Discuss: Why Are We So Fascinated With Dinos?

    • Dheeraj.Jangra@timesgroup.com
    • Publish Date: Oct 24 2016 8:06PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Oct 24 2016 8:33PM
Discuss: Why Are We So Fascinated With Dinos?

Fans were ecstatic to hear that the sequel to “Jurassic World” starring Chris Pratt is in the works. Now, the buzz around the film is palpable. But what is about these former custodians of earth that even millions of years after their extinction, we  still have an interest—possibly even a reverence— for them? And why we flock in droves to watch them in theaters?

Genesis at Jurassic Park
Scientists will disagree, but for the common man, the film ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) ignited the interest in dinosaurs. Before the film’s release dinosaurs were mostly popular in academic and scientific circles. When Steven Spielberg decided to make a film on dinosaurs, he realised that he would have to work closely with researchers to present a clearer picture of these enigmatic creatures. And he succeeded to a large extent. What we saw on screen was lifelike and more importantly, ‘real’. Enormous sauropods moved on land with the grace of giant elephants, Gallimimus ran in a herd formation at terrifying speeds, Tyrannosaurus (T. rex) was shown as a narrow-hipped running hunter... For the audience, all this was new and thrilling. To see these prehistoric monsters not merely as fossils, but as living creatures was awe-inspiring. In the process, stars were made of a host of species such as T. rex, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus and Triceratops. And it is for this reason that it inspired a generation of dinosaur fans.  
  
We get bowled by their size
The physical size of dinosaurs has always been a source of fascination for the audience. Any report on a new species invariably raises questions about it weight and size. So, the bigger the better. Dinosaurs fuelled the public imagination like no other creature. They were the largest monsters to “walk the Earth”. Plant eaters like Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus weighed around 50 tons, and even a well-toned T. Rex tipped the scales at seven or eight tons. Watching these monsters in 3D added to the aura. Professor Elizabeth Newson, Developmental Psychology Department of Nottingham University in an interview to Independent explained: “Children often say they love big animals like elephants and dinosaurs. They seem to represent a marvellous mixture of the sinister and the cosy – frightening, but also round and solid and reassuring like grandparents or guardians.” But all dinosaurs were not giants... 
 
They come in different shapes and sizes
Dinosaur fossils were first recognised in the 19th century. In 1842, paleontologist Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur, derived from the Greek deinos, meaning “terrible” or “fearfully great,” and sauros, meaning “lizard” or “reptile.” Since then, over 700 different species of dinosaurs has been identified and named. A study suggests that about 700 to 900 species still have to be unearthed. The greater the number of species, the more the features in each one. Some were carnivores, others herbivores, some had large sickle claws, helmet-like bones on their skulls; one species sported gigantic sails on their backs, others sported armour and spikes on their back. That’s not all. Each of the dinosaurs represents different facets – those we admire or fear. These included power, strength, speed, team spirit, guile... Interestingly, some of these characteristics make ‘heroes’ out of the dinosaurs. Psychologists tend to veer towards a fantasy-versus-reality explanation for our fascination. They argue that, for us, dinosaurs are like dragons, griffins and other mythical creatures we wished were real, except that dinosaurs were real, but not seen. Which puts them on a different plane. 

 
It’s fun to see them hunting us 
There’s the reassurance that the fearsome creature can’t attack us. Seated in the comfort of an auditorium, we can see the monsters flaring their nostrils, trying to sniff out people running helter-skelter, vehicles getting tossed in the  air, concrete structures being ripped apart… it’s actually fun to witness dinosaurs unleashing havoc on the big screen! These sequences could seem gory in any other film but in the world of ‘Jurassic Park’, it’s what the audience expects to see. The more the death and destruction the more captivating the film. Did you know that the human death toll in ‘Jurassic World’ is more than the combined body counts of the ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy?

They have a tragic past 
The most widely held view about the extinction of dinosaurs is that a 10-km-wide asteroid spelt their end in a virtual instant 66 million years ago. Scientists feel that this huge collision spewed enough dust and debris to block out sunlight for a long time, wiping out flora and fauna from Earth. Simply put, dinosaurs are associated with colossal, earth-shattering events in our planet’s history – those that defy constraints of time and space. For paleontologist William Lindsay, “Dinosaurs give you a real sense of the vastness of time.” Dinosaurs  gives us access to some of the most powerful truths our species has come to understand – that, one, our planet has an incredibly deep history, two, life has changed through time, and three, the threat of extinction is real. We find it difficult to believe that these colossal creatures that once roamed the Earth became extinct due to one calamity. Perhaps that’s another reason for the theories that circulate around this creature from time to time. So,what’s yours?
 

Why are dinosaurs so fascinating? Why do we love them so much? Let’s know your views in the comments below. 

 
 

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Comments

JogamNithya GITANJALI DEVASHALA, BALAMRAI

For me dinosaurs are fascinating because they give us an idea about how the animals existing today are linked to the previous generations.It makes me more and more curious to know about its past.

