History Main / EverythingsBetterwithDinosaurs

* DinosaurMedia: Works set in the Mesozoic.

* UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs and UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeDinosaurs (and their subpages): Real-world information about various dinosaurs.

* CoolPet: Having a dinosaur as pets for extra coolness factor.

* TropesaurusIndex:

An index of tropes and useful notes about dinosaurs, mammoths, cavepeople, and other prehistoric or extinct creatures.

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1661816982010255200 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]]
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[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/TheDinosaurLords https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/db5b476383f07296c59ed77bf5f7a4b4.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:See, [[CoolButStupid this]] is what ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' should've done.]]
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->'''Roy:''' But the rooster was determined to get it back with the aid of his trained dinosaurs!\\
'''Orson:''' Trained dinosaurs? Where did the trained dinosaurs come from?\\
'''Roy:''' Same place all those [[GratuitousNinja ninjas]] came from.
-->-- ''[[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends U.S. Acres]]'', "The Name Game"

Well, it's true. Dinosaurs are [[RuleOfCool cool]]. No exceptions.

Dinosaurs are basically real-life {{Kaiju}}, giant epic monsters from the ancient past. Thus, because throwing them into the setting always means awesome, some writers like to throw dinos into their stories. In many cases, this makes no sense at all, often handwaved by crazy science (as with the original ''Film/JurassicPark'') but when dinosaurs show up, we're generally in the realm of [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot awesome for the sake of awesome]]. Generally, the dinosaurs seen will be [[StockDinosaurs restricted to a few well-known types]].

The essence of this trope is the presence of dinosaurs which are not ultimately critical to the plot. If the story would be essentially the same without dinosaurs, it's an example. On the other hand, if [[DinosaurMedia dinosaurs are integral to the premise]], it's not an example.

Note that just because a series [[JustifiedTrope provides a reason]] for there to be dinosaurs does not mean it isn't an example of this trope. Sure, a dinosaur altmode might very well be a good idea for a Franchise/{{Transformer|s}}, but the real reason for a dinosaur form is to [[MerchandiseDriven appeal to young boys]] (also compare KidsLoveDinosaurs). DomesticatedDinosaurs may also count, as characters having a dinosaur as a CoolPet is undeniably awesome.

Despite the name of this trope, it can cover examples that are not technically dinosaurs. Other extinct reptiles, like pterosaurs and plesiosaurs, would fall under this trope. And while it may be a stretch, since we don't have individual tropes for Everything is Better with Woolly Mammoths/Woolly Rhinos/Saber-tooth Cats/Dimetrodons/etc., [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible these examples would get grouped here]].

See also DinosaursAreDragons (in which case this trope overlaps with OurDragonsAreDifferent) and ArtisticLicensePaleontology. Compare DinosaurMedia. MedievalPrehistory will often overlap with this trope as well, since it usually just adds dinosaurs (or other palaeofauna) to what is otherwise a StandardFantasySetting.

Taxonomic evidence makes this a supertrope to CluckingFunny, EverythingsBetterWithPenguins, {{Hippogriff}}, NobleBirdOfPrey, OurGryphonsAreDifferent, TheOwlKnowingOne, ThePhoenix, PirateParrot, and SwansASwimming.

----
!!Example subpages

[[index]]
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/AnimeAndManga
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/ComicBooks
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/{{Film}}
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/{{Literature}}
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/LiveActionTV

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/TabletopGames
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/{{Toys}}
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/VideoGames
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/{{Webcomics}}
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/WebOriginal
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs/WesternAnimation
[[/index]]

