11 Intriguing Dinosaurs: Physical Appearance and Life Facts

The Value of Life-Sized Dinosaur Models

Dinosaurs are fascinating organisms to explore. Recent versions of Vancouver’s annual fair at the Pacific National Exhibition have had an interesting display of life-sized dinosaur models. Many of these models have been animatronic. Although one or two popular dinosaurs are always present in a display, such as a Tyrannosaurus rex one, the other models are new each year.

This article is based on my latest visit to the fair, which had a “Dinosaurs Around the World” exhibit. It includes photos of the models and facts about the real-life animals.

When animals have become extinct, models and illustrations based on the latest discoveries are probably the best way for the public to examine and appreciate them. I’ve seen several dinosaur displays at the fair and am always impressed by the fact that the models incorporate recent discoveries about the animals.

A life-sized or nearly life-sized model of a dinosaur can be educational to examine, and the information board beside each model is often useful to read.

The PNE Fair in Vancouver

All of the photos in this article were taken by myself or my sister during a trip to the fair at the PNE, or the Pacific National Exhibition. The fair was very enjoyable, but the crowd was limited in size as the recovery from the coronavirus continued. In addition, the photos were taken in the morning. The afternoon was busier.

What Are Fossils?

Scientists learn about dinosaurs by discovering fossils and studying them. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the definition of fossil is a “remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a past geologic age that has been preserved in Earth’s crust.” It’s important to note the word “preserved”.

A fossil is not completely identical to the structure found in the living organism. As might be expected, being covered by other materials causes changes to occur due to chemical reactions, pressure, and time. Nevertheless, fossils can be very useful. Despite the processes that have occurred over time, evidence about the structure of an item in the living animal may remain.

Some of the features that dinosaur researchers are investigating include:

• fossilized bones
• feather impressions in rock
• quill knobs on the body where feathers might have been attached
• fossilized soft tissue, such as patches of skin
• preserved melanosomes (cell organelles containing pigment)

Dinosaurs disappeared around 66 million years ago, except for the line that evolved into birds. It shouldn’t be thought that dinosaurs were failures because they no longer exist. Fossil evidence indicates that they survived for 165 million years before their extinction. In addition, some scientists consider today’s birds to be a type of dinosaur.

Dinosaur Colours

Many dinosaur models on display are grey, but colour is added to some of them as more evidence about their features is being discovered. The colours for a particular model may or may not be completely accurate, but at least they let people know that the animals weren’t all grey.

Life-Sized Models of the Animals

Some dinosaurs were huge. In many cases, the models in the displays that I’ve seen are life-sized. I’ve noticed for some of the larger dinosaurs the creators have used the excuse that they are showing an immature animal, which allows them to create a smaller model. Many of the models that I’ve seen go through animated sequences and make sounds. At least some of the major companies that create large dinosaur models have a scientific advisor who is involved in research related to the animals.

The animal descriptions below are based on the discoveries by scientists. There is a lot more to learn about each group, however. It’s possible that some of the ideas about the typical structure and behaviour of the animals are not completely correct or are even wrong. Hopefully, future discoveries will confirm or clarify the ideas about the animals.

Geologic Timescale

Dinosaurs lived in the Mesozoic era and in all three periods within this era: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cenozoic. According to the U.S. National Parks Service, the Triassic lasted from 251.9 million years ago (mya) to 201.3 mya, the Jurassic from 201.3 mya to 145 mya, and the Cretaceous from 145 mya to 66 mya. Other sources give almost the same data.

Austroraptor is thought to have been a feathered dinosaur. Triceratops is in the background.

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1. Austroraptor

Austroraptor lived in Argentina in the late Cretaceous period. Dinosaurs are believed to have become extinct at the end of this period, except for the line that gave rise to birds. Austroraptor was a bipedal and feathered animal. The species had a long snout and short forelegs. On the other hand, the weight-bearing hind legs are large. The animal was a predator. The sickle or hook on a foot can be seen in the second photo above. The orange colour of the model is a reminder that some dinosaurs may have been colourful animals.

