It seems a consensus on whether the feathers
Of dinosaurs ought to be shown has been reached
Though Hollywood lags in their fictions’ depictions
The scientists know it’s the thing to be… um… teached.
That raptors had plumage is clear now, but hear, now,
The voice of tradition that shows them without—
In movies and books (and museums?) you see ‘em
Bereft of their feathers—what’s that all about?
For some, it’s a nod to Jurassic Park classic,
A bit of tradition—what people expect;
For others, their ignorance slows them, and shows them
An icon surviving through simple neglect.
It’s not that they like things outdated, or hated;
They’d rather be current, I think, as a rule
So, really, a new wave’s approaching, encroaching,
Cos feathers on dinosaurs… really, that’s cool
(context here at io9; cuttlecap tip to Riley Black)
Teached? Teached! Strunk and White are spinning at high speed in their graves.
No worries–I had them wound in copper last week, and magnetized their coffins–they are generating the power that keeps FtB chugging along!
Now if only they’d depict a Velociraptor that’s not ten sizes too big.
Everyone is getting in on the act.
http://xkcd.com/1104/
Sorry, but I just watched Dr. Who’s “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” last night. No feathers, even on the raptors. But they did have a very sweet triceratops!
For modern feathered Dinos, you can always peruse Dana Hunter’s blog!
Actually, Treb, there were feathers on the raptors–not many, not terribly functional, but when John Riddell first encounters them, you can see a threat display of raised feathers on the first raptor. Granted, the scene is dark, but it’s clearly feathers. Not along the arms, sadly, nor the legs, but over its back, so the effect is a bit like a cat raising its fur.
eta: there is a pic here showing the feathers; no, they are not the proper feathers, but they are a step in the right direction http://www.tv.com/news/doctor-who-dinosaurs-on-a-spaceship-review-a-storm-is-brewing-29522/
I love feathered dinosaurs. I think all depictions of dinosaurs that are actual dinosaurs should be feathered as appropriate.
But I also love the scaly depictions.
They never existed that way. For me, they are a myth. Scaly, unfeathered raptors are a modern-day mythical creature. And that is the capacity for which I enjoy them. Want a believable monster but you’re bored of trolls, dragons and hydras? Have a raptorsaurus!
Then you can just go mad with the design. Give them spikes. Great, jutting, angular jaws. Razor tails and acid breath. Doesn’t matter, you have your cool, bipedal, intelligent lizard that relentlessly chases human prey at the expense of all else (rather than giving up when the original ambush fails or the prey proves too dangerous to pursue, as a real predator would).
So long as the distinction is made.
But I like feathered dinosaurs more.
Since I saw a feathered dinosaur exhibit at the ROM way back when I was still attending an educational institution, I’ve been a HUGE fan of feathered dinosaurs. I find it gives them more character.
Man, had me fooled. Now I’ll have to find another replay to watch. The dinosaur episode was better than the next one anyhow.
Does this mean Dragons must be converted to plumage too? Gotta see what Ken Ham and Eric Hovind suggest.