!!Other examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* In ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', among the wildlife roaming around planet Xing Xing are dinosaurs (primarily ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex''), for no other reason than just because.
* ''Animation/MotuPatlu'' has an episode titled "Baby Dinosaur", where Patlu finds a dinosaur egg and keeps Motu from trying to cook it. The dinosaur, who they name Chotu, causes mischief around town, and Motu and Patlu try to find him.
* In the ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'' episode "Comic Book", Jalebi is writing a story about her friend Samosa, and Vada and Dhokla make their own additions to the story. Suddenly, the mayor issues a warning for all of Chatpata Nagar, and the three abandon their story to investigate. As it turns out, Samosa has turned into a dinosaur who wants to take some people with him - and ''not in the story his friends were writing''. [[spoiler:This turns out to be because the events of the episode were all written by Samosa, and he wrote himself in as a dinosaur just for fun.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' gives us Tyrannosaurs in F-14s.
-->'''Calvin:''' This is '''so''' cool!\\
'''Hobbes:''' This is '''so''' stupid.
** Dinosaurs are a recurring motif in the comic, and [[KidsLoveDinosaurs a particular subject of fascination by Calvin]], who will often imagine himself as one.
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', dinosaurs aren't extinct; [[HesJustHiding they're just hiding in your furniture]]. Bob the Dinosaur managed to evade humans for years thanks to wearing tennis shoes for fast running. All of the "fossils" that are discovered in modern times were purchased at dinosaur prank novelty stores and thrown into tarpits just to fool people.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' used dinosaurs (together with cavemen) as a common subject. In fact, the scientific name for a stegosaur's tail (thagomizer) is derived from a comic where a caveman explains that it is derived from "the late Thag Simmons".
* Jason Fox of ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' has a major dinosaur obsession. He once sent an electronic message to the White House saying "increase dinosaur DNA research" over and over again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' downplays Calvin's love of dinosaurs (though it still exists). Nonetheless, Hobbes ends up in their era in [[GetBackToTheFuture "Time Terror"]].
* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] in ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces.'' The heroes are threatened by a T. rex, then they befriend a genetically engineered PteroSoarer, then they fight raptors, then they encounter [[DemBones animated dinosaur fossils,]] then they visit [[Franchise/JurassicPark an island full of dinosaurs]], then they get attacked and separated by the dinosaurs, [[spoiler:then one of the heroes gets the ability to [[ScaledUp transform into a dinosaur,]] [[WhoWritesThisCrap and it gets a whole lot weirder from there.]]]]
--> '''Violet:''' ''[to Adam]'' No more dinosaurs for a while, OK?
* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8085799/1/Pinkassic-Park Pinkassic Park,]]'' which is basically ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossed with ''Film/JurassicPark''.
* ''Fanfic/TheWorldOfTheCreatures'' takes place in the mind of someone obsessed with dinosaurs and other extinct animals. When they're not trying to save the world, the main characters are usually trying to avoid being eaten.
* The entire reason ''Fanfic/MesozoicEffect'' exists. According to the [[WordOfGod author]] the idea of putting sentient dinosaurs into the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' universe was just awesome not to write about, regardless of how [[MST3KMantra little sense it makes.]]
* In the ''Manga/OnePiece'' fanfic ''Fanfic/CobysChoice'', the titular character finds and eats a Devil Fruit in Little Garden that allows him to transform into a Triceratops.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'': [[spoiler: Maggie Walsh]] turns out to have some velociraptor DNA, and [[spoiler: the Collecting base at Christakos Tepui]] is surrounded by them. Several of the threats Terawatt faces, such as Gojira, also seem to include a mix of dinosaur with other things.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gamebooks]]
* The ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' gamebook ''Literature/IslandOfTheLizardKing'' involved the reader trying to assassinate the king of a race of lizardmen. For no particular reason, one of said lizardmen is seen riding a ''Styracosaurus'' at one point.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Magazine]]
