Bone hunters first began to find, identify, and speculate about dinosaur fossils in the early 1800s. Since then, people the world over have offered a wide range of ideas and opinions about life in the age of dinosaurs. These great creatures have inspired painters, cartoonists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, and others. But not all ideas reflected scientific reality.
Whether on purpose or out of ignorance, generations of
misinformation have distorted our view of dinosaurs, which have been portrayed as stupid, vicious, and slowmoving creatures. Recent evidence now shows that some could run very fast and with grace. Many had well-developed brains. We now know that some were fierce predators, while others were peaceful vegetarians.
In nature’s great time line, dinosaurs were extinct long before human beings first appeared. Scenes of primitive people battling dinosaurs could never really have happened. Plots that may make for absorbing entertainment, bold comedy, or gripping adventure should not be confused with reality.
It may be inevitable that creatures as big and as mystifying as dinosaurs would inspire art and invention. This is just what science fiction is—a blend of fact and fantasy that entertains and stirs thought. Famous sci-fi adventures, such as King Kong, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Land That Time Forgot, and the Tarzan tales, have become part of popular culture. They amuse both scientists and escapists. Even a cartoon like “The Flintstones,” in which sitcom cave families have cute dinosaurs as pets and as burly beasts of burden, amuses us. Must cartoons be accurate?
Maybe truth should prevail over entertainment value. To combat imaginative fiction being taken as truth, we need to do detailed research and ask probing questions.