History Analysis / ArtisticLicensePaleontology

* A lot of people think it was just the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs, but later claims amended this by suggesting that it was just the end for a really bad day for them, with the Cretaceous seeing a dropoff in the number of dinosaurs, usually blamed on the changing climate and other factors. This newer theory has in turn started to take a lot of hits in recent years, though, as discoveries from all over the world are suggesting that non-avian dinosaurs were still going strong even to the very end of the Cretaceous, and it really was just the meteor that did them in. Discoveries of new dinosaurs like ''Dakotaraptor'', ''Chenanisaurus'', and ''Yamanasaurus'' indicate that even at the end of their age, dinosaurs were continuing to diversify. It’s often speculated that if the meteor had hit at any other time, the dinosaurs would have been able to bounce back even more easily than they actually did - and as it is, they never went completely extinct as was once thought, as birds are still with us today.

* A trope especially common in older works was portraying ''Tyrannosaurus'', and sometimes other large carnivorous theropods, as being [[SuperDrowningSkills totally inept in the water]]. There was never any actual evidence for this very popular paleomeme except perhaps the similarly once-popular notion that [[AquaticHadrosaurs the hadrosaurs were water-inclined animals]] with ([[ScienceMarchesOn supposed]]) adaptations for swimming. Since ''Tyrannosaurus'' didn't have any adaptations for swimming, unlike the contemporary hadrosaurs, this must've meant its otherwise hapless prey must've fled to the water where it couldn't follow to escape it. This of course ignores the fact that plenty of modern animals have no specific adaptations for swimming, but are still capable swimmers (such as, for example, humans).

* No, hadrosaurs were not {{aquatic| hadrosaurs}} animals. They are especially hit with this misconception because the hadrosaur ''Edmontosaurus'' has [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Anatotitan_copei.jpg a superficially ducklike skull]] (hence the nickname "duckbilled dinosaurs"), which lead to the assumption that they ate aquatic plants; some hadrosaur mummies appear to have webbed feet and tails capable of crocodile-like sculling, but as noted above, this was not the case in real life; they were land animals like modern camels or bison. The feet are actually short and compact, almost like hooves, while the tail itself was stiffened by ossified ligaments and incapable of flexing with enough strength to propel them through the water (though [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_(fossil) one very well-preserved Edmontosaurus mummy]] shows that they had much larger tail muscles than expected... except that they were used to move the ''legs'', not the tail itself). When they did have to swim, they wouldn't have been any more capable at it than modern hoofed grazers, though this doesn't preclude some wetlands-dwelling ones taking to the water regardless, ''a la'' modern moose.

* As mentioned above, the very belief that sauropods were too heavy to exist on land. We now know sauropods have light yet powerful skeletons with air-filled chambers, which allowed them to grow at such a large size while stabilizing their weight.

* ''Amargasaurus'' has been traditionally portrayed with two parallel sails, due to its distinctive neck spines resembling those of sail-backed pelycosaurs such as ''Dimetrodon''. This hypothesis was not considered likely, since the spines are rounded rather than flattened, there was little space between them, and possessing sails would limit neck movement. Instead ''Amargasaurus'''s spines would have been solitary structures sheathed in keratin, making them effective for display and combat. However, a 2022 paper challenged this notion and suggested that sails would have been likely after all, since the spines show cylical growth marks. That said, the sails would have resembled humps rather than fins as in traditional depictions.

* ''Agustinia'' being depicted with stegosaur-like spikes protruding from down its back. It's very likely that these spikes were actually, in fact broken ribs, and it's more likely that ''Agustinia'' would probably look more likely pretty much every other sauropod.

* There have been debates if ''Eoraptor'' and herrerasaurs are really theropods rather than either sauropodomorphs or basal saurischians. Recent studies suggest they are not theropods, with ''Eoraptor'' being a sauropodomorph and herrerasaurs being ambiguous.

* Neanderthals are often depicted in media as being dumb, brutish, and uncivilized, sometimes bordering on FrazettaMan. [[https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/our-intelligent-ancestor-neanderthal Recent evidence has suggested that they were in fact as intelligent and cultured as the other species of human at the time]], known for skilled cooperative hunting, possible medical practices, and even maritime travel.

* Cave bears will usually be portrayed as carnivores in the media, when their dentition and isotope analysis suggest they were [[VegetarianCarnivore herbivores]]. That said, they probably would eat meat if the opportunity arises, much like the giant panda.

