Walking With Dinosaurs: What It Got Right (And Wrong)

(Or, “Max’s Dino Fact-Checking Marathon”)

“Max, how do you know Walking With Dinosaurs wasn’t just making stuff up?”

Jake was halfway through the series and had decided he was an expert. Sam rolled her eyes from behind her book.

“Because,” I said, pausing the episode, “they actually worked with paleontologists. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. Want me to explain?”

“No,” Jake said immediately.

“Yes,” Sam said at the same time.

What Walking With Dinosaurs Got Right

Let’s start with the good stuff. For a series that came out in 1999, Walking With Dinosaurs was way ahead of its time.

1. Dino Behavior
   • The series did a great job showing how dinosaurs might have lived—herds of herbivores, packs of predators, and dramatic fights over territory.
   • Example: The episode with the Allosaurus pack hunting a Diplodocus was intense—and probably accurate.
2. Ecosystems
   • Each episode explored a different time period and environment, from lush Jurassic forests to the arid plains of the Cretaceous.
   • They nailed the idea that dinosaurs didn’t live in a vacuum—they shared their world with other animals, plants, and even early mammals.
3. Scientific Consultation
   • The creators worked with real paleontologists to base their stories on the best fossil evidence available at the time.

What It Got Wrong

Even with all that research, some things didn’t age well as science advanced.

1. Feathers Were Missing
   • Just like Jurassic Park, Walking With Dinosaurs didn’t show feathered dinosaurs. At the time, feathered fossils weren’t as widely known, but we now know that many theropods, including Velociraptors, were feathered.
2. Pterosaurs as Dinos
   • The show sometimes lumped flying reptiles like Pteranodon in with dinosaurs, even though they’re technically a separate group.
3. Overdramatized Scenes
   • While the storytelling was great, some interactions—like the famous T-Rex vs. Ankylosaurus battle—were more about entertainment than hard science.

Max’s Favorite Episodes

Here are my top picks from the series (and a few notes about how accurate they were):

1. “New Blood”
   • Focus: Early dinosaurs like Coelophysis.
   • Accuracy: Solid! Coelophysis really did live in packs and prey on smaller creatures.
2. “Time of the Titans”
   • Focus: Giant sauropods like Diplodocus.
   • Accuracy: The depiction of Diplodocus herds is spot-on, though their tails probably didn’t whip as much as shown.
3. “Cruel Sea”
   • Focus: Marine reptiles like Ichthyosaurus.
   • Accuracy: Mostly accurate, though the series didn’t show much of the smaller marine life that would’ve been everywhere.
4. “Death of a Dynasty”
   • Focus: The extinction of dinosaurs.
   • Accuracy: The asteroid impact theory was well-depicted, but it’s still debated how fast extinction happened afterward.

Jake’s Hot Take

“So you’re saying they got, like, 80% of it right?” Jake asked, pausing the episode where an Ornitholestes chased a baby dino through a forest.

“Closer to 90%,” I said. “But you can’t blame them for the feather thing. Nobody knew back then.”

Sam smirked. “Does this mean you’re letting Jake off the hook for not knowing how to pronounce dinosaur names?”

“No,” I said immediately.

Sam’s Thoughtful Insight

“I think what made Walking With Dinosaurs so good,” Sam said, “is that it wasn’t just about facts—it made you feel like you were really there. Like you were watching history happen.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And even if some of the details are wrong, it’s still one of the best ways to understand how dinosaurs lived.”

Field Notes From Max

• Biggest Lesson: Science is always evolving, which means shows like this age quickly—but that’s part of what makes them fun to revisit.
• Favorite Scene: The Allosaurus hunt in “Time of the Titans.” Terrifying, but epic.
• What’s Next: Someone needs to make a new Walking With Dinosaurs, but with all the feathered dinosaurs included. (Hollywood, call me.)

Walking With Dinosaurs might not be perfect, but it’s still one of the most iconic dino documentaries ever made. If you’ve never seen it, watch it now—you’ll learn a ton, and you’ll probably fall in love with dinosaurs all over again. 🦖🎬✨