* ''{{Magazine/Analog}}'': The [[Recap/Analog1930 June 1930 cover]] has brachiosaurus, [[RecycledInSpace on the moon!]] Many of them are depicted as capable of standing on their hind legs and living in a tropical environment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* The cover of the Music/BlueOysterCult album ''Music/CultosaurusErectus'' features a stupendously large one. If you look really closely you will see a very tiny spacecraft in the vicinity of its neck. The rear cover art spoofs a scientific paper and identifes the ceature as the eponymous Cultosaurus Erectus.
* [[Music/{{Hevisaurus}} Hevisaurus]], a Finnish HeavyMetal band aimed towards children.
* Music/WeirdAlYankovic's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh4zvQfDhi0 "Jurassic Park,"]] turning the {{melodrama}}tic ([[{{Narm}} to the point of hilarity]]) "[=MacArthur=] Park" into a [[FilkSong retelling of]] [[Franchise/JurassicPark Spielberg's movie]].
* Music/TheBlackKeys first video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNXwicxlsvI "Tighten Up"]] features a puppet dinosaur named Frank, who returns surrounded by bikini-clad women in "Next Girl." ([[http://pitchfork.com/news/39197-directors-cut-black-keys-next-girl/ "When I had the opportunity to make a second one with Frank, I was like, "Dude, he's got to be a pimp."]])
* German power metal band [[Music/{{Victorius}} Victorius]] has album named "Dinosaur Warfare - Legend of the Power Saurus". It's {{Exactly What It Says on the Tin}}.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* Creator/{{Atari}}'s ''Pinball/MiddleEarth'' pinball is decorated with space explorers taming a dinosaur-filled LostWorld ... [[NoPlotNoProblem none of which affects the actual game one iota.]]
* Hankin's ''Pinball/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' has a pterosaur flying over Dagobah. Why? Why not?
* The Bronto Crane from ''Pinball/TheFlintstones,'' a fancy way just to return a ball back to the playfield.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* One of Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}'s big annual events is ''[=Chikarasaurus=] Rex.''
* Wrestling/BrodusClay's RedBaron is "The [=Funkasaurus=]."
* This is Wrestling/TerraCalaway's whole gimmick. Her {{Red Baron}}ess is "The Queen of the Dinosaurs," she wears a [[DemBones dinosaur skull]] mask to the ring and she is [[PartsUnknown billed from]] [[Franchise/JurassicPark "Isla Nublar"]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* At the Ride/DisneyThemeParks:
** ''Ride/EllensEnergyAdventure'' at EPCOT, which is about power sources, contains an extended sequence involving dinosaurs. This in itself was based on the Primeval World diorama at the Disneyland Railroad.
** There's also the ride called ''Ride/{{Dinosaur}}'', which itself is situated in a land dedicated to dinosaurs known as Dinoland USA.
** ''Ride/BigThunderMountainRailroad'' ends with a stop at a dig site where a ''Tyrannosaurus'' skeleton has been uncovered.
** The Disneyland Rail Road's journey through the Grand Canyon, which suddenly takes us back to the time of dinosaurs.
* At Ride/UniversalStudios:
** ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure'' at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Islands of Adventure]], is based off the franchise ''Franchise/JurassicPark''. Besides the ride there is a whole island based around the franchise as well. The ride by itself is present in the other various Universal parks as well.
** The primeval sequence in ''Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide'' features an up and close encounter with a massive ''T. rex''.
** A whole section of ''Ride/TheSimpsonsRide'' is dedicated to an attraction called "Captain Dinosaur's Pirate Rip-Off".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* Lee in ''WebVideo/SourceFed'' loves dinosaurs. This little fact turned into a RunningGag of epic proportions.
* ''WebVideo/TierZoo'':
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vny05XYFpT0 Should Dinosaurs be Unbanned?]]" was an episode that discussed how well dinosaurs would do in the modern day. It turns out that [[spoiler:several dinosaurs including the ''Triceratops'' and ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'' would be considered AwesomeButImpractical thanks to the differences in wildlife back then and now. Dromaeosaurs, Stegosaurs and Ankylosaurs would be able to dominate the meta thanks to still having the tools needed to survive.]]
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUAT9XrFSN0 The Dinosaur Tier list]]" showcased how well dinosaurs fared in their respective time periods.
[[/folder]]

