Lacovara to IGN: “Jurassic” dinos are fun fiction that inspire

Discussing movie monsters with entertainment website IGN ahead of the July 2 “Jurassic World Rebirth” release, Rowan University’s Dr. Ken Lacovara couldn’t help but grin, his expression a mix of pure amusement and scientific rigor.

In a video interview shot at Rowan’s Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, where Lacovara is executive director, he discussed the realism, fun and fantasy of the long-running Jurassic series, as well as the impact the films have made on aspiring scientists.

“Every paleontologist has to deal with the inaccuracies of the Jurassic films but every paleontologist also benefits from the excitement that those films have produced around our field of study,” Lacovara said.

Tons of fun

Lacovara, who noted that generations of school kids have been inspired by the films, beginning with 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” said many students’ love of dinosaurs have been supercharged by the movies, and some went on to become scientists themselves.

Still, the Jurassic films often exaggerate the true nature of the prehistoric beasts, and Lacovara took time to dissect how much fun the moviemakers had with the science.

Among the most terrifying scenes were some from the first film, which featured highly intelligent, seven-foot-tall velociraptors stalking and terrorizing characters.

“They were actually the size of turkeys,” Lacovara said. “And they had feathers.”

Throughout the 16-minute video, Lacovara debunked myths, including the terrifying roar of the T-Rex in that first film.

Fact is, dinosaurs might have rumbled like an alligator but didn’t likely roar, and even if they could, they wouldn’t while hunting prey, he said.

“They might have been able to make squeaks and pops, like a bird,” he said. “Also, animals don’t yell at their food before they eat it.”

True “Dread”

Lacovara briefly discussed his 2005 career-making discovery of the massive Dreadnoughtus, which would have weighed 65 tons and was featured in 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion.”

He shared stories of digging through ancient rock, of discovering bones that hadn’t seen sunlight in 77 million years, and spoke of the Edelman Fossil Park, where visitors of all ages can touch the past and imagine the future as they discover fossils of their own.

And he reminded viewers that dinosaurs weren’t really monsters at all – they were animals, an important part of Earth’s dynamic story.

With trademark humor, Lacovara noted that many dinosaurs were, in fact, probably big and scary, but noted that one thing has bothered him since the first film – their depiction as virtually impervious to modern weaponry.

“They’re flesh and bones, just like we are, and if they get shot, they’re going to die.”

Despite their inaccuracies, Lacovara said the films have had a great impact on inspiring a love of science in students and said they’re always a good time.

“These are fun summer monster movies,” he said with a grin. “Go to the theater, get a box of popcorn, enjoy yourselves. And, if it interests you, go to the library and get a book about real dinosaurs.”

Watch the video!