History ScienceMarchesOn / WalkingWith

** Post-WWD studies indicate that sauropod dinosaurs probably didn't grow to adult size within more or less ten years as shown in the series, although how fast they grew is still debated (current estimates range from [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00137.x less than four decades]] to [[http://paleobiol.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/34/2/264 up to 70 years of growth]] necessary to reach adult size).

''Giganotosaurus'' and ''Argentinosaurus'' are portrayed as the largest predator and prey, respectively. Naturally, recent studies indicate ''Giganotosaurus'' wasn't the largest carnivorous dinosaur, and there may have been bigger dinosaurs than ''Argentinosaurus'', but at the time it was made, they were considered record-holders.

* '''Chased by Dinosaurs'':

** Talking again about dromeosaurids: probably didn't attack such large herbivores like ''Iguanodon'' in packs as shown in the fourth episode (and lot of paleo-art as well).

** ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Microraptor]]'' (the famous "four-winged" dino-bird) probably cannot splay its backlegs for gliding as classically shown in drawings as well as in this show. Now some scientists even think it was not even a glider, but only a simple tree-climber!

** Also the [[PteroSoarer giant pterosaur]] ''[[StockDinosaurs Quetzalcoatlus]]'' is shown as a fish eater hunting prey on the wing, while we now know it was actually stork like in habits. In fact, it probably wouldn't have hesitated to eat juvenile tyrannosaurs, like the one in the program!

** Also the [[PteroSoarer giant pterosaur]] ''[[StockDinosaurs Quetzalcoatlus]]'' is shown as a fish eater hunting prey on the wing, while we now know it was actually stork like in habits.

** Post-WWD studies indicate that sauropod dinosaurs probably didn't grow to adult size within more or less ten years as shown in the series, although how fast they grew is still debated (current estimates range from [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00137.x less than four decades]] to [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/0094-8373(2008)034%5B0264:MGRFSD%5D2.0.CO;2 up to 70 years of growth]] necessary to reach adult size).

*** And speaking of sauropods, the idea that they held their necks horizontally - which influenced the WWD reconstructions of ''[[StockDinosaurs Diplodocus]]'', ''[[StockDinosaurs Apatosaurus]]'' and ''[[StockDinosaurs Argentinosaurus]]'', which in turn probably popularized the concept - [[http://app.pan.pl/archive/published/app54/app54-213.pdf is questioned nowadays as well]].

** An example of taxonomy marching on: "the American ''[[StockDinosaurs Iguanodon]]''" from the fourth episode [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2007.04.009 would probably be placed in the genus ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Dakotadon]]'' today.
*** Talking about iguanodonts, now it's more probable they were mostly bipedal, as well as their descendents the hadrosaurs: the fossil of the hadrosaur mummy nicknamed "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_(fossil) Dakota]]". shows that hadrosaurs have much more heavy tails that was originally thought, thus perfectly balancing the body on two legs.
** The Australian "''Allosaurus''"? We're not sure what it was - it could be [[http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0006190 the same thing as ''Australovenator'']], [[http://www.springerlink.com/content/l496325vp2x32617/ something closely related to but not necessarily synonymous with ''Australovenator'']] or [[http://prod.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a922467212~db=all~jumptype=rss a basal relative of the horned ''[[StockDinosaurs Carnotaurus]]'']] - but nowadays everyone seems to agree that it ''wasn't'' a late-surviving miniature ''Allosaurus''.

** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife nothosaurs]] (primitive Triassic sea reptiles related with the more famous plesiosaurs) leave their eggs on the beach at night (see WhatCouldHaveBeen on the main page). However [[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/nature03050.html it turns out that nothosaurs (and presumably also [[StockDinosaurs plesiosaurs and pliosaurs]]) might have been viviparous]].

** An example of taxonomy marching on: "the American ''[[StockDinosaurs Iguanodon]]''" from the fourth episode [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2007.04.009 would probably be placed in the genus]] ''[[[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Dakotadon]]'' today.

*** This might be nothing compared to what is seeming to come: ''most small-sized dinosaurs'' had probably some sort of covering. This is a very recent theory led by the discover of the primitive herbivore ''[[[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Tianyulong]]'' in China: the theory is that some kind of covering was present in the last common ancestor of ''all'' dinosaurs and pterosaurs, and then it was partially lost by its largest descendents because of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-area-to-volume_ratio#Biology Surface area to volume ratio]]. Some think the "spikes" on ''Diplodocus'' have the same common origin of feathers, as well as the quill of the small herbivore ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Psittacosaurus]]'' and even the horny bumps lined on the back of several [[StockDinosaurs hadrosaur mummies]]. See UsefulNotes/{{Dinosaurs}} for more infos about that. Whatever the case, the old "gigantic lizards" seem to have their days numbered now.

