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Here's how the 'Jurassic World' dinosaurs looked in real life

Ian Phillips   

Here's how the 'Jurassic World' dinosaurs looked in real life
Entertainment4 min read

Jurassic World

Universal

It is well-known at this point that "Jurassic World," the latest installment of the "Jurassic Park" franchise, diverges from the science when it comes to its portrayal of dinosaurs.

In real life, many of the dinosaurs vary in size and are often covered in feathers, but a few of them actually don't look that different.

Let's start with Velociraptor, one of the most feared creatures in the "Jurassic Park" universe:

Velociraptor Jurassic World

Universal via YouTube

In reality, the Velociraptor could be more easily compared to either a turkey or a coyote:

Velociraptor Accurate

Luis Rey

Velociraptor was much smaller in real life.

The look of Velociraptors in the film was actually based more off of Deinonychus ...

Deinonychus

Nobu Tamura via Wikimedia Commons

The film's Velociraptors have much more in common with Deinonychus

... as well as a Utahraptor which was discovered as the original "Jurassic Park" was being made:

Utahraptor

Nobu Tamura via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most terrifying new dinosaurs introduced in "Jurassic World" is the Mosasaurus, which makes even a great white shark look tiny.

jurassic world

YouTube / Universal Pictures

The real Mosasaurus isn't actually a dinosaur and it didn't have spikes along its back.

Mosasaurus

Dmitry Bogdanov via WikiCommons

Early fossil findings misled Victorian artists when Mosasaurus was first discovered. This sketch is more in line with the modern view of Mosasaurus.

The Mosasaurus is really "marine lizard that's more closely related to snakes and lizards," according to Dr. John Hutchinson.

However, that is nowhere near the biggest problem with the film's depiction.

According to Mark Witton, an illustrator who researches and specializes in dinosaurs, that misconception is based off depictions of this animal from the 1890s. The mistake was cleared up in the early 1900s.

"The ["Jurassic World"] press has been showing their mosasaur has a series of scutes along it's back, similar to depictions of these animals by artists working in the 1890s. These Victorian artists were misled by bones which had dislocated from the throat to lie along the top of fossil skeletons, but this mistake was recognised by the early 1900s." Witton told Business Insider. "Indeed, we actually know quite a lot about mosasaur skin, and that they went to some length to be very streamlined and smooth."

After making a brief cameo in "Jurassic Park," the Gallimimus returned for "Jurassic World":

The real Gallimimus was actually fairly similar, but with a lot more feathers.

Gallimimus Feathers

Steveoc 86 via WikiCommons

Gallimimus had a strong physical resemblance to an Ostrich, which is probably why it runs very similar to one in the films.

Here is a Pteranodon, the unlucky victim of the much larger Mosasaurus:

jurassic world 12

YouTube/Universal Pictures

And here's a sketch of what the winged animal (who isn't actually a dinosaur) probably looked like:

Pteranodon

Luis Rey

The flying Pteranodon was actually not a dinosaur.

The Pteranodon was actually a Pterosaur, which is "a winged reptile which is very, very, very closely related to dinosaurs but not a dinosaur," according to Hutchinson.

Witton, who has consulted on several films about Pterosaurs in general, called the "Jurassic World" interpretation of the Pteranodon "among the worst reconstructions [he's] ever seen."

"No pterosaur had feet like that, and they certainly couldn't pick things up with them as shown in the trailers." Witton told Business Insider.

And finally, there's the almighty T. rex:

Jurassic Park T Rex

Universal via YouTube

The T. rex in "Jurassic Park." The "Jurassic World" T. rex still remains a mystery.

The real T. rex was still huge, but it was actually covered in feathers.

T rex feathers

Durbed via Wiki Commons

Public knowledge and perception of T. rex has changed immensely since "Jurassic Park" was released in 1993.

Some have jokingly compared the T. rex to a "giant chicken." But still, would you want to mess with it?

"Jurassic World" opens in theaters Friday.

NOW WATCH: 5 science facts 'Jurassic World' totally ignored

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