were as intelligent as a bottlenosed dolphin.

-Neanderthals went extinct because they were dim witted.

-Neanderthals were savage and acted no different than a rabid chimp.

-Mammoths were the ancestors of modern-day elephants.

-Mammoths and Mastadons are the same thing.

-Smilidon was the ancestor to modern Felids.

And don't forget this one: "Marsupials developped a specific way to bare their pups AFTER Australia got separated from other continents"!