** The early long-necked dinosaur''[[StockDinosaurs Plateosaurus]]'' could not walk on four legs.

** The "cannibalistic ''Coelophysis''" thing is discredited now.
** The early long-necked ''Plateosaurus'' could not walk on four legs.
** ''Postosuchus'' was most likely a biped, or at least semi-bipedal, rather than an obligate quadruped.
** ''Placerias'' and the Cynodont aren't reptiles in modern phylogenetic sense, but instead mammal ancestors.
** Sorry, ''Ornitholestes'', you didn't actually have that horn-thing on your nose.

*** And speaking of sauropods, the idea that they held their necks horizontally - which influenced the WWD reconstructions of ''Diplodocus'', ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Argentinosaurus'', which in turn probably popularized the concept - [[http://app.pan.pl/archive/published/app54/app54-213.pdf is questioned nowadays as well]].

*** Another amazing example: [[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101083150.htm footprints from a baby bipedal sauropod]] have been recently found: perhaps [[LandBeforeTime Littlefoot]] and the WWD sauropodlets ''walked on two legs'' and become quadrupedal only when they grew larger! (an ancient heritage from their ancestors, the "prosauropods"). However, most paleontologists are skeptical of this interpretation. Even the trackways of adult sauropods often leave just the prints from one pair of feet.
** About sea reptiles: the long-necked plesiosaurs probably gave birth to alive newborns just like the fish-like ichthyosaurs; and they perhaps cannot crawl onto land because the shape of their chest.
** Most [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelurosauria coelurosaurs]] certainly had feathers. All these dromaeosaurids almost certainly had WINGS...
*** Not only this: probably ''all'' small dinosaurs had some sort of covering (this is a very recent theory led by the discover of the primitive herbivore ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianyulong Tianyulong]]'' in China). Probably some kind of covering was present in the last common ancestor of ''all'' dinosaurs and pterosaurs, and then it was partially lost by its largest descendents because of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-area-to-volume_ratio#Biology Surface area to volume ratio]]. Some think the "spikes" on ''Diplodocus'' have the same common origin of feathers, as well as the quill of the small herbivore ''Psittacosaurus'' and perhaps ''Triceratops''. The old "gigantic lizards" have their days numbered now.
** Dromeosaurids probably didn't attack such large herbivores like ''Iguanodon'' in packs.
** An example of taxonomy marching on: "the American ''Iguanodon''" from the fourth episode [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2007.04.009 would probably be placed in the genus]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakotadon Dakotadon]]'' today.

** The Australian "''Allosaurus''"? We're not sure what it was - it could be [[http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0006190 the same thing as ''Australovenator'']], [[http://www.springerlink.com/content/l496325vp2x32617/ something closely related to but not necessarily synonymous with ''Australovenator'']] or [[http://prod.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a922467212~db=all~jumptype=rss an abelisauroid]] - but nowadays everyone seems to agree that it ''wasn't'' a late-surviving miniature ''Allosaurus''.
** Female Tyrannosaurus probably weren't larger than males.
** [[PteroSoarer Also the giant pterosaur ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is shown as a fish eater hunting prey on the wing, while we now know it was actually stork like in habits.]]
** It looks like another example may be approaching. It's [[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727713.500-morphosaurs-how-shapeshifting-dinosaurs-deceived-us.html recently been theorized]] that ''Triceratops'' and ''Torosaurus'' (which were featured in ''Death of a Dynasty'' as seperate genera) are actually the same animal in different growth stages.

** This series has ''[[http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/evidence/prog2/page5.htm Andrewsarchus]]'', known only from the skull and a few fragments of bone. At the time the series was produced it was assumed to be closely related to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesonychid mesonychids]], and thus in the series it was modeled after mesonychids. However, [[http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/08/mesonychians_part_iii_andrewsa.php later]] [[http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007062 phylogenetic studies]] indicate that it might have actually been a close relative of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entelodont entelodonts]].

** It seems that early Devonian "amphibians" cannot crawl onto land with their limbs.
** The GiantSpider was based on ''Megarachne'', which ultimately turned out to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurypterid eurypterid]] ("sea scorpion") rather than spider.
** The lineage that gave rise to mammals split to the one that gave rise to reptiles and birds before those invented the reptilian scales. The show represents perhaps the first time that ''Dimetrodon'' and its herbivorous "twin" ''Edaphosaurus'' have skins similar that of modern hairless mammals, instead of the classic scaly one. However, some think that they would have the skin texture of a salamander, and the belly of a fish.
*** Interesting to note that the giant, dog-like Gorgonopsid from the show has scent glands (a typical mammalian feature).
** The primitive armoured plant-eater ''Scutosaurus'' wasn't probably the ancestor of turtles. Recent research suggests that the latter were closer to modern reptiles than to ''Scutosaurus''.

