Articles for author: Saman Zehra

A close up of a dinosaur with its mouth open

The Four-Winged Dino That Tried to Be a Bird

Picture this: 125 million years ago, in the dense forests of ancient China, a crow-sized creature perched on a branch, shaking out not two, but four feathered wings. This wasn’t your typical dinosaur, and it certainly wasn’t quite a bird either. Meet Microraptor, the four-winged fossil that turned everything we thought we knew about the ...

a dinosaur skeleton is displayed in a museum

Late Cretaceous Carnivores: More Than Just T. rex

The Late Cretaceous period, spanning from about 100 to 66 million years ago, represents one of the most dramatic chapters in Earth’s history. While Tyrannosaurus rex commands the spotlight in popular culture, this ancient world teemed with an incredible diversity of predators that would make today’s apex hunters look like house cats. From the razor-clawed ...

Saman Zehra

a black and white photo of a dinosaur statue

Retro Dino Documentaries: What Held Up and What Definitely Didn’t

Picture this: it’s 1993, and you’re settling into your couch with a bowl of popcorn, ready to watch the latest dinosaur documentary. The narrator’s voice booms dramatically as a massive Tyrannosaurus rex drags its tail across the screen, roaring like a lion on steroids. Fast forward three decades, and that same scene would make paleontologists ...

a close up of a rock with a horse on it

The Jurassic Divide: Dinosaurs and the Breakup of a Supercontinent

Picture this: colossal dinosaurs roaming across vast landscapes that stretched from what we now call Morocco to New York City, all connected by a single, massive landmass. This wasn’t science fiction—it was Earth 200 million years ago, when the supercontinent Pangaea dominated our planet’s surface. But as the Jurassic period unfolded, something extraordinary happened that ...

a person standing next to a dinosaur statue

Alan Grant’s Character Arc: Jurassic Park Dino Skeptic to Survivor

Picture this: a world-renowned paleontologist who has spent decades studying fossilized bones suddenly comes face-to-face with living, breathing dinosaurs. The theoretical becomes terrifyingly real, and everything he thought he knew about these ancient creatures gets turned upside down. This is exactly what happens to Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park saga, and his journey ...

a museum display of various types of dinosaurs

Understanding Dinosaur Evolution: The Big Picture

Imagine walking through a world where colossal beasts roamed freely, their thunderous footsteps echoing across ancient landscapes. Picture creatures so magnificent and diverse that they would make today’s wildlife look like a quiet neighborhood gathering. This isn’t science fiction—this was Earth for over 165 million years, when dinosaurs ruled supreme. But here’s what most people ...

a large white bird flying through a cloudy sky

Ancient Wingspans: When Birds Had the Size of Planes

Picture this: you’re standing in an ancient landscape 25 million years ago, looking up at the sky, when suddenly the sun disappears. But it’s not a cloud blocking the light – it’s a bird with wings spanning nearly 25 feet, soaring overhead like a living aircraft. These weren’t mythical creatures from fantasy novels; they were ...