Re: Errors in Jurassic Park (Movie) (posted for D. Campbell)

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Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 15:10:21 -0500
To: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk
From: bivalve@email.unc.edu (David Campbell)
Subject: Re: Errors in Jurassic Park (Movie) (posted for D. Campbell)
Status: O

The assertion that eucalyptus, etc. would not be especially good to eat is
based on the assorted toxins which discourage modern herbivores.  Koalas
manage by eating a little of several different species and still are
probably somewhat drugged by their diet.  It seems unlikely that
brachiosaurs would have adaptations to deal with plant toxins which evolved
in the Cretaceous or Cenozoic.  Grasses are generally high in cellulose and
silica, and diversified relatively recently.  Stachytarpheta belongs to a
family generally high in toxins, though I've not seen any analysis of that
genus.
Also, it doesn't particularly matter whether the movie is close to being
accurate for me to notice scientific incompetence.  However, in the case of
Jurassic Park, part of the advertising was the claim that this was science,
not science fiction.

David Campbell   "old seashells"
Department of Geology
CB 3315 Mitchell Hall
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC 27599-3315
bivalve@email.unc.edu