Intelligent dinosaurs: Exploring the captivating 'dinosauroid' hypothesis
What would have happened if, 65 million years ago, a meteor had not struck the Earth, contributing to the extinction of the dinosaurs? In 1982, Canadian palaeontologist Dale Russell proposed a hypothesis suggesting that intelligent Troodons could have evolved similarly to mammals, potentially leading to the emergence of reptiles with humanoid appearances.
Palaeontologists believe that Troodon may have been among the most intelligent dinosaurs. Considering this trait, Russell presented a thought experiment concerning a humanoid creature that could have evolved from these animals. He named it dinosauroid, though it is sometimes also referred to as Troodon sapiens, or wise Troodon.
Dinosaur-human
In 1982, Russell invited sculptor Ron Séguin to collaborate, resulting in a reconstruction of the hypothetical humanoid descendant of Troodon. According to their concept, the dinosauroid was imagined to walk on two legs in an upright posture. Like other Troodons, Russell and Séguin's imaginary creature was to have three fingers on each hand, one of which would be partially opposable.
The dinosauroid's eyes were to be exceptionally large, and its skull was characterised by a developed neurocranium and a reduced splanchnocranium. The long tail of the Troodon was imagined to have completely disappeared, as—perhaps surprisingly—had its teeth. According to the Canadian researchers' concept, the humanoid reptile, despite descending from a carnivorous dinosaur, would be entirely toothless. Séguin's model also featured a navel, as Russell assumed that unlike other dinosaurs, the dinosauroid would be viviparous rather than egg-laying.
The Canadian palaeontologist also assumed that millions of years of evolution could enable "reptilian humans" to develop civilisation and advanced technology. However, his vision met with criticism from other palaeontologists who considered the dinosauroid too anthropomorphic.
Following the publication of this thought experiment, discussions began about a world in which humanoid reptiles might actually exist. According to one hypothesis, they could become the dominant species, displacing Homo sapiens or even preventing its emergence on Earth. Another concept suggests that dinosauroids could live alongside humans—either collaborating with them or waging wars.
This concept stimulates imagination
The concept introduced nearly 40 years ago continues to enjoy popularity, stimulating the imagination of scientists, artists, and conspiracy theorists about reptilians. Hypothetical considerations regarding the evolution of dinosaurs, should they have survived to our times, were presented in the BBC documentary "Horizon: My Pet Dinosaur".
It's worth mentioning that for some time, a rumour circulated among "Jurassic Park" fans that the fourth instalment of the series, known as Jurassic World, would feature hybrids created from a combination of dinosaur and human DNA. Ultimately, as we know, this did not happen, although models and concept art suggest that such an idea was indeed considered.
A few years before the release of "Jurassic World," an alleged script fragment was leaked, according to which hybrids were to be developed in a secret lab for the purpose of creating the perfect soldiers. Trace of this idea can be detected in the final version of the film—there is a subplot involving a military figure who believes raptors can be used for military purposes. Hybrids were not completely abandoned either—in the end, a combination of two predatory dinosaurs was decided upon.
According to industry film portals, creators ultimately decided to scrap the earlier idea after seeing concept art by Carlos Huante from Industrial Light & Magic. The illustration depicted a humanoid dinosaur, but the idea was met with an exceptionally negative reaction from fans of the cult series.
