The Lost World: Jurassic Park Movie Dinosaurs Compared To Real Life (ANIMATED)
So you’re heading to another Dinosaur island. But how do The Lost World: Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs stack up against the latest science? Let’s find out now… animated!
The film’s tiny Compsognathus have a long neck and tail, tapered face, and vibrant green colours – although the females are less vivid. Plus, these dinos love an easy snack. Real-life Compies had a more horizontal stance, a prominent third finger, were covered in proto-feathers, and like all Theropods, their palms faced inward – so no zombie hands. They also could've grown larger than their onscreen equivalents, but they’re probably not a worrisome threat.
Site B’s Parasaurolophus has a beige colouring with reddish accents, and a more bipedal stance – which is even further off from the bulkier quadrupedal real-life animal.
“Jurassic Park 2’s” Pachycephalosaurus is brown with dark blue markings, has a striking domed skull with added spikes, and a beaked mouth. The real-life version had a horizontal stance, smaller arms, thinner legs, more prominent lips, and their domes were slightly sloped and possibly housed more colourful patterns. These dinos may have used their thick skulls for displays of defense!
The returning Gallimimus has deeper colours, but still lacks the Ostrich-like appearance the real dinosaur possibly had.
“The Lost World’s” Mamenchisaurus design has high-placed nostrils, an s-shaped neck, elephant-like legs, yellow colouring with added stripes, and a long tapered tail. Although the one that appears onscreen is actually a Brachiosaurus from the first film that’s been stretched proportionally. In reality, Mamenchisaurus had a thicker neck, an angled stance, more unique feet, and a possible club-shaped tail tip. While, Their nostrils were in a lower position, and they had a more bulbous nose shape.
The onscreen Stegosaurus is green, has large dermal plates, tail spikes, and a prominent beak. The real-life Steg was elongated, had thinner appendages with less toes, a downward sloping tail, fuller lips, and hexagonal scaling. Their plates likely extended beyond their skeletal structure and had possible distinct patterning. They were also smaller than their movie counterparts. The film’s baby Stegosaurus is stout with a tiny tail. Although the real juveniles were likely much longer – like their parents. Interestingly, Stegosaurus had such a small brain that scientists once believed they had an additional butt-brain… but that’s very unlikely.
“The Lost World’s” female Tyranosaurus has more splotchy and saturated colours than the original film’s T-Rex. While the Male Rex has green coloring, facial scarring, as well as a more prominent dewlap and larger nose ridge. Although, the real more full-bodied Rexes likely lacked these particular differences between sexes. A baby male Tyranosaurus is featured in the film, depicted with large prominent eyes. While the real-life juvenile likely had slimmer features, smaller arms, and some soft feathers. Making them still cute enough to borrow from their parents…but maybe you shouldn’t...
“The Lost World’s” Pteranodons’ have translucent wing membranes, blue accents, a bird-like beak, prominent head crest, and a long curvy neck. The real-life flying reptiles were thicker, had flat feet, fur-like pycnofibers, larger upward pointing beaks, and their wings were less bat-like. The smaller females had less prominent head crests, while the males likely used theirs to attract their mates.
Site B’s Triceratops has straighter horns, and its skin appears less brown-ish. A chubby baby Trike is also spotted! Although, juveniles would have had slender features, an odd head shape, less prominent frills with possible colourful patterns, and their eyes were higher up. Similarly, their parents were far stranger looking than their movie counterparts.
JP2’s female Velociraptors have colours similar to the original film, while the male Velociraptors are orange with dark stripes, and yellow eyes. Although, these clever creatures can be taken down by awesome Gymnastics, and they’re still quite different than their smaller avian-looking namesakes, or their onscreen inspiration Deinonychus. But the film Raptor’s scale is closer to Utahraptors, which were described at the time of the first film’s production.
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Check out our animation of the first film as well as other creature videos on Tell It Animated. Big thanks to Greco Westermann for research assistance, as well as the paleo-artists used as reference; their links are in the video description.