Poll: So let's talk about dinosaurs, and Feathers.

[jademunky]

I'm guessing a lot of scientist have long suspected that dinosaurs had more in common with birds than reptiles, hence the "raptor" in "velociraptor". That said a velociraptor covered in feathers is more laughable than terrifying... until it rips your intestines out.

They weighed about 15 kilos and came to 3 feet high at most. I think you'd be fine so long as you did not try to hug it.

 

[Riverwolf]

Funny thing about the "losing their feathers when they grow up theory." for T. rex, From what I've heard feathers are highly evolved scales as such they don't really have scales under them. So if that theory is true they would look less like dragon and more like a plucked chicken.

I've heard the same thing.

...though I will agree with feather-haters on one point. Tiny little wings on t-rex make those dainty little arms even more dorky-looking. I don't hate them, per se, and I think if I met one I'd be more concerned with that giant mouth for a head than any sized wings, but still. Hollywood's gonna have a hard time selling that. (Unless they, like, make the t-rex wings extend far out or something, like wings that look like swords. To, you know, scare the enemy and stuff.)

They weighed about 15 kilos and came to 3 feet high at most. I think you'd be fine so long as you did not try to hug it.

I dunno... even at such small proportions, that claw is still the size of a kitchen knife. And people like to joke about how they're just like big chickens when they have feathers, well... I interned on a farm for a few months, and one of my duties was to gather chicken eggs. This wasn't a factory farm, either, this was the real deal. I'll spare the details of the setup, but the result is that these were about as healthy as domestic chickens can get. And let me say this, some of the hens weren't exactly pleased with us moving them around to gather up the eggs that they were often laying on. They can get pretty snippy sometimes; I had to wear a special glove because I have heightened sensitivity to pain. And THAT'S not even getting into what I sometimes saw roosters do to hens. Let's just say that some hens had feathers missing from their shoulders.

Basically, even when domesticated, chickens can be fierce. Sure, even their wild fowl ancestors wouldn't have posed much of a threat to humans, but then again, chickens don't have teeth, tails, or terrible claws. Yeah, velociraptors would probably try running from you first, but if you cornered one and didn't have any weapons, I'm betting you'd at minimum get seriously hurt.

I mean, it's not like it's unprecedented for there to be incidents of serious injury (or death on VERY rare occasions) from modern bird attacks.

 

[jademunky]

I dunno... even at such small proportions, that claw is still the size of a kitchen knife. And people like to joke about how they're just like big chickens when they have feathers, well... I interned on a farm for a few months, and one of my duties was to gather chicken eggs. This wasn't a factory farm, either, this was the real deal. I'll spare the details of the setup, but the result is that these were about as healthy as domestic chickens can get. And let me say this, some of the hens weren't exactly pleased with us moving them around to gather up the eggs that they were often laying on. They can get pretty snippy sometimes; I had to wear a special glove because I have heightened sensitivity to pain. And THAT'S not even getting into what I sometimes saw roosters do to hens. Let's just say that some hens had feathers missing from their shoulders.

Basically, even when domesticated, chickens can be fierce. Sure, even their wild fowl ancestors wouldn't have posed much of a threat to humans, but then again, chickens don't have teeth, tails, or terrible claws. Yeah, velociraptors would probably try running from you first, but if you cornered one and didn't have any weapons, I'm betting you'd at minimum get seriously hurt.

I mean, it's not like it's unprecedented for there to be incidents of serious injury (or death on VERY rare occasions) from modern bird attacks.

Heh, chickens are assholes and yeah, I've heard of groups of them absolutely going murderfrenzytastic when blood was drawn and they were clustered together too much. I've got an uncle who was a pig farmer and his big rule was "stay away from the neighbour's chicken coop when visiting! Go see the pigs if you are bored."

Not saying 3-foot devilbirds cant be dangerous, just not on the Spielberg level of movie villainy.

 

[lionsprey]

im a feather guy. scientifically accurate all the way baby. and lets face it if not for childhood nostalgia we would be equally scared of feathered dinosaurs.

 

[the December King]

im a feather guy. scientifically accurate all the way baby. and lets face it if not for childhood nostalgia we would be equally scared of feathered dinosaurs.

I don't know about this- bear with me for a sec.

See, a lot of individual stories about chickens pecking people on the hand, or flapping and scaring kids don't really offset the fact that they (meaning mainly chickens) are our food. Like, by the millions. They are livestock, treated and completely rendered as property. Also, most birds are small(compared to us). Eagles and hawks and big owls are often a larger size, and pretty cool, sure- often being highly successful predators - but they can fly, too, and look the part. And I'm sure that there are other birds that are potentially threatening- like an ostrich could probably be really dangerous- but they also look relatively silly.

If feathers are canon, then so be it. But since this is about what we personally think, I don't have to like it.