Dinosaur Feathers

The feathers of some dinosaurs (including some of Austroraptor’s) are believed to have been shaped like filaments and may have superficially resembled hairs. They look like hairs on the models, but there are believed to be structural differences between filamentous feathers and hair. Though both are made of keratin, the evidence obtained so far suggests that the chemical exists in slightly different forms in each group. Dinosaur feathers contain beta-keratin, like those of today’s birds. Mammalian hair contains alpha-keratin.

Caution Is Needed

One point to note is that often multiple species of a dinosaur genus existed. (The genus is the first part of the scientific name and the species the second.) It’s possible that some discoveries apply to only one species in a particular genus.

2. Protoceratops

Protoceratops belongs to the same group of animals as Triceratops but lived earlier in time. (I’ve discussed the latter animal in a previous article.) Like Triceratops, Protoceratops had a structure called a frill at the back of its head.

The genus lived in the Cretaceous period from 74 to 70 mya. It inhabited China and Mongolia and was herbivorous. Its back limbs were more developed than its front ones, reflecting the fact that it evolved from a bipedal ancestor. The longer hind legs gave the back of the animal an arch, which can be seen in the model above. The frill is thought to have been used as a display to other members of the species.

In 2011, a nest containing the remains of multiple young members of the species was discovered. Scientists say that this suggests that the species may have cared for its young, which is an interesting thought. It would be wonderful to know more about the daily life of dinosaurs.

3. Minmi paravertebra

Minmi paravertebra belonged to a group of animals known as ankylosaurs, which were classified in the class Sauropsida. It was given its genus name because the first fossils were found near Minmi Crossing in Queensland, Australia. The illustration in the Natural History Museum reference below shows it as a light brown animal with the same colour as the model’s head in the illustration above. I’ve discovered no evidence that the animal was green, though there may be some. As in the Austroraptor model, the appearance of the PNE model is a nice reminder that at least some dinosaurs may have been colourful animals.

Like most ankylosaurs, Minmi paravertebra was a herbivore. The tough outer covering and the armour of ankylosaurs gave them good protection from predators. The Australian Museum says that the animal also had belly armour. Researchers have discovered that the spine of the species has an interesting feature. There were ossified rods of tendons called paravertebrae along the backbone. These may have been used for muscle attachment and may mean that the animal was a fast runner. The museum says that it had unusually long legs for ankylosaurs.

These dinosaurs had enormous skulls lined with up to sixty seven-inch-long, serrated teeth and could generate bite forces up to 8,000 pounds!

— Information board accompanying the T. rex model

4. Tyrannosaurus rex

The Tyrannosaurus rex model in the display was smaller than life size but still interesting to see. I’ve seen a bigger version at the PNE created by another company. In real life, T. rex is one of the largest dinosaurs that is known today. According to the American Museum of Natural History, the animal was up to forty feet long and up to twelve feet high at the hip. It would be taller if the height of the distance to the tip of the head was measured.

T. rex was a North American dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous. Its remains have been found in the western parts of the United States and in the province of Alberta in Canada. Scientists say that the animal was carnivorous based on its sharp and serrated teeth and fossilized stomach contents. It likely swallowed its food whole instead of chewing it. The animal is believed to have had a maximum lifespan in the late twenties.

Interestingly, although the species was a successful predator, the American Museum of Natural History says that scientists think that it was a slow runner. It’s possible that new discoveries and new technology will give give us a better idea about the life of T. rex and other dinosaurs.

5. Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus belonged to a group of dinosaurs sometimes known as “sail-backed” ones. The sail contained spines. Remains of the animal have been found in Africa and Egypt. It lived from 100 to 94 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. The animal was longer than Tyrannosaurus, though it wasn’t as tall. Like the latter animal, it was bipedal.

Spinosaurus spent at least some of its life swimming in water. Its remains tell scientists that its body was adapted for catching fish. Its skull was long and narrow. Its nostrils were located nearer to its eyes than the end of its snout, which would have enabled it to get more of its body under the surface of the water. It also had straight and conical teeth, which was a feature of fish-eating dinosaurs.

The sail may often have been visible in the air when the animal was hunting near the surface of a body of water. Some scientists suspect that it may have acted like a warning sign telling creatures that could see it to stay out of the way and allow the dinosaur to