Real-life dinosaurs looked nothing like the ones seen on 'Jurassic Park', according to experts.

Jurassic Park dinosaurs are inaccurate, according to experts

Jurassic Park dinosaurs are inaccurate, according to experts

The image of the T-rex was popularised through the 1993 Steven Spielberg film - which depicts an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA - but a university professor has suggested that the prehistoric creatures were not as "ferocious" as they appear to be on screen.

Portsmouth University’s Dr Mark Witton said: “Lipless dinosaurs were deeply rooted in popular culture through films and documentaries like 'Jurassic Park' and 'Walking with Dinosaurs'. It reflected preferences for a ferocious-looking aesthetic rather than scientific thinking. It reflected preferences for a ferocious-looking aesthetic rather than scientific thinking. This means a lot of our favourite dinosaur depictions are incorrect, including the iconic Jurassic Park T-Rex."

Experts now believe that the real T-Rex looked more like the modern-day lizard having studied three-toed dinosaurs including Spinosaurus, Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex and compared their skulls to that of a crocodile.

Prof Kirstin Brink, from the University of Manitoba in Canada, said: “Teeth not covered by lips risk drying out and can be subject to more damage during feeding or fighting. We see this in crocodiles, but not in dinosaurs.”

Dr Thomas Cullen, from Alabama’s Auburn University, added: “The data suggests that all theropod dinosaurs had teeth completely covered by labial scales when the mouth was closed.”

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