History ScienceMarchesOn / WalkingWith

** There were no [[StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Cynodonts]] of the size depicted in the program in the late Triassic. This is an example of ScienceMarchesOn rather than SomewhereAPalaeontologistIsCrying because at the time the series was produced it was assumed that cynodonts of that size did live in Late Triassic in North America. This assumption was based on the discovery of [[http://chinleana.blogspot.com/2009/09/enigmatic-triassic-taxa.html two teeth]] from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinle_Formation Chinle Formation]][[hottip:* :though these teeth were assumed to belong to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traversodontidae traversodont]] cynodonts, much different from ''Thrinaxodon'' that WWD-cynodonts were based on]]. However, [[http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~irmisr/chinleteeth.pdf post-WWD study]] indicate that these teeth can't be confidently referred to Cynodontia (or any other known group of Triassic amniotes, for that matter).

** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles nothosaurs]] (primitive Triassic sea reptiles related with the more famous [[StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs plesiosaurs]]) leave their eggs on the beach at night (see WhatCouldHaveBeen on the Trivia 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]].

** In the accompanying book there is a scene when female [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles nothosaurs]] (primitive Triassic sea reptiles related with the more famous [[StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs 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 plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

*** Also, Diplodocus was not the longest dinosaur, [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeSauropods Mamenchisaurus]] was longer. Likewise, [[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Brachiosaurus]] was not the largest land animal ever, Argentinosaurus and several others were larger.

** Most [[STockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs coelurosaurs]] certainly had feathers. The several [[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs dromaeosaurid species]] surely had them, but in the series they are all shown featherless (except obviously ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeBirdlikeTheropods Microraptor]]'', see further): this, rather than ScienceMarchesOn, might be interpreted more as RuleOfCool, or rather, SomewhereAPalaeontologistIsCrying, since feathered raptors would have appeared "too cute"?. In RealLife dromeosaurids had WING-shaped forelimbs just like their famous relative, the "ur-bird" ''[[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Archaeopteryx]]''...
*** 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 ''[[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Diplodocus]]'' have the same common origin of feathers, as well as the quill of the small herbivore ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeHadrosaurPredecessors Psittacosaurus]]'' and even the horny bumps lined on the back of several [[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs hadrosaur mummies]]. See UsefulNotes/{{Dinosaurs}} for more infos about that. Whatever the case, the old "gigantic lizards" seem to have their days numbered now.

** A word about ''[[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Anatotitan]]'': It's probably the fully-grown form of ''[[StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Edmontosaurus]]'', which was portrayed in the book as a separate genus.

** There were no [[StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Cynodonts]] of the size depicted in the program in the late Triassic.

** What was thought to be evidence for "cannibalistic ''[[StockDinosaurs Coelophysis]]''" has been discredited.
** The early long-necked dinosaur ''[[StockDinosaurs Plateosaurus]]'' could not walk on four legs.
** The pillar-limbed croc-relative ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Postosuchus]]'' was most likely a biped, or at least semi-bipedal, rather than an obligate quadruped.
** ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Placerias]]'' and the [[StockDinosaurs Cynodont]] aren't reptiles in modern phylogenetic sense, but instead mammal ancestors.
** There were no [[StockDinosaurs Cynodonts]] of the size depicted in the program in the late Triassic.
** Sorry, ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Ornitholestes]]'', you didn't actually have that horn-thing on your nose.
** 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 exactly 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).
*** And speaking of sauropods, the idea that they could only hold 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]].

*** 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" such as the aforementioned ''Plateosaurus''). However, most paleontologists are skeptical of this interpretation. Even the trackways of adult sauropods often leave just the prints from just one pair of feet, thus is even more likely about the younger ones.
*** Also, [[StockDinosaurs Diplodocus]] was not the longest dinosaur, [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Mamenchisaurus]] was longer. Likewise, [[StockDinosaurs Brachiosaurus]] was not the largest land animal ever, [[StockDinosaurs Argentinosaurus]] and several others were larger.
** About [[StockDinosaurs sea reptiles]]: the long-necked plesiosaurs [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1205689 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 [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife coelurosaurs]] certainly had feathers. The several [[StockDinosaurs dromaeosaurid species]] surely had them, but in the series they are all shown featherless (except obviously ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Microraptor]]'', see further): this, rather than ScienceMarchesOn, might be interpreted more as RuleOfCool, or rather, SomewhereAPalaeontologistIsCrying, since feathered raptors would have appeared "too cute"?. In RealLife dromeosaurids had WING-shaped forelimbs just like their famous relative, the "ur-bird" ''[[StockDinosaurs Archaeopteryx]]''...
*** 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.
** An example of taxonomy marching on: "the American ''[[StockDinosaurs Iguanodon]]''" from the fourth episode would probably be placed in the genus ''[[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2007.04.009 Dakotadon]]'' today.
** ''Leaellynasaura'' should have a much, much longer tail. Also, some argue it needs a plumage.
** Female ''Tyrannosaurus'' probably weren't larger than males.
** 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 ones in the program!
** 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 ''[[StockDinosaurs Triceratops]]'' and ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Torosaurus]]'' (which were featured in ''Death of a Dynasty'' as seperate genera) are actually the same animal in different growth stages.
** A word about ''Anatotitan'': It's probably the fully-grown form of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmontosaurus Edmontosaurus]]'', which was portrayed in the book as a separate genus.

** This series has ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife 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 [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife 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 [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife entelodonts]].

** The [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Giant Spider]] in the Carboniferous was based on ''Megarachne'', which ultimately turned out to be [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife 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 ''[[StockDinosaurs Dimetrodon]]'' and its herbivorous "twin" ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Edaphosaurus]]'' have skins similar that of modern hairless mammals, instead of the classic scaly one. However, some think now that they would have the skin texture of a salamander, and the belly of a fish.
*** Interesting to note that the giant, AngryGuardDog-looking [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Gorgonopsid]] from the show has scent glands (a typical mammalian feature).
** The armoured plant-eating near-reptile ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Scutosaurus]]'' wasn't probably the ancestor of turtles. Recent research suggests that [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife the latter were closer to modern reptiles]] than to ''Scutosaurus''.

** The special ''Land of Giants'' portrayed the largest land animal of all time, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinosaurus Argentinosaurus]]'', being hunted by the largest land predator, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus]]''. At least one, and possibly both have since been supplanted; not long after, new evidence found that, in fact, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus Spinosaurus]]'' was the biggest land predator, and, although the findings are sketchy at best, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruhathkayosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus]]'' may be the largest land animal of all time. At the time of the show's airing, however, they were thought to be record holders.

** The enormously long-necked ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife 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. It has also been portrayed as an accomplished swimmer, but we don't know for sure if it really was such - its body-shape was all but hydrodinamic, and some think ''Tanystropheus'' was a shore animal who used its neck as a fishing rod, catching small prey a bit like a heron.
** 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 plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

** Page 122 claims that therizinosaurs are known from "a lone species" from North America, probably referring to ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothronychus Nothronychus]]''. Enter the ancestral therizinosaur ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcarius Falcarius]]'' in 2005...
** To quote page 125, "Scientist cannot agree on whether ''Mononykus'' was a bird or a [non-bird] dinosaur." The 2010 discovery of the ancestral alvarezsaur ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplocheirus Haplocheirus]]'' confirms that ''Mononykus'' and other alvarezsaurs were not birds.

** 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 plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].

** 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''.

*** Also, [[StockDinosaurs Diplodocus]] was not the longest dinosaur, [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Mamenchisaurus]] was longer.

*** Also, Diplodocus was not the longest dinosaur, Mamenchisaurus was longer.

** ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Placerias]]'' and the [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLife Cynodont]] aren't reptiles in modern phylogenetic sense, but instead mammal ancestors.

** The special ''Land of Giants'' portrayed the largest land animal of all time, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinosaurus Argentinosaurus]]'', being hunted by the largest land predator, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus]]''. Both have since been supplanted; not long after, new evidence found that, in fact, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus Spinosaurus]]'' was the biggest land predator, and, although the findings are sketchy at best, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruhathkayosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus]]'' may be the largest land animal of all time. At the time of the show's airing, however, they were thought to be record holders.

** 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 plesiosaurs and pliosaurs) might have been viviparous]].
* '''Prehistoric Park''':
** ''[[StockDinosaurs Ornithomimus]]'' (ostrich-mimic dinosaurs) were not duck-like filter-feeders "more similar to DaffyDuck than emus" as portrayed in the program. This theory was made in the middle 2000's from the putative discover of a sort of "lamellae" on the horny beak of some ornithomimosaurs, similar to those seen in duck and flamingos (both filter-feeders). This theory become quite popular at the time among paleo-fans, and Prehistoric Park, incidentally, was produced just in those years: hence the duck-feeding thing seen in the program. But just few years later, this hypothesis has been discarded: those lamellae are arguably simple "wrinkles" on the beak like those seen in other non-filter feeding birds. Anyway, the rest of ''Ornithomimus'' anatomy doesn't show any specializazion for a flamingo way-of-life, he was more like modern running birds: ostrichs, rheas and emus.
** ''[[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.

** About [[StockDinosaurs 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.

** ''[[StockDinosaurs Ornithomimus]]'' (ostrich-mimic dinosaurs) were not duck-like filter-feeders "more similar to DaffyDuck than emus" as portrayed in the program. This theory was made in the middle 2000's from the putative discover of a sort of "lamellae" on the horny beak of some ornithomimosaurs, similar to those seen in duck and flamingos (both filter-feeders). This theory become quite popular at the time among paleo-fans, and Prehistoric Park, incidentally, was produced just in those years: hence the duck-feeding thing seen in the program. But just few years later, this hypothesis has been discarded: those lamellae are arguably simple "wrinkles" on the beak like those seen in other non-filter feeding birds. Anyway, the rest of 'Ornithomimus'' anatomy doesn't show any specializazion for a flamingo way-of-life, he was more like modern running birds: ostrichs, rheas and emus.

** ''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.

*** 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.

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

** The "cannibalistic ''[[StockDinosaurs Coelophysis]]''" thing is discredited now.

*** 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" such as the aforementioned ''Plateosaurus''). However, most paleontologists are skeptical of this interpretation. Even the trackways of adult sauropods often leave just the prints from the posterior pair of feet, thus is even more likely about the younger ones.

** The special ''Land of Giants'' portrayed the largest land animal of all time, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinosaurus Argentinosaurus]]'', being hunted by the largest land predator, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus]]''. Both have since been supplanted; not long after, new evidence found that, in fact, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus Spinosaurus]]'' was the biggest land predator, and, although the findings are sketchy at best, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruhathkayosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus]]'' may be the largest land animal of all time.

** The special ''Land of Giants'' portrayed the largest land animal of all time, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinosaurus Argentinosaurus]]'', being hunted by the largest land predator, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus]]''. Both have since been supplanted; not long after, new evidence found that, in fact, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus Spinosaurus]]'' was the biggest land predator, and, although the findings are sketchy at best, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruhathkayosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus]]'' is now considered the largest land animal of all time.