About this Blog (or, “Why Sinosauropteryx, Anyway?”)
My name is Kim and I am a writer, editor and project manager based in New York City. This blog is a showcase for my writing (as well as my general point of view about life). In addition to my regular posts, you will also be able to find links to my other published works.
So, you may ask, why is this blog called “Sinosauropteryx?”
Actually, you may probably first be asking, “What on Earth is a sinosauropteryx?”(It’s pronounced “SY-no-sawr-op-ter-icks” by the way.)
It’s a kind of dinosaur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosauropteryx
However, this isn’t a paleontology blog. I do love paleontology, and I’ll certainly post about the topic every now and then, but my choice of subject matter is in no way limited to just that.
I picked the name for this blog, basically, because it’s just a cool-looking word. I find many dinosaur names to be cool-looking. (I’m also a big fan of “Velociraptor” and “Archaeopteryx.”)
Also, the Sinosauropteryx was not a big, scary, city-stomping critter.
It was small, cute and fluffy! I like to think it would have made a good pet.
(If I want to contemplate a scary, vicious dinosaur, I’ll advocate the Velociraptor. Not terribly big, but MEAN. Yes, “Jurassic Park” is one of my favorite movies. Can you tell?)
I also find it really interesting that scientists have been able to determine the actual COLORS of sinosauropteryx feathers. I’m old enough to remember when no one really had any idea what color dinosaurs were. (We still don’t really know what color their skin was…) Somehow knowing what color the sinosauropteryx was makes me feel closer to it, emotionally.
So, all that having been said…here is a link to an article about paleontology.
New “Chicken From Hell” Dinosaur Discovered
I found this headline particularly amusing because ever since they first discovered evidence of feathers on dinosaurs (particularly velociraptors) I have been joking about “chicken raptors!”
At first I really resisted the idea of dinosaurs having feathers. I just couldn’t picture the terrifying creatures who hunted the children in “Jurassic Park” (remember I’m a fan of the film) to be covered in FLUFF. It just made it too hard to take them seriously! But it’s been about 10 years now and I’ve come to accept the idea. Besides if you’ve ever been chased by an angry swan you know a creature covered in feathers can STILL be terrifying.
Another thing that makes me connect dinosaurs with chickens is this:
http://seriousfacts.com/the-chicken-is-the-closest-living-relative-of-the-tyrannosaurus-rex/
This news prompted me to begin making remarks like, “It’s true! T. Rex probably DID taste like chicken!” and “I’d like to order some Raptor-McNuggets!”
Finally, paleontologist Jack Horner (who, by the way, consulted on the film…you guessed it…”Jurassic Park”) has this to say about retro-engineering chickens to express their more primitive, dinosaur-like characteristics.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jack_horner_building_a_dinosaur_from_a_chicken
Which means that maybe someday I’ll actually be able to have something that looks like a sinosauropteryx for a pet!
Sinosauropteryx! 