Coding the Dinosaur DNA

[Marla]

Coding the Dinosaur DNA



Your name is Dr. Grant. You and your assistant are flying to Costa Rica. You have been asked to identify what might be dinosaur DNA.

Your task is to examine the DNA (read 1 task from the five tasks given for a dinosaur).
You will then post on the DNA Verification thread asking for confirmation whether you have successfully deduced the correct DNA.

If you have not, you will then read for the next dinosaur.

Before you begin the process, I will ask how many dinosaurs you wish to read for. There are 20 possible matches to the unidentified DNA. This number will be noted in your Completion Posts.

After signing up, you will receive your own thread. It will be titled: "[Your name] Examines Dinosaur DNA".

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Take a look at the list of dinosaurs.
2. Choose your first extinct reptile and post it into your thread.
3. The moderator will then post the related information and tasks.
4. When you read for one of the tasks, post on your thread the following:

Completion Post (#? of ?)
Is the DNA (dinosaur name goes here)?
Task:
Book:
Pages:
How it Fits:

5. And then leave a message on the DNA Verification thread.

Rules:
* Books must be at least 140 pages.
* You can use or ignore 'a', 'an, 'the'
* Page count for audio books is determined by the first paper edition shown on Goodreads. On the book's page, select “all editions”, then use the first paper edition to determine the page number.

[Marla]

Coding the Dinosaur DNA

Start: 9/1/23
End: 12/24/23

Dr. Grant, thank you for coming all the way to Costa Rica to examine the DNA. We hope you will enjoy your time here at the biological preserve on Isla Nublar. You should have no worries for your safety. *cue eerie music that will cause shivers up and down your spine*

Your task is to code the dinosaur DNA (read one task from the five tasks given for a dinosaur). You will then post on the DNA Verification thread asking for confirmation whether you have successfully deduced the correct DNA.

If you have not, you will then read for the next dinosaur.

Before you begin the process, I will ask how many dinosaurs you wish to read for. There are 20 possible matches to the unidentified DNA. This number will be noted in your Completion Posts.


HOW TO PLAY:
1. Take a look at the list of dinosaurs.
2. Choose your first extinct reptile and post it into your thread.
3. The moderator will then post the related information and tasks.
4. When you have read one of the tasks, post on your thread the following:

Completion Post (#? of ?)
Is the DNA (dinosaur name goes here)?
Task:
Book:
Pages:
How it Fits:

5. And then leave a message on the DNA Verification thread.

Rules:
* Books must be at least 140 pages.
* You can use or ignore 'a', 'an, 'the'
* Page count for audio books will be determined the first paper version shown on Goodreads. On the book's page, select “all editions”, then use the first paper edition to determine the page number.

[Marla]

Possible Dinosaur Matches


1. Allosaurus
2. Apatosaurus
✔️ 3. Ankylosaurus
4. Archaeopteryx
✔️ 5. Brachiosaurus
6. Brontosaurus
7. Coelophysis
✔️ 8. Compsognathus
🦖 9. Diplodocus
✔️ 10. Giganotosaurus
✔️ 11. Gallimimus
12. Iguanodon
✔️ 13. Parasaurolophus
✔️ 14. Spinosaurus
✔️ 15. Stegosaurus
16. Therizinosaurus
✔️ 17. Triceratops
✔️ 18. Troodon
✔️ 19. Tyrannosaurus Rex
✔️ 20. Velociraptor


Where did this dinosaur appear in Jurassic Park movies?
https://jurassicpark.fandom.com/wiki/...

[Marla]

Welcome to Costa Rica, Dr. Grant. How many samples of dinosaur DNA will you be examining? And which one do you want to start with?

I'd like to analyze 20 dinosaurs.

Let's start with #20 Velociraptor

[Marla]

* Common name: Velociraptor
* Type of dinosaur: theropod
* Size: 6.5 ft/2m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Many depictions of Velociraptor, including those in Jurassic Park, suggest that it was taller than a man. In fact, Velociraptor was turkey-sized, standing around 1.6 ft./50 cm tall and 6.5 ft./2m long.

Another inaccuracy in the Jurassic Park velociraptors is that they are portrayed without feathers. Velociraptor is now known to have had both feathers, and wings. It is thought that the ancestors of Velociraptor may have been able to fly. (Velociraptor itself is thought to be flightless.)

One each of Velociraptor’s feet was a 3.5 in./9 cm killing claw. Armed with such formidable weapons, Velociraptor would have been a proficient hunter. In one famous fossil, a Velociraptor is fighting a Protoceratops.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book with something that is taller than a man on the cover
2. read a book with a MC that has a pet bird
3. read a book where the MC travels through the air (in an airplane, helicopter, spaceship, on a broom or magic carpet, or rescued by a Great Eagle :)
4. read a book where the MC might be armed with a weapon
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#1 of 20)
Is the DNA (dinosaur name goes here)? Velociraptor
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Date Read: 9/11/23
Pages: 307 pages
Task: read a book where the MC travels through the air
How it Fits: School flies through the air
Task: read a book where the MC might be armed with a weapon
How it Fits: espionage training sometimes entails weapons
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Velociraptor.

[Marla]

* Common name: Giganotosaurus
* Type of dinosaur: Theropod
* Size: 39 ft./12 m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Giganotosaurus was a large, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in South America in the Late Cretaceous.

It’s possible that this fearsome dinosaur was the largest land carnivore ever to have lived; some paleontologists estimate its length could have exceeded 49 ft./15 m.

This famous dinosaur had crest-like ridges on the skull in front of the eyes.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book set in South America
2. read a book Size Matters! list
3. read a book with "fearsome" in the text of the book
4. read a book with a close-up of eyes on the cover
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#2 of 20)
Is the DNA (dinosaur name goes here)? Giganotosaurus
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab

Book/Author: Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson
Date Read: 9/18/23
Pages