Dinosaur Controversies
Were Dinosaurs Warm-Blooded?
Although many people think the issue has been settled once and for all, scientists still debate whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded or cold-blooded (or something in between). Here's a look at the evidence for and against warm-blooded dinos.
T. Rex: Hunter or Scavenger?
Did Tyrannosaurus Rex actually hunt for its food, or did it scavenge already dead (or dying) prey?
Did Dinosaurs Have Arthritis?
Consider it the Jurassic equivalent of an urban myth: dinosaurs suffered from arthritis, the same way people do. Is there any truth to this belief?
What Can Dinosaurs Tell Us About Global Warming?
Both sides in the global-warming debate--those who believe human beings are helping to accelerate climate change and those who insist it's all a natural process--invoke the fate of the dinosaurs to back up their arguments. Who's right?
Does Oil Come From Dinosaurs?
Many people mistakenly believe that oil comes from long-decomposed dinosaurs--and at least one prominent oil company has contributed to this myth by adopting a dinosaur as its trademark. Here's the truth about what dinosaurs do, and don't, have to do with the world's supply of fossil fuels.
Dinosaurs, Reptoids and Reptilians
According to a popular conspiracy theory, super-intelligent humanoid reptiles (usually called reptoids or reptilians) are secretly pulling the strings of world affairs. What do these scaly green super-villains have to do with dinosaurs?
Why Did T. Rex Have Such Tiny Arms?
As relentless a killing machine as T. Rex was, this dinosaur was still equipped with tiny, almost vestigial arms and hands. Why?
Was Archaeopteryx a Bird or a Dinosaur?
Archaeopteryx is often described as the first bird, but the truth is considerably more complex than that. The question is, was Archaeopteryx closer to being a bird than it was to being a dinosaur?
Why Did Stegosaurus Have Plates on its Back?
It's one of the two or three most popular dinosaurs that ever lived, yet paleontologists still don't fully understand the function, or even the arrangement, of Stegosaurus' plates. Here's a look at our current state of knowledge.
Is Mokele-Mbembe Really a Dinosaur?
For the last 200 years, stories have circulated about a vaguely dinosaur-like beast haunting Africa's Congo River basin. Does the Mokele-mbembe really exist, or is it simply a mythical creature?
Why Did Spinosaurus Have a Sail?
Not only was Spinosaurus the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever lived, but it was also the only plus-sized theropod to be equipped with a sail. The question is, why?
Can We Clone a Dinosaur?
Ever since Jurassic Park, people have wondered if it will one day be possible to clone a living, breathing dinosaur. Trouble is, the scientific challenges are much heftier than you've been led to believe.
Is the Loch Ness Monster Really a Marine Reptile?
People who insist the Loch Ness Monster really exists say it looks like a long-extinct plesiosaur, a type of marine reptile. Do they have a leg (or flipper) to stand on?
Dinosaurs and Dragons
Dragons--or dragon-like monsters--are a common feature of folk tales around the world. Could they actually be references to long-extinct dinosaurs?
Could Dinosaurs Swim?
Virtually every terrestrial animal alive today knows how to swim, which means dinosaurs did, too. But do we have any solid proof of swimming dinosaurs?