'''Roy:''' Same place all those ninjas came from.

See also DinosaursAreDragons (in which case this trope overlaps with OurDragonsAreDifferent) and ArtisticLicensePaleontology. Compare DinosaurMedia.

* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] to Hell and back in ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces.'' The heroes are threatened by a T. rex, then they befriend a genetically engineered PteroSoarer, then they fight raptors, then they encounter [[DemBones animated dinosaur fossils,]] then they visit [[Franchise/JurassicPark an island full of dinosaurs]], then they get attacked and separated by the dinosaurs, [[spoiler:then one of the heroes gets the ability to [[ScaledUp transform into a dinosaur,]] [[WhoWritesThisCrap and it gets a whole lot weirder from there.]]]]

** And lest we forget the Disneyland Rail Road's journey through the Grand Canyon, which suddenly takes us back to the time of dinosaurs.

** ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure'' at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Islands of Adventure]], is of course based off the franchise ''Franchise/JurassicPark''. Besides the ride there is a whole island based around the franchise as well. The ride by itself is present in the other various Universal parks as well.

** [[EverythingsBetterwithDinosaurs/ChildrensShow Children's TV]]

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' gives us Tyrannosaurs in F-14s, as you can see on this page.

* In ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', among the wildlife roaming around planet Xing Xing are dinosaurs (primarily ''TyrannosaurusRex''), for no other reason than just because.

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vny05XYFpT0 Should Dinosaurs be Unbanned?]]" was an episode that discussed how well dinosaurs would do in the modern day. It turns out that [[spoiler:several dinosaurs including the ''Triceratops'' and ''TyrannosaurusRex'' would be considered AwesomeButImpractical thanks to the differences in wildlife back then and now. Dromaeosaurs, Stegosaurs and Ankylosaurs would be able to dominate the meta thanks to still having the tools needed to survive.]]

See also DinosaursAreDragons (in which case this trope overlaps with InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons) and ArtisticLicensePaleontology. Compare DinosaurMedia.

** There's also the ride called ''Ride/{{Dinosaur}}''.

* [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged]] to Hell and back in ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces.'' The heroes are threatened by a T. rex, then they befriend a genetically engineered PteroSoarer, then they fight raptors, then they encounter [[DemBones animated dinosaur fossils,]] then they visit [[Franchise/JurassicPark an island full of dinosaurs]], then they get attacked and separated by the dinosaurs, [[spoiler:then one of the heroes gets the ability to [[ScaledUp transform into a dinosaur,]] [[WhoWritesThisCrap and it gets a whole lot weirder from there.]]]]

* ''{{Magazine/Analog}}'': The [[Recap/Analog1930 June 1930 cover]] has brachiosaurus, [[InSpace on the moon!]] Many of them are depicted as capable of standing on their hind legs and living in a tropical environment.

** There's also the ride called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dinosaur.]]

Note that just because a series [[JustifiedTrope provides a reason]] for there to be dinosaurs does not mean it isn't an example of this trope. Sure, a dinosaur altmode might very well be a good idea for a Franchise/{{Transformer|s}}, but the real reason for a dinosaur form is to [[MerchandiseDriven appeal to young boys]] (also compare KidsLoveDinosaurs).

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* ''TheWorldOfTheCreatures'' takes place in the mind of someone obsessed with dinosaurs and other extinct animals. When they're not trying to save the world, the main characters are usually trying to avoid being eaten.

Despite the name of this trope, it can cover examples that are not technically dinosaurs. Other extinct reptiles, like pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, and dimetrodons would fall under this trope. And while it may be a stretch, since we don't have individual tropes for Everything is Better with Woolly Mammoths/Woolly Rhinos/Saber-tooth Cats/etc., [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible these examples would get grouped here]].

Taxonomic evidence makes this a supertrope to CluckingFunny, EverythingsBetterWithPenguins, {{Hippogriff}}, OurGryphonsAreDifferent, TheOwlKnowingOne, ThePhoenix, PirateParrot, and SwansASwimming.