 

[Lieju]

I don't get this 'oh they look less scary with feathers' argument.

It's like you guys have never been attacked by a goose or something. Scary! Unlike lizards who just kinda lay around in the sun all day.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

im a feather guy. scientifically accurate all the way baby. and lets face it if not for childhood nostalgia we would be equally scared of feathered dinosaurs.

I don't know about this- bear with me for a sec.

See, a lot of individual stories about chickens pecking people on the hand, or flapping and scaring kids don't really offset the fact that they (meaning mainly chickens) are our food. Like, by the millions. They are livestock, treated and completely rendered as property. Also, most birds are small(compared to us). Eagles and hawks and big owls are often a larger size, and pretty cool, sure- often being highly successful predators - but they can fly, too, and look the part. And I'm sure that there are other birds that are potentially threatening- like an ostrich could probably be really dangerous- but they also look relatively silly.

If feathers are canon, then so be it. But since this is about what we personally think, I don't have to like it.

You're kind of missing the point.

Okay, humans are not apex predators. We're basically ranked as a bipedular pig in our trophic level. When people talk about how non-threatening a 3-4 foot feathered velociraptor might be, let me remind you they're an ambush predator and a 4 foot tall cassowary will fuck up an adult human. A 2.5 foot tall canid will fuck up a human. A 2 foot tall mountain lion will fuck up a human.

Also, I've been chased by a cassowary ... anything that crazy is scary, regardless of size.

If, somehow, someone reproduces dinosaurs, and one person laughs and prods a 4' tall feathered dinosaur in the future ... that silly fucker is going to be an immortal lesson to everyone else.

 

[the December King]

im a feather guy. scientifically accurate all the way baby. and lets face it if not for childhood nostalgia we would be equally scared of feathered dinosaurs.

I don't know about this- bear with me for a sec.

See, a lot of individual stories about chickens pecking people on the hand, or flapping and scaring kids don't really offset the fact that they (meaning mainly chickens) are our food. Like, by the millions. They are livestock, treated and completely rendered as property. Also, most birds are small(compared to us). Eagles and hawks and big owls are often a larger size, and pretty cool, sure- often being highly successful predators - but they can fly, too, and look the part. And I'm sure that there are other birds that are potentially threatening- like an ostrich could probably be really dangerous- but they also look relatively silly.

If feathers are canon, then so be it. But since this is about what we personally think, I don't have to like it.

You're kind of missing the point.

Okay, humans are not apex predators. We're basically ranked as a bipedular pig in our trophic level. When people talk about how non-threatening a 3-4 foot feathered velociraptor might be, let me remind you they're an ambush predator and a 4 foot tall cassowary will fuck up an adult human. A 2.5 foot tall canid will fuck up a human. A 2 foot tall mountain lion will fuck up a human.

Also, I've been chased by a cassowary ... anything that crazy is scary, regardless of size.

If, somehow, someone reproduces dinosaurs, and one person laughs and prods a 4' tall feathered dinosaur in the future ... that silly fucker is going to be an immortal lesson to everyone else.

No, no, I got that. I see what you're saying (ocelot? heh), but when they originally looked like reptiles, that meant they looked like crocodiles... and they fuck up anything they want.

Trust me, no one is prodding turkeys here. And I'm sure dinos were dangerous- after all, hippos look like morons, but are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. But predatory reptiles look bad ass to me. And since that was the whole point, I stand by my opinion.

 

[Story]

I love birds so I'm fine with feathers.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

No, no, I got that. I see what you're saying (ocelot? heh), but when they originally looked like reptiles, that meant they looked like crocodiles... and they fuck up anything they want.

Trust me, no one is prodding turkeys here. And I'm sure dinos were dangerous- after all, hippos look like morons, but are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. But predatory reptiles look bad ass to me. And since that was the whole point, I stand by my opinion.

Just saying the whole idea that it would look ridiculous is weird to me. I mean the weirdest it would look like a cassowary-eagle hybrid thing with a long tail that suggests it leaps at things and requires a counterweighted balance. And cassowaries are scary enough.

It's kind of like when you watch a mob of kangaroos at what you thought was a safe distance and a big eastern grey male lands right next to you, puffs out its chest, and snorts a challenge. It's all those moments when you know something is well and truly out of your league when you've got nothing but a map, compass, first aid kit, and some food and water.

Ditto that cassowary....

Suddenly not so goofy looking. So if they're as big as them having feathers is meaningless to what they could probably do to you if you provoke them. I mean the main problem seems to be the feathers. Not the fact that they are smaller than commonly presented, and yet the feathers is what tick people off and call them ridiculous?

It might just be my healthy fear of things with big spurs by this point.

I will admit saltwater crocodiles are amazing up close. Just not too close.

 

[CaitSeith]

I blame Jurassic Park. They made featherless dinosaurs look too cool to even imagine them with feathers.