Dinosaurs: Feathers or no feathers?

spinnytop · December 2017

Which do you think is better?

ealford1985 · December 2017

Feathers always gave like raptor an interesting look.

revanantmorituri · December 2017

Depends on which era's fiction the story is emulating. Pre-1990s, dinosaurs are scaly, slow, coldblooded, and stupid. Pre-2010, they're fast, scaly, and "clever girls". After that, the feathers start kicking in.

In any case, no-feathers is easier to animate.

flyingfinn · December 2017

Chickens.

omnilord · December 2017

Sequins for the win.

salmialmi · December 2017

I prefer my dinosaurs to be up to date with the latest scientific understandings.

jonsills · December 2017

Depends. You want accuracy? Paleontological research shows you want feathers. (Some amber remnants, and a few rare fossils, actually show imprints of the feathers themselves.) Otherwise, knock yourself out.

Chickens aren't that far off - the original stock, the red junglefowl of southeast Asia, are among the closest remaining relatives to therapods like T. rex. In fact, in 2012 researchers discovered the fossilized remains of a tyrannosaur covered in fuzzy protofeathers. (Still with the claws and fangs, though - as one of them put it, the feathers “might make it a little more amusing, but only until the point right before it tears you to shreds.”)

pantagruel01 · December 2017

jonsills said:
Depends. You want accuracy? Paleontological research shows you want feathers.

Though mixed scales and feathers probably happened.

markhawkman · December 2017

jonsills said:
Depends. You want accuracy? Paleontological research shows you want feathers. (Some amber remnants, and a few rare fossils, actually show imprints of the feathers themselves.) Otherwise, knock yourself out.

Chickens aren't that far off - the original stock, the red junglefowl of southeast Asia, are among the closest remaining relatives to therapods like T. rex. In fact, in 2012 researchers discovered the fossilized remains of a tyrannosaur covered in fuzzy protofeathers. (Still with the claws and fangs, though - as one of them put it, the feathers “might make it a little more amusing, but only until the point right before it tears you to shreds.”)

One person compared them to ostriches and moas.

You see the tiny head and go aw... cute... But they're far from harmless. Yes, they're mostly herbivores... mostly.

also, they're not as small compared to dinosaurs as you might think....

aesica · December 2017

Whatever is most scientifically accurate. Also, being fashionable is a plus.

legendarylycan · December 2017

revanantmorituri wrote: »

Pre-2010, they're fast, scaly, and "clever girls".

uh wut? the whole 'dinosaurs had feathers' thing started at least as early as 1996, possibly earlier

thelastsonofzod · December 2017

shadowfang240 said:

uh wut? the whole 'dinosaurs had feathers' thing started at least as early as 1996, possibly earlier

I think he's referencing Jurassic Park specifically, and the cultural impact that it had on pop cultural interpretations of dinosaurs. I grew up thinking dinosaurs didn't have feathers because of those movies, and it's been a long process to come to terms with the idea that they do.

To the OP's question, I prefer my dinosaurs without.

Unknown · December 2017

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flyingfinn · December 2017

Dragons.

Are real.

revanantmorituri · December 2017

shadowfang240 said:

revanantmorituri wrote: »

Pre-2010, they're fast, scaly, and "clever girls".

uh wut? the whole 'dinosaurs had feathers' thing started at least as early as 1996, possibly earlier

But more general public perception, and saturation in fiction, took longer. And since we at present only encounter dinosaurs in fictional settings...

markhawkman · December 2017

Since Jurassic park had (in-universe) cloned monstrosities instead of real dinos anyways.

beezeeze · December 2017

I like em large and feathery and also preferably extinct because otherwise that would be terrifying.

omnilord · December 2017

thelastsonofzod said:

shadowfang240 said:

uh wut? the whole 'dinosaurs had feathers' thing started at least as early as 1996, possibly earlier
I think he's referencing Jurassic Park specifically, and the cultural impact that it had on pop cultural interpretations of dinosaurs. I grew up thinking dinosaurs didn't have feathers because of those movies, and it's been a long process to come to terms with the idea that they do.

To the OP's question, I prefer my dinosaurs without.

I'm sort of from this crowd here. When I think dinosaur, I usually envision scales and frills and such. I accept a lot of them really had feathers, if even just a few on their whole body though.

Dinosaurs: Feathers or no feathers?

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