Ishika Jain BHARTI PUBLIC SCHOOL (SWASTHYA VHR)

The history of dinosaurs is quite fascinating. There are several theories about the extinction of dinosaurs but nobody has actually seen it. Although, its been depicted in many movies and thousands of books have also been published on the subject matter. Dinosaurs were the most successful giant land animals.

Nishi Upadhyay BHARTI PUBLIC SCHOOL (SWASTHYA VHR)

because they are astonishing.

Om Badiyani Sandipani

Dinosaurs are fascinating because of their big size and their action....

Brenda Marshal PADUA HIGH SCHOOL-MANKHURD

Why are dinosaurs still not existing ????

Darshil Shah ST. XAVIERS - LOYOLLA -2 LOYOLLA 2

Dinosaurs are special because of their uniqueness and extremely large size. In fact they are the very large in size which makes them fascinating. They are also one of the oldest animals in the world.

Mansi Borade PADUA HIGH SCHOOL-MANKHURD

Because that time dinosaurs was the one who was ruling the half nation.

Palaash Agarwal DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL ROHINI

It is so because they are majestic, primitive and great gigantic beasts. Even I like them. But they don''t exist and if they did, then they would cause a havoc. Though by their DNA, we can clone them by filling its genetic code by cloning the DNA and completing genetic code. After some more processes we can create those creatures which lived long ago. A similar process was carried out in order to create dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Harini MS NAGARJUNA VIDYANIKETAN

I think dinosaurs are so fascinating because we don''t know much about them. Humans tend to show a lot of interest in things they don''t know about, and that''s the exact case with dinosaurs. Additionally, it can also be their different lifestyle that makes us so interested in them.

Aastha ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL

Dinosaurs are the history which has been witnessed by none of us.Since human nature is inquisitive and today we are provided a chance to witness about those unseen historical organisms & that too in animated form ,so we are thrilled to know more about them.This is what makes them fascinating.

Riya Pandey Childrens academy

The un evitable history , mystery and size of dinosaurs is what makes us think that they are the most beautiful creations of the world. Whenever I think about them , I am dragged into the past world. I think that it is this amazing nature of dinosaurs that we like them so much.

Nanthashree.S PRESIDENCY SCHOOLHMT LAYOUT

These gigantic and fascinating creatures have caught the fantasy of humans as they provide a view of something quite unlike what we see today. Their brave tales of huntings and their massive selves have added on to the awe!!!

saishalini Bethel Mat Hr Sec School

I think we love dinosaurs because they are not the existing ones and increases our eagerness to view more about it and the scary animations and adventurous scenes makes us to attract towards it.

Vihan R. Yalamanchili DDMS P.OBUL REDDY PUBLIC SCHOOL

Dinosaurs are so fascinating because they lead us into another world, which is the Earth of their time. They roamed the earth and were kings of the planet in their time.

Adi Gupta Billabong High International School

For me dinosaurs are fascinating because they are giant monsters that lived 100 million years ago. Dinosaurs are semi-mythical creatures in our modern minds. They were gigantic terrifying reptilian creatures who lived in ancient times... much like mythological dragons, except that they were real, as proven by their fossils.The name itself means "terrible lizard" from Latin. I always love and curious to study about them, whether its a new species or an fossil. I love dinosaurs  

SRIRAM.V Amalorpavam Higher Secondary School - Puducherry

Dinosaurs are colossal creatures. We do not see because they are vanished because of natural calamities. They give us a clue that there is a life existed million years ago.

Bhavana Jaison Atomic Energy Central School No 2

Their gigantic size wonder''s us . They are not existing so creates an eagerness to learn more about them.

Vandana Subash City International School Wanowrie

There have been many extinct creatures in the past like mammoths and dodos,but the maximum attention is given to dinosaurs..but my question is why research about them when they are already extinct? Obviously they won''t be returning again,so why love them so much? Maybe Jurassic Park is what made all of us find them fascinating.

Ritvik Baweja Bal Bharati Public School

Well, maybe due to their distinct features.

Sharmeen Khan PADUA HIGH SCHOOL-MANKHURD

The thing that we find dinosaurs so fascinating is that they are extinct . We have a proclivity to show a lot of curosity towards something that we dont know about. Also, the deadly shape and size of these gigantic creatures makes it a matter of interest for science fiction lovers. There is not much discovered about these creatures so it gives us a chance to imagine history ourselves.

SHUBHAM BANSAL RYAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

ITS VERY INTERESTING TO STUDY ABOUT DINOSAURS. THEY GIVE ME AN IDEA ABOUT HOW WAS THE WORLD A FEW THOUSAND YEARS BACK AND NOW. THEIR STRUCTURE, SHAPE, TEETH AND THE ADAPTATIONS HAVE ALWAYS FASCINATED THE YOUNG GENERATION. THE PAST IS ALWAYS BORING BUT WHEN DINOSAURS ARE THERE, IT IS ALWAYS THE MIND CHANGER.

KANNUPRIYA DAV INTL SCHOOL-

Basically the history of dinosaurs is very fascinating and it also teaches us that as dinosaurs are now no more in this world so similiarly any other special creature of this world may also get extinct and may be our next generation won''t be able to see and find out what we can now.

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