Editing 758: Raptor Fences
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| titletext = If at least one person has a nightmare about being swarmed by hundreds of mouse-sized dromaeosaurids, my work will have been done. | | titletext = If at least one person has a nightmare about being swarmed by hundreds of mouse-sized dromaeosaurids, my work will have been done. | ||
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | In the film ''{{w|Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park}},'' the protagonists are menaced (some fatally) by carnivorous dinosaurs, including very large {{w|Velociraptor|velociraptors | + | In the film ''{{w|Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park}},'' the protagonists are menaced (some fatally) by carnivorous dinosaurs, including very large {{w|Velociraptor|velociraptors}}. In this film the dinosaurs had been recreated via the sampling of ancient DNA recovered, primarily, from the stomachs of mosquitoes trapped in amber (fossilized tree sap). In reality velociraptors were only about 50 centimeter in hight. It is also believed, that they have had feathers covering their bodies. |
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− | + | The caption suggests that the fear of being hunted by dinosaurs would be greatly reduced by genetically engineering them to be much smaller than their original size, apparently to about the size of a cockroach. | |
− | + | Note that while growth is dependent on genes, it is extremely unlikely that a change to a single gene could reduce an animal in size by the factor of approximately 10,000 that is implied here. But perhaps no less unlikely than being able to recreate the dinosaurs at all in the first place. People seem ready to ascribe almost limitless powers to DNA and genetic engineering, but there are many practical constraints. | |
The title text suggests that even very small dinosaurs could be terrifying to some, if they imagined a huge number of them. The author would be pleased if this were the case. | The title text suggests that even very small dinosaurs could be terrifying to some, if they imagined a huge number of them. The author would be pleased if this were the case. |