Reimagining Dinosaurs - National Geographic October 2020 issue

[ITdactyl]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2020/10/reimagining-dinosaurs-prehistoric-icons-get-a-modern-reboot-interactive-feature/

National Geographic recently posted this updated article tackling some of the most recent findings about dinosaurs.  It's a substantial read, and features animations for Spinosaurus (recycled from the swimming footage shared a while back), Yi, Edmontosaurus, Deinonychus and Mussaurus - as well as artwork featuring other species by Gabriel Ugueto.

[stargatedalek]

National Geographic really isn't reaping the benefits of that Disney budget are they? All of the drawn art looks great, but those animations are very stiff and cheap looking.

The information is also trying way to hard to "give themselves outs", it's like almost every statement comes with a "well maybe" or a "potentially" attached to it. Even things that are known certainties.

IE; finally acknowledging Microraptor most likely flew, but waffling on the leg feathers. I thought that was more or less the only part that everyone had finally agreed on; spread backwards over the base of the tail. The reason that wasn't set in stone before was because that only produced lift when moving at speed which most authors refused to acknowledge the potential of, but now we're acknowledging the likelihood Microraptor did use powered flight, and going back to square one on the legs for some reason?

Just ignore me, forever the downer. At the bottom of the page were a bunch of other articles shaming "exotic" pets ("why reptiles are bad pets", etc.), and I was rather heavy-handedly reminded why I still detest this company.

[Libraraptor]

An interesting read.

[HD-man]

For no paywall: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ak9hEtdoyftMJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fmagazine%2F2020%2F10%2Freimagining-dinosaurs-prehistoric-icons-get-a-modern-reboot-interactive-feature%2F%20&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&fbclid=IwAR3iLEIKFUDUufZIgsW-xotLxEqp3xMuyg2SOZLgJaLWm5rO-eVtmpcUCvE

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

Bless this little chunk, he looks like a Guinea Fowl 

[Shonisaurus]

H @HD-man Thanks for that link. Anyway, I will buy the issue of National Geographic where that article is published, I find it very interesting.

[ITdactyl]

H @HD-man , I didn't realize there was a paywall. I'm not a subscriber, and I'm able to browse the entire article including the clips.

@stargatedalek , I tend to agree with your sentiments... my viewpoint here just shifted a bit after an "educational" meeting with some magazine publishers. They mentioned that the presentation will always depend on the target audience. They used Nat Geo articles about extinction and climate change, and said that these should "always" be an easy, even entertaining, read for the regular joe. There's also pressure that a single article does not detract from the tone of that month's issue. So I always have this expectations that Nat Geo articles about dinosaurs will probably be interesting for me, but they were not written/produced for serious dinophiles like us.

@Stuckasaurus , I've a split opinion about Gabriel Ugueto's art. I like how naturalistic and detailed they are but somehow I'm also frustrated at how much they remind me of those animal profiles/sideviews in 80's-90's children's encyclopedias.

[HD-man]

H @HD-man Thanks for that link.

Anytime.

H @HD-man , I didn't realize there was a paywall. I'm not a subscriber, and I'm able to browse the entire article including the clips.

No worries. That sounds similar to when Scientific America got paywalled. Not everyone was affected.

I like how naturalistic and detailed they are but somehow I'm also frustrated at how much they remind me of those animal profiles/sideviews in 80's-90's children's encyclopedias.

Why frustrated?

[ITdactyl]

H @HD-man , ran out of english to express my thoughts properly. XD  Frustrated at myself, mostly - can't get over a mental block. I'm a fan of Gabriel Ugueto's art... especially his simple sketches. His individual animal profiles though - they're nicely detailed and I feel that I'm supposed to like them, but my mind just goes: "sterile".