* No, megalodons were not a hundred feet long. Since the only fossils we have of them are their, admittedly big, teeth, reconstructions of megalodon have varied wildly in both size and shape over the years, but most palaeontologists agree that megalodons probably were between 45 and 60 feet long. Additionally, whether or not megalodon is a great white relative is also in dispute, so its common depiction as a giant great white is likely, if not wrong, than at least partially inaccurate. Some have argued that, due to its larger size, megalodon may have required a different body form and [[https://pre00.deviantart.net/5fcc/th/pre/f/2017/271/2/e/that_giant_shark_everyone_talks_about_by_qbliviens-dbott82.jpg likely more resembled a whale shark or basking shark than a white]].

* Whether all avialans including ''Archaeopteryx'' are birds or not is still not settled; some argue that they are, others argue that birds should only be those avialans classed under the clade ''Aves''. Right now the consensus seems to be settling on the latter option, but the argument persists.

[[folder:Birds and other Ornithurans]]

* Old portraits often show ''Megatherium'' as being no larger than a bear and brought down by a lone ''Smilodon''. This is significantly inaccurate; ''Megatherium'' is as big as modern elephants and the second largest land mammal that isn't an elephant or a rhino, after fellow giant ground sloth ''Eremotherium'', much too big for a sabertooth cat to take down. This may have been due to confusion with other ground sloths such as ''Megalonyx'' and ''Paramylodon'', both bear-sized and prey for ''Smilodon'' (though not easy prey as commonly depicted, as the sloths can kill the cat with a KillerBearHug similar to how giant anteaters kill their predators).

* Old portraits often show ''Megatherium'' as being no larger than a bear and brought down by a lone ''Smilodon''. This is significantly inaccurate; ''Megatherium'' is as big as modern elephants and the second largest land mammal that isn't an elephant or a rhino, after fellow giant ground sloth ''Eremotherium'', much too big for a sabertooth cat to take down. This may have been due to confusion with other ground sloths such as ''Megalonyx'' and ''Paramylodon'', both bear-sized and prey for ''Smilodon'' (though not easy prey as commonly depicted, as the sloths can kill the cat with a DeadlyBearHug similar to how giant anteaters kill their predators).

* Old portraits often show ''Megatherium'' as being no larger than a bear and brought down by a lone ''Smilodon''. This is significantly inaccurate; ''Megatherium'' is as big as modern elephants and the second largest land mammal that isn't an elephant or a rhino, after fellow giant ground sloth ''Eremotherium'', much too big for a sabertooth cat to take down. This may have been due to confusion with other ground sloths such as ''Megalonyx'' and ''Paramylodon'', both bear-sized and prey for ''Smilodon''.

** Additionally, such animals used as potential explanations for cryptids hinge on the notion that the animal in question has never changed due to evolution for thousands or millions of years. While it isn't impossible for an animal to remain relatively unchanged over tens, or even hundreds of millions of years, it's relatively rare. This would be especially true when said cryptid is reported in an environment that is radically different than the environment it is said to have evolved in. For instance, while the giant ground sloth ''Megatherium'' lived in grasslands and open plains, the Mapinguari of Myth/BrazilianFolklore, which some cryptozoologists theorize is a surviving ''Megatherium'', is said to exist in swamps and rainforests. Such a creature would have to radically alter its feeding habits and behavior to the point where it would probably look only tangentially similar to a ''Megatherium''. And that's still a less radical change than the notion that a megalodon could go from open ocean hunter to a deep-sea fish and remain unchanged.

* Any time ''Carnotaurus'' and ''Ceratosaurus'' are shown with a full covering of feathers. Despite the increasing evidence that most theropods had feathers, ''Carnotaurus'' is the only theropod that we have any definitive proof of no feathering thanks to a really well-preserved fossil with skin impressions. Or at least not on most of its body; a sparsely-feathered ''Carnotaurus'' still wouldn't be out of the question. While it's debatable ''Ceratosaurus'' had feathers, it is unlikely to have a full coat due to the presence of osteoderms.

* There seems to be a persistent misconception that ''Ceratosaurus'' was outcompeted and driven into extinction by ''Allosaurus'' (like in ''Series/JurassicFightClub''). This is pretty absurd, since the two taxa are known to have appeared in and disappeared from the Late Jurassic fossil record at around the same time, having coexisted for nearly 10 million years. While ''Allosaurus'' would have been the more dominant apex predator (due to its larger size), ''Ceratosaurus'' had no issue coexisting alongside it as a mesocarnivore, akin to lions and leopards today. Workers also suggest that they may have occupied different niches, which kept conflicts minimal.

* [[EvilEggEater Egg-stealing]] ''Oviraptor''. Yes, its name means "egg stealer", and oviraptorosaurs appear to have been omnivorous, but it is unacceptable if eggs are stated to be the main or ''only'' source of their diets. The name was chosen in 1924 by Henry Fairfield Osborn, who also named ''T. rex'', after paleontologist/adventurer/possible Indiana Jones inspiration Roy Chapman Andrews discovered ''Oviraptor'' near a nest of eggs, but even Osborn felt it might be misleading. Discoveries of related species since then have pretty much confirmed that those eggs were the ''Oviraptor'''s, and she/he was likely brooding them, not stealing them.

* Describing dinosaurs in general as big. While some are famous for being the largest animals on land, most dinosaurs were in fact small (and still are today). Thankfully, this has become a dying trope with the influence of ''Film/JurassicPark''.

* The popularity of the film ''Film/JurassicPark'' led to a pan-medial explosion in use of the term "Jurassic" to describe the dinosaurs' time period. Actually, the Jurassic Period only comprised the middle third of the dinosaurs' era (in between the earlier Triassic and later Cretaceous), which in its entirety is called the Mesozoic. This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] frequently in Creator/MichaelCrichton's [[Literature/JurassicPark original novel]]; probably because he didn't want to seem scientifically illiterate but wasn't about to give up such a cool name.

* ''Tyrannosaurus''' vision being based only on movement. This was popularized by ''Film/JurassicPark'', despite the [[Literature/JurassicPark original novel]] explaining that the motion-based vision was the result of the frog DNA used to recreate the park dinosaurs. It's actually believed that ''T. rex'' had excellent vision, probably better than humans and even that of modern birds of prey like hawks.

* No, {{megalodon}}s were not a hundred feet long. Since the only fossils we have of them are their, admittedly big, teeth, reconstructions of megalodon have varied wildly in both size and shape over the years, but most palaeontologists agree that megalodons probably were between 45 and 60 feet long. Additionally, whether or not megalodon is a great white relative is also in dispute, so its common depiction as a giant great white is likely, if not wrong, than at least partially inaccurate. Some have argued that, due to its larger size, megalodon may have required a different body form and [[https://pre00.deviantart.net/5fcc/th/pre/f/2017/271/2/e/that_giant_shark_everyone_talks_about_by_qbliviens-dbott82.jpg likely more resembled a whale shark or basking shark than a white]].

* Treating any Cenozoic megafauna as an Ice Age animal, despite the last "Ice Age" occurring only 2.6 million years ago during the Pleistocene. This misconception is probably because the most famous prehistoric mammals lived during the Ice Age, particularly the [[MammothsMeanIceAge woolly mammoth]].[[note]]It should be noted that the ice ages ''are still ongoing'', [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Cenozoic_Ice_Age and have been for almost 34 million years and counting]], but the technical definition of an ice age is simply the lower end of the scale of the fluctuations of the global average temperature that have occurred over geologic time. Human history just happens to be on the upper, warmer end.[[/note]]

* Anytime ''Ankylosaurus'' is depicted with spiky osteoderms, with big spikes protruding along its sides (a strictly nodosaur trait). ''Ankylosaurus'' actually had flat osteoderms, with slightly elongated ones being from along the sides of the half-rings, hips and tail. The side spikes were due to associating the armor with that of the nodosaur ''Edmontonia''. There ''were'' ankylosaurids that resembled this portrayal, such as ''Tarchia'', only the "side spikes" are still placed higher than on a nodosaur.

* Anytime ''Ankylosaurus'' is depicted with spiky osteoderms, with big spikes protruding along its sides (a strictly nodosaur trait). ''Ankylosaurus'' actually had flat osteoderms, with slightly elongated ones being from along the sides of the half-rings, hips and tail. The side spikes were due to associating the armor with that of the nodosaur ''Edmontonia''.

* Cold-blooded dinosaurs. In particular, dinosaurs are often depicted as being slow, sluggish and unable to survive, let alone function, in cold temperatures. This old idea was basically stemmed from "They were reptiles similar to crocodiles, and crocodiles are cold-blooded". In reality, the anatomy of dinosaurs suggests they were warm-blooded and led active lifestyles, some of them being nocturnal, and there's evidence that some genera thrived perfectly fine in snowy environments (which are often said not to have existed in the Mesozoic era). While it's now considered doubtful that large dinosaurs were endothermic, they still would have been warm-blooded due to a larger body producing more heat and losing less (i.e. mesothermy). The concept of warm-blooded dinosaurs is actually OlderThanTheyThink, going all the way back to the Victorian era (notice how the Crystal Palace dinosaurs are more similar to mammals than lizards or crocodiles), with cold-blooded dinosaurs coming into popularity during the rejection of the dinosaur-bird connection from the 1920s to 70s.

* Neanderthals are often depicted in media as being dumb, brutish, and uncivilized, sometimes bordering on FrazettaMan. [[https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/our-intelligent-ancestor-neanderthal Evidence suggests that they were in fact as intelligent and cultured as the other species of human at the time]], known for skilled cooperative hunting, and possible medical practices, and even sea-faring.

* Treating any Cenozoic megafauna as an Ice Age animal, despite the last "Ice Age" occurring only 2.6 million years ago during the Pleistocene. This misconception is probably because the most famous prehistoric mammals lived during the Ice Age, particularly the [[MammothsMeanIceAge woolly mammoth]].[[note]]It should be noted that the ice ages ''are still ongoing'', [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Cenozoic_Ice_Age and have been for almost 34 million years and counting]], but the technical definition of an ice age is the lower end of the scale of the fluctuations of the global average temperature over geologic time. Human history just happens to have been on the upper, warmer end.[[/note]]

* Despite what [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Human_evolution_scheme.svg certain pictures may tell you]], humans did not evolve from chimpanzees either. Recent finds like ''Ardipithecus'' have suggested that chimpanzees' quadrupedal posture is in fact a highly derived form, and that the ancestral "missing link" may look more like us than them.

* The PrehistoricMonster trope goes hand-in-hand with this one, especially in older works. Occasionally this is due to ScienceMarchesOn; usually it is done deliberately; either [[RuleOfCool for the sake of audience appeal]], simple laziness (especially when a {{Slurpasaur}} is involved), or as a homage or call-back to earlier works.

* {{Anachronism stew}}ing is endemic with popular depictions of paleontology, whether it is humans using ''Triceratops'' to plough fields, or depicting ''T. rex'' and ''Stegosaurus'' [[WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}} living alongside each other]], despite the fact that they never would have met in real life. In fact the time between ''Tyrannosaurus'' and ''Stegosaurus'' is significantly greater than that of ''Tyrannosaurus'' and human beings.[[note]]The time between ''Stegosaurus'' and ''Tyrannosaurus'' is roughly 80 million years, while that of ''T. rex'' and humans is about 66 million years[[/note]] This type of thinking probably comes from the idea that [[HollywoodPrehistory "prehistory" is just one single, vague time period,]] not considering that the scale of geologic time is unfathomably vast.
* Treating any Cenozoic megafauna as an Ice Age animal, despite the Ice Age occurring only 2.6 million years ago during the Pleistocene. This misconception is probably because the most famous prehistoric mammals lived during the Ice Age, particularly the [[MammothsMeanIceAge woolly mammoth]].

* Plenty of works featuring a pterosaur will use the generic term {{ptero|Soarer}}dactyl (usually reserved for the short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs or the genus ''Pterodactylus'') for any kind of pterosaur. Also, said pterosaur is likely to be [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology highly inaccurate]], not closely resembling any known species.

Main Page: PteroSoarer
* Plenty of works featuring a pterosaur will use the generic term {{ptero|Soarer}}dactyl (usually reserved for the short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs or the genus ''Pterodactylus'') for any kind of pterosaur. Also, said pterosaur is likely to be [[PteroSoarer highly inaccurate]], not closely resembling any known species.

* Allosauroids are sometimes depicted as being able to easily kill completely armored dinosaurs such as ankylosaurs, an impossible feat since they have cutting rather than crushing teeth. This is why tyrannosaurs are more built for attacking armored prey. These two groups are opposite ends of the specialization spectrum; ''Allosaurus'' and it's relatives were actually well evolved for hunting the massive sauropods by slashing into them with their teeth and bleeding them to death, monitor lizard-style. It's also been stated in some sources and documentaries that ''Allosaurus'' had a bite force weaker than a lion's and thus had to use its head like an axe to slash at prey; not only would this strategy have broken its teeth [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6E-mGjgk8g or outright damaged its skull and jaw]], but the original study that led to such a claim about its bite strength was based on incomplete data. ''Allosaurus'' would not have been able to bite as strongly as ''T. rex'', but its jaw strength was in fact more respectable than previously thought.
* ''Allosaurus'' used to be depicted looking like a three-fingered, downsized ''Tyrannosaurus'' (i.e. bulky body, no brow horns). This was during the age when it was considered to be an ancestor or relative of ''T. rex'', which we now know is simply not the case.
* ''Dilophosaurus'' is frequently depicted, especially in more inaccurate works, with a frill and venomous spit; the venom was made up by the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' novel and the frill by TheFilmOfTheBook, with absolutely no evidence for either. Before 2020, ''Dilophosaurus'' was also depicted as being slender and graceful, with a jaw too weak for conventional attack (hence the claims by some scientists that it had to rely on other hunting methods, such as venom). [[https://news.utexas.edu/2020/07/07/famous-jurassic-park-dinosaur-is-less-lizard-more-bird/ The 2020 findings have shown that it was a more robust animal with stronger jaws than traditionally portrayed]], and its crests were reinforced by a system of air sacs and could have been used for resonating, much like those of hadrosaurs.

* Depicting allosauroids as being able to easily kill completely armored dinosaurs such as ankylosaurs, an impossible feat since they have weak bites and cutting teeth. Hence this is why tyrannosaurs are more built for attacking armored prey. These two groups are opposite ends of the specialization spectrum; ''Allosaurus'' and it's relatives were actually well evolved for hunting the massive sauropods by slashing into them with their teeth and bleeding them to death.
* Any time ''Allosaurus'' is depicted looking like a three-fingered, downsized ''Tyrannosaurus'' (i.e. bulky body, no brow horns).

* Cold-blooded dinosaurs. In particular, dinosaurs are often depicted as being slow, sluggish and unable to survive, let alone function, in cold temperatures. This old idea was basically stemmed from "They were reptiles similar to crocodiles, and crocodiles are cold-blooded". In reality, the anatomy of dinosaurs suggests they were warm-blooded and led active lifestyles, some of them being nocturnal, and there's evidence that some genera thrived perfectly fine in snowy environments (which are often said not to have existed in the Mesozoic era). While it's now considered doubtful that large dinosaurs were endothermic, they still would have been warm-blooded due to a larger body producing more heat and losing less (i.e. mesothermy). The concept of warm-blooded dinosaurs is actually OlderThanTheyThink, going all the way back to the Victorian era (notice how the Crystal Palace dinosaurs have more in common with mammals than with lizards or crocodiles).

* ''Liopleurodon'', thanks to ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'', is often thought to be bigger than it actually was; it was 7 meters long rather than 25. The biggest pliosaur we know about was ''Pliosaurus funkei'' (aka "Predator X"), which was 13 meters at best. The ''Liopleurodon'' in "Walking With Dinosaurs" was based on the "Monster of Aramberri", a very incomplete specimen found in Mexico in 1985; early reports had suggested that it was a juvenile and 18 m in length, leading to speculation of how big it could get as an adult. Despite being initially identified as a ''Liopleurodon'', the Monster has since lost that designation and is currently unclassified. A giant pliosaur vertebra was also reported but turned out to be from a sauropod. ''Kronosaurus'' was also oversized for a long time due to being inaccurately reconstructed with plaster casts.

* In a similar vein to the mosasaurs below, it's becoming increasingly likely that plesiosaurs had tail fins due to the way their caudal neural spines are shaped, in contrast with the tapering tails they are commonly portrayed with. (Although this itself maybe outdated and they [[http://markwitton-com.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-tale-of-plesiosaur-tails-vertical.html instead had whale-like flukes used in steering and balance]])
* ''Liopleurodon'', thanks to ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'', is often thought to be bigger than it actually was; it was 7 meters long rather than 25. The biggest pliosaur we know about was ''Pliosaurus funkei'' (aka "Predator X"), which was 13 meters at best. The ''Liopleurodon'' in "Walking With Dinosaurs" was based on the "Monster of Aramberri", a very incomplete specimen found in Mexico in 1985; early reports had suggested that it was a juvenile and 18 m in length, leading to speculation of how big it could get as an adult. Despite being initially identified as a ''Liopleurodon'', the Monster has since lost that designation and is currently unclassified. A giant pliosaur vertebra was also reported but turned out to be from a sauropod.

* ''Liopleurodon'', thanks to ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'', is often thought to be bigger than it actually was. It was 7 meters long not 25, which they show in the documentary. The biggest pliosaur we know about was ''Pliosaurus funkei'' (aka "Predator X"), which was 13 meters at best. The ''Liopleurodon'' in "Walking With Dinosaurs" was based on the "Monster of Aramberri", a very incomplete specimen found in Mexico in 1985; early reports had suggested that it was a juvenile and 18 m in length, leading to speculation of how big it could get as an adult. Despite being initially identified as a ''Liopleurodon'', the Monster has since lost that designation and is currently unclassified.