All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
3 05, 2013

Walking with Dinosaurs 3-D Movie Trailer

By | May 3rd, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Press Releases|4 Comments

First Trailer for New Dinosaur Movie

Scheduled for a cinematic debut this Christmas, the first trailer has been released for the eagerly awaited new dinosaur film – “Walking with Dinosaurs in 3-D”.  This beautifully crafted film takes viewers to the Late Cretaceous of North America and tells the story of a Pachyrhinosaurus and its fight for survival, it being the runt of the litter and its ultimate triumph against the odds.

Walking with Dinosaurs

This film has divided the scientific community somewhat, the computer graphics are excellent and there are some lovely details shown and it will no doubt prove to be very popular with cinema audiences.  However, the anthropomorphising (giving human characteristics to animals) as led to some commentators describing this film as “Bambi meets the Land Before Time”.

Pachyrhinosaurus was a member of the centrosaurine group of horned dinosaurs.  The presence of fenestrae in the neck frill was a surprise to us, perhaps it is an old injury that never healed properly, and the lack of feathered, shaggy looking dinosaurs in the scenes filmed during the migration could perhaps be challenged, especially as the herd of herbivores are moving into northern latitudes.

Lots of Dinosaurs are Featured

Expect lots of tyrannosaurids, hadrosaurs and providing the threat to the young pachyrhinosaurs – plenty of dromaeosaurids.  Should be a visual treat.

At Everything Dinosaur we are expecting Pachyrhinosaurus to have a surge in popularity as a result of this movie.  There are a number of excellent models available at the moment, a number of interpretations of this seven-metre-long plant-eater.  For example, both CollectA and Papo have introduced a Pachyrhinosaurus model, part of a great expansion in the number of ceratopsian dinosaur models available as a number of new genera have been named and described over the last five years or so.

Pachyrhinosaurus Compared – Papo and CollectA Models

Papo and Collecta Pachyrhinosaurs are compared.

Papo and CollectA Pachyrhinosaurs are compared.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows the Papo Pachyrhinosaurus model on the left compared to the CollectA model on the right.  Both these model makers have chosen to give this dinosaur a solid neck frill although the pair of fenestrae (holes in the bone but covered with skin), can be clearly seen on both replicas.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s model range: Dinosaur Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Three Species of Pachyrhinosaur

Three species of pachyrhinosaur are currently known, the third species to be named and described was Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum.  The fossils of this dinosaur were discovered in the far north of Alaska (dinosaurs living at high latitudes is explored in the movie), the fossils were found in 2006 and this new species named and described back in 2011.

To read an article on the discovery of P. perotorum:  Discovering a New Species of Pachyrhinosaurus.

The film has been estimated to have cost somewhere around $80 million USD (£51 million GBP) to make, the original estimates were around £40 million GBP.  This is still relatively small compared to the budgets of other films, or indeed when compared to the cost of the BBC’s original Walking with Dinosaurs six part television series first aired in 1999, which for the number of minutes of actual footage shown, represents one of the most expensive projects in the BBC’s history.

3 05, 2013

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival Starts Today

By | May 3rd, 2013|Educational Activities, Geology|0 Comments

Celebrating “Our Coastal Treasures” Lyme Regis Fossil Festival Starts

The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival starts in earnest today with a special day set aside for visits from Primary schools.  Lots of events are planned for the Bank Holiday weekend (the Festival runs from Friday 3rd May until Sunday 5th).  This is the eighth event that has taken place since the inaugural fossil festival in 2005.  There are lots of events planned, hands-on science, Jurassic themed art for all the family to have a go at, the chance to meet fossil experts, talks, shows, even a travelling cinema shaped like a pliosaur.

The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival Starts Today

Fossil Festival starts today.

Fossil Festival starts today.

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Visitors to the picturesque town of Lyme Regis will be able to learn about fossils from top experts, see amazing stone balancing (we have seen this and it has to be seen to be believed) and hear about some of the latest scientific studies being carried out by top academic institutions.  The main theme for this year’s festival is “Our Coastal Treasures”.  The Fossil Festival will explore the marine habitats that produced the very different types of geological formations seen on the Jurassic coast.

One word of advice, visitors to the beach should avoid the cliff areas as these are exceptionally dangerous at the moment.  The heavy rain last summer, coupled with recent dry weather has left much of the coastline in a fragile state.

There have already been a number of landslides, leaving a considerable amount of debris on the beach.  On Tuesday evening, a twenty metre section of chalk cliff, east of Lyme Regis, at St Oswald’s Bay collapsed into the sea.  The coastguard and Dorset police have warned visitors to the area to “exercise due care, behave responsibly and to observe all warning and diversion notices”.

Wishing all the volunteers who help make this such a super event the very best for the next few days.  Fingers crossed for some decent weather.

For models and replicas of ammonites, belemnites and ichthyosaurs: CollectA Prehistoric Life (Age of Dinosaurs).

Load More Posts