14 Fun Facts About the Animals of

"Jurassic World"
While the lead predator of the film might be a genetically modified
fiction, these real fossil species were just as amazing and bizarre
Jurassic World is a real "Indominus rex" at the box office, breaking several records on
its opening weekend and continuing to draw audiences worldwide. The star of the
show may be a human-engineered hybrid dinosaur, but the movie also features 17
real fossil species, from massive plant-eaters to flying reptiles. For anyone who can't
get enough #prattkeeping, feather debating and genetically modified rampaging, here
are 14 fun facts about the actual ancient animals featured in the film:
1. Mosasaurs Were Patient Predators
The terrifying Mosasaurus was not a dinosaur but a colossal marine lizard. While it
possessed a fearsome maw featuring two rows of teeth, the Mosasaurus is thought to
have had poor depth perception and a weak sense of smell. Scientists think that one
of its main hunting techniques was lying in wait for prey near the waters surface and
attacking when animals came up for air. In 2013, one mosasaur fossil found in
Angola held the remains of three other mosasaurs in its stomach, providing evidence
that the aquatic beasts might also have been cannibals.
2. Blame It on the Brontosaurus
The peaceable, long-necked Apatosauruscontroversially also known as Brontosaurus
was an herbivore that feasted on low-lying plants and tree leaves. Fossils of its
bones have previously confused scientists, because they can resemble those of the
formidable Mosasaurus, given the immense size and length of both creatures. Based
on scientists calculations, the giant Apatosaurus is among the sauropods that may
have produced enough methane gas to contribute to a warming climate during the
Mesozoic era.
3. Ankylosaurus Was a Living Tank
With its arched back and curved tail, the Ankylosaurus resembles the dinosaur version
of a super-sized and much spikier armadillo. Thanks to the sharp, bony plates that line

its back, along with a tail shaped like a club, Ankylosaurus has been given the
nickname living tank. Its main Achilles heel was its soft, exposed underbelly, but
predators would have had to flip the armored dinosaur over to get to this weak spot.
4. Velociraptors, aka Prehistoric Chickens
While the Hollywood version may seem sleek and graceful, the Velociraptor seen in
the

film

is

closer

in

form

to

much

larger

raptor

called Deinonychus.

Real Velociraptors were smaller, often loners and likely had feathers, leading some to
describe them as prehistoric chickens. Still, raptors as a whole were likely among the
smartest of dinosaurs, due to the larger size of their brains relative to their bodies
the second

highest brain-body weight ratio after the Trodon. This degree

of

intelligence is consistent with that of modern-day ostriches.

5. Triceratops Horns Existed Mainly For Looks
The horns of the Triceratops have long fueled debate among scientists about their
purpose. The latest research suggests that they likely served as identification
and ornamentation. However, previous findings also uncovered Tyrannosaurs rex bite
marks on Triceratops horns, indicating that the features could have been used for
defense in certain cases.
6. Stegosaurus Was No Brainiac
While it had a large body and several spiky plates that served as protection,
the Stegosaurus had an exceptionally small brain for its body sizeits brain has
been compared to a walnut or lime. For some time, scientists believed the dinosaur
had an ancillary group of nerves in a cavity above its rear end that helped
to supplement its tiny noggin, but this hypothesis was later disproved.
7. Getting Attacked By a T. rex Really Bites
The original King of the Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex holds the real-life claim to fame
of having the strongest bite of any land animal, living or extinct. Using a model that
simulated the impact of its bite, scientists estimate that the force of a T. rex chomp
could have been 3.5 times more powerful than that of an Australian saltwater
crocodile, which holds the record among animals still alive today.
8. Pterosaurs Had Weak Feet

One

of

the

two

main

species

to

escape

from Jurassic

World's

Aviary,

the Pteranodon had a wingspan of up to 18 feet. Its diet typically consisted of fish, and
some species of pterosaurs had pouches like those of pelicans to hold their prey. It was
likely able to dive as well as fly to obtain food. However, as one paleontologist notes
in Forbes, the feet of a Pteranodon were probably too weak to carry the weight of a
human, as the creatures are shown doing in the movie.

9. Dimorphodon Had Multipurpose Teeth

The Dimorphodon is the other flying reptile seen in the film, with a wingspan of about
eight feet. Its name translates to two-form tooth and refers to the differences
between its upper and lower sets of teeth. The upper set are sharper and longer and
likely intended for snatching prey from the water. A second set of tinier teeth in the
bottom jaw appears to be for gripping prey in transit.
10. The Cows of the Cretaceous Were Into Roaming
The Edmontosaurus was a medium-size duck-billed dinosaur that dined on fruits and
veggies. Nicknamed the cow of the Cretaceous, these dinosaurs moved in herds of
thousands that may have traversed thousands of miles during a single migration.
11. The Dinosaur That Ate Pebbles
Among several dinosaurs that share traits with ostriches, Gallimimus may have
employed an interesting feeding strategy. Because it was unable to physically chew
the plants it consumed, Gallimimus also ingested pebbles, which would mash up the
food internally during the digestion process.
12. Diminutive Dinosaurs Lost Out to a Wasp
The smallest dinosaurs in the film, Microceratus, were ten inches tall on average and
roughly

two

and

half

feet

long.

The

miniature

herbivores

were

initially

called Microceratops, but paleontologists were forced to change the title after it was
revealed that a genus of wasp had already claimed the moniker.
13. Parasaurolophus Had a Noisy Crest

Parasaurolophus are known for the distinctive crests that adorned their heads, which
have since been modeled by paleontologists. Based on these simulations, scientists
discovered that the crest could emit a loud sound when air flows through it, indicating
that it helped these dinosaurs communicate.
14. The Baryonyx Went Spear Fishing
The Baryonyx, a fish eater, has a name meaning heavy claw in Greek because of the
large, sharp extended claws that made up the thumb of each hand. Paleontologists
think the dinosaur used these claws like spears to catch fish. This carnivorous dinosaur
also had sets of serrated teeth similar to those of modern-day crocodiles for chomping
on prey.

Poachers Are Killing Andean

Camels for Their Wool
To meet a growing demand for vicua wool in Europe and Asia, gangs
are massacring herds of the animals in South America

In May, Peruvian authorities found 150 vicua carcasses outside a village called Espite
in the Andes, Chris Kraul reports for the Los Angeles Times.

Vicuas (Vicugna vicugna) are wild South American relatives of camels and possibly
the wild ancestor to domesticated alpacas. Inca rulers prized their soft, warm wool,
and today coats made from vicuna wool can go for as much as US$21,000 and suits
for US$46,000, as Dave Coggins wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 2013. Only silk
seems to rival vicua wool. But, this growing popularity is becoming a serious threat to
wild populations and any humans trying to protect them.

Herders in villages like Espite make their living off of rounding up and sheering
vicuas, explains Kraul. The modern governments of Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina
have essentially modernized the Inca system of harvesting vicuna fur. The
governments own the animals and grant permission to indigenous family groups to
herd them.
However, high demand for vicua garments in Europe and Asia has driven the price of
vicua wool up to near $1000 per 2.2 pounds (or one kilogram). Generating that much
wool requires sheering five animals, writes Kraul. Traditional herders sheer the animals
every two years, and each animal produces around 200 grams or 7 ounces of wool.
Usually, herding families pull in about 44 pounds per year or about $20,000 annually.
Lured by the cash and fewer police forces at high elevations, poachers have resorted
to killing and skinning vicuas and selling them in coastal markets. Their actions pose
a threat to not only the wildlife, but also local economies and humans attempting to
protect the animals. Karul reports that In January, poachers killed two Chilean
policemen who detained at a roadblock:

Back in the 1960s, vicua wool had risen to a similar level of popularity, especially
among the rich and famous. Overhunting cut Perus population from a million to
16,000, according to Coggins. Today, because their population has significantly risen
since then, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists them as of least
concern.
If poaching continues, vicuas could be headed back toward that fate.
The slayings of the two Chilean officers in January were not isolated violence. Two men
were arrested this month in the northern Argentine city of Catamarca after shooting at
police who were about to stop their truck loaded with 75 pounds of vicuna fleeces.
Chilean police near Arica were also involved in a gunfight with poachers in May 2014
after seizing 70 vicuna hides.

People Get Seasonal Depression in

the Summer, Too
Millions suffer from SAD in summer as well as winter, and
evidence hints that birth season plays a role in who
develops the disorder
Sunday,

June

21,

marked

the summer

solstice for

the

northern

hemisphere,

colloquially known as the first day of summer. Many sun-worshipers will revel in the
longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. But even after 50 years of Eddie
Cochran's Summertime Bluesand a few of Lana Del Rey's Summertime
Sadnesssome people may be surprised to learn that summer can cause seasonal
depression.
While seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is common during the short, cold days of
winter, perhaps one in ten SAD sufferers experiences his or her depression during the
summer months.
Both summer SAD and winter SAD people can experience the full range of symptoms
of major depressive disorderdepressed mood, hopelessness and feelings of
worthlessness

and

nihilism,

says

Ian

Cook,

professor

of

psychiatry

and

bioengineering and director of the UCLA Depression Research & Clinic Program.
Other symptoms are opposites, like the seasons themselves. Winter sufferers often
feel sluggish, sleep more than usual and tend to overeat and gain weight. By
contrast, summertime depression often brings insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss
and feelings of agitation or anxiety. Summertime SAD can also create an increased
feeling of isolation. If misery loves company, SAD sufferers can find plenty of other
people to commiserate with during the dreary winter months. But during summer,
most everyone else seems to be having a great time.
It remains a puzzle why some people experience SAD during the months of fun in
the sun. Some research suggests that it can be triggered by too much sun exposure or
oppressive heat. Other scientists have theorized that allergies play a roll, or that
people are responding to shifts in sleeping habits during summer's lighter nights and
bright early mornings.

Unfortunately for those with the summertime blues, winter SAD and other dangers of
winter darkness have received the lion's share of research attention. Treatments for
summer SAD do not have as much evidence as there is for winter SAD, Cook says.
One common winter therapy, use of light exposure to help compensate for dark days,
isn't likely to help those who become depressed during the long, bright days of
summer. "Most clinicians take it case-by-case and empirically develop a treatment
plan for each individual with summer SAD, Cook adds.
So why does anyone suffer from SAD at all? A recent brain study suggests that the
season in which someone is born may have a lasting impact on whether they are
affected by the disorder. Researchers at Vanderbilt University pinpointed the mid-brain
region that may be a source of SADthe dorsal raphe nucleus, where many of the
neurons that control serotonin levels are located. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that
helps to regulate mood; high levels have been linked to feelings of well being, while
lower levels are associated with depression.
The team then raised groups of mice during different seasons, as defined by light
cycles in the lab. Summer mice received 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark each
day. Mice representing spring and fall births experienced 12 hours of light and dark
each. A third group, the winter mice, endured 16 hours of dark and only 8 hours of
light each day. The groups' environments were identical in all other respects.
When the team recorded electrical activity in the animals' brains, they found that mice
raised in summerlike conditions showed activity spikes consistent with serotonin
secretion and elevated brain serotonin levels compared to their fall and winter
counterpartsessentially, summer mice were happiest.
The basic idea is that the enhanced activity of these neurons is a kind of
antidepressant activity, says Douglas McMahon, Vanderbilts Stevenson Chair in
Biological Sciences, whose team reported their findings in May in Current Biology.
Brain changes due to seasonality were also reflected in mouse behaviors, the team
found. Mice with brain chemistry consistent with that of a depressed human have been
found to behave in certain ways. The forced swim test, for instance, is often employed
to try out the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs. Scientists put mice into a pool of
water and measure how much time they spend trying to escape versus just floating
passively. Mice can float safely without much effort, but depressed mice, the theory

holds, will more quickly lose hope of escape and simply float in despair. The Vanderbilt
team ran this test with their mice, and the winter-born brood was quicker to float.
Similarly, an open field test determines how willing a mouse is to go out into the open.
You can imagine as a prey animal they are very cautious about that, McMahon says.
But the mice born in summer were a bit bolder and less anxious, so they spent less
time in closed areas or up against the wall, he explains.
These birth season impacts lasted into adulthood for the mice, suggesting that the
imprint of seasonal light on developing brains can stay with us even as we move
around to different environments.
We were able to show that their experience early on, even in what would be the
equivalent of third trimester development in humans, sort of set the properties of the
serotonin neurons, so that even six months later, and that's persisting into young
adulthood for mice, they were still the same when we measured, even when we had
moved them to live in a different seasonal photoperiod, McMahon says.
He notes that researchers will still need to build evidence for this effect in humans. In
people, such an effect would have to persist for decades, and we don't know if it
does, he says. But other studies have also suggested that the season of our birth may
make us more or less likely to suffer from various ailmentsincluding depression. For
example, earlier this month a Columbia University study compared 1,688 diseases
with the birth dates of 1.7 million patients who had been treated at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital/CUMC between 1985 and 2013. Among other ailments, several
depression-related diagnoses were modulated by birth season, according to the study,
with winter babies being more prone to suffer their effects.
There could be lots of other seasonal variables other than light, McMahon cautions.
But it's intriguing that at least in mice, our data shows a direct and lasting impact of
the photoperiod on the neurons in the brain that are involved in producing serotonin
and having an antidepressant role.