the last word on JP the movie? :)

[Timothy Isles <tisles@sol.uvic.ca>]

First, my thanks to all who responded to my "raptor" definition query.  I 
guess it wasn't so trivial after all...!  Still can't see myself ever 
calling dromeosaurs "raptors" though.

Anyhow, someone recently wrote in regarding the scene from the JP movie 
where the T. rex and the character Grant were "nose to nose", yet the 
dinosaur did not seem to smell Grant's presence (motion-dependant or 
not).  Congratulations to whoever noticed that ... as an animal 
behaviourist, I felt it was one of the sillier scenes in the movie,   
considering the importance of olfaction to so many predators.  By the 
way, where on earth did the writers get the idea that T. rex was 
dependant on motion for active vision ??  Anyone know ??

It also seemed to stretch credibility to me that the only firearms in the 
movie were pump-action 12-gauges.  OK against the dromeosaurs, but I'd 
love to see someone take on a Tricerotops or T. rex with one!  I guess 
that would be a pretty short scene :)  

I promise, never again will I mention the JP movie on this listserver :)


Timothy Isles
University of Victoria, B.C., Canada

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"Blast 'em all, man!  Let the archeologists figure it out!"