** The enormously long-necked ''Tanystropheus'' was potrayed as capable of losing and regenerating its tail like a lizard. In the past it was indeed suggested by palaeontologist Rupert Wild[[hottip:* :who also thought that ''Tanystropheus'' was closely related to lizards - nowadays it's generally considered to be more closely related to archosaurs than to lizards]] that this creature was capable of autotomy, but other scientists who studied its fossils didn't find evidence for that.
** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female nothosaurs (primitive Triassic sea reptiles) leave their eggs on the beach at night (see WhatCouldHaveBeen on the main page). However [[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/nature03050.html it turns out that nothosaurs (and presumably also plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

** ''Ornithomimus'' (ostrich-mimic dinosaurs) were not duck-like filter-feeders as portrayed in the program.
** ''Microraptor'' (the famous "four-winged" dino-bird) probably cannot splay its backlegs for gliding.

** We aren't sure now if ceratopsians did fight each other locking their horns; perhaps they simply show them off without a true battle.

*** Let's not start that..

*** Another amazing example: [[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101083150.htm footprints from a baby bipedal sauropod]] have been recently found: perhaps [[LandBeforeTime Littlefoot]] and the WWD sauropodlets ''walked on two legs'' and become quadrupedal only when they grew larger! (an ancient heritage from their ancestors, the "prosauropods").

** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female nothosaurs (primitive Triassic sea reptiles) leave their eggs on the beach at night (see WhatCouldHaveBeen below). However [[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/nature03050.html it turns out that nothosaurs (and presumably also plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

** Also the giant pterosaur ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is shown as a fish eater hunting prey on the wing, while we now know it was actually stork like in habits.

** The GiantSpider was based on ''Megarachne'', which ultimately turned out to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurypterid eurypterid]] rather than spider.

*** Not to mention the "iguana-spiked back" thing: some researchers now argue these spike were sparse on Diplodocus' back rather than put in a single line.

** Plesiosaurs probably gave birth to alive newborns just like ichthyosaurs; and they perhaps cannot crawl onto land because the shape of their chest.

** They did try to partially remedy all the issues by showing ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' again in 2008 with updated narration. Unfortunately, the visuals remained untouched, so ''Ornitholestes'' still had a horn, coelurosaurs were still scaly, so on and so forth.

** ''Placerias'' and the Cynodont aren't reptiles in modern phylogenetic sense.

** ''Plateosaurus'' could not walk on four legs.

** Most coelurosaurs certainly had feathers. All these dromaeosaurids almost certainly had WINGS...
*** Not only this: probably ''all'' small dinosaurs had some sort of covering (this is a very recent theory led by the discover of the primitive herbivore ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianyulong Tianyulong]]'' in China). Probably some kind of covering was present in the last common ancestor of ''all'' dinosaurs and pterosaurs, and then it was partially lost by its largest descendents because of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-area-to-volume_ratio#Biology Surface area to volume ratio]]. Some think the "spikes" on Diplodocus have the same common origin of feathers, as well as the quill of ''Psittacosaurus'' and perhaps ''Triceratops''. The old "gigantic lizards" have their days numbered now.

** Also ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is shown as a fish eater hunting prey on the wing, while we now know it was actually stork like in habits.

** The lineage that gave rise to mammals split to the one that gave rise to reptiles and birds before those invented the reptilian scales. The show represents perhaps the first time that ''Dimetrodon'' and ''Edaphosaurus'' have skins similar that of modern hairless mammals, instead of the classic scaly one. However, some think that they would have the skin texture of a salamander, and the belly of a fish.
*** Interesting to note that the gorgonopsid from the show has scent glands (a typical mammalian feature).
** ''Scutosaurus'' wasn't probably the ancestor of turtles. Recent research suggests that the latter were Diapsids instead of surviving Anapsids.

** ''Tanystropheus'' was potrayed as capable of losing and regenerating its tail like a lizard. In the past it was indeed suggested by palaeontologist Rupert Wild[[hottip:* :who also thought that ''Tanystropheus'' was closely related to lizards - nowadays it's generally considered to be more closely related to archosaurs than to lizards]] that this creature was capable of autotomy, but other scientists who studied its fossils didn't find evidence for that.
** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female nothosaurs leave their eggs on the beach at night (see WhatCouldHaveBeen below). However [[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/nature03050.html it turns out that nothosaurs (and presumably also plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

** ''Microraptor'' probably cannot splay their backlegs for gliding.

*** Another amazing example: footprints from a ''baby bipedal sauropod'' have been recently found: perhaps [[LandBeforeTime Littlefoot]] and the WWD sauropodlets ''walked on two legs'' and become quadrupedal only when they grew larger! (an ancient heritage from their ancestors, the "prosauropods").

*** Talking about iguanodonts, now it's more probable they were mostly bipedal, as well as their descendents the hadrosaurs: the fossil of the hadrosaur mummy nicknamed "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_dinosaurs Dakota]]". shows that hadrosaurs have much more heavy tails that was originally thought, thus perfectly balancing the body on two legs.

** They did try to partially remedy this by showing ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' again in 2008 with updated narration. Unfortunately, the visuals remained untouched, so ''Ornitholestes'' still had a horn, coelurosaurs were still scaly, so on and so forth.