What dinosaurs actually looked like
Reconstructing what extinct dinosaurs looked like requires not only paleontological imagination but also deepen studies on anatomy of those animals. In the latest issue of Academia magazine Agnieszka Kapuścińska from the Museum of Evolution of the PAS Institute of Paleobiology reveals how depictions of prehistoric creatures have evolved over time along with the changing state of scientific knowledge.
The starting point for the reconstruction of dinosaurs are paleontological discoveries. On their basis, the appearance of the skeleton is recreated. Researchers reconstruct soft tissues using modern analogues. The color of their skin or feather is reproduced in a similar way, most often based on vertebrates living in comparable habitats (i.e. crocodiles and birds). In turn, to determine how the extinct animals moved, scientists analyze dinosaurs traces and ‘breathe life’ into previously reconstructed skeletons using the latest computer simulation techniques.
The true nature of the dinosaurs
Agnieszka Kapuścińska in her article describes the process of recreating the image of prehistoric animals since the 19th century, when research on their – mostly incomplete – remains was started. She cites the example of the iguanodon, a large and bulky herbivore, whose perceived appearance has greatly changed over the centuries, starting from a giant lizard-shape, to kangaroo-like shape, and finally to its current depiction. Another example of how paleontological knowledge has changed in recent years are two Tarbosaurus skeletons at the Museum of Evolution. One, folded in the 1960s, shows a Trabosaurus in an outdated kangaroo position, and the other, a newer one, shows the horizontal position of the spine.
“When watching museum exhibitions or popular science films, one should remember that each reconstruction is only a suggestion of what a specific extinct animal could have looked like. Based on a scientific hypothesis, its appearance may be questioned by researchers with new evidence.
“When watching museum exhibitions or popular science films, one should remember that each reconstruction is only a suggestion as to what a particular extinct animal could have looked like. Based on a scientific hypothesis, it appearance may be questioned and reviewed by researchers with new evidence. The fact that dinosaur images are changing reflects the nature of the scientific process itself and shows that we can expect more exciting changes on this topic” – notes the author.
Creator of prehistoric creatures
The Museum of Evolution of the Polish Academy of Sciences houses numerous dinosaur collections and their life-size reconstructions (including Silesaurus, Polonosuchus and Australopithecus) by the sculptor Marta Szubert. Watch the reportage by Dawid Myśliwiec (in Polish) and learn more about the artist and her passion for reconstructing prehistoric creatures.
The article by Agnieszka Kapuścińska will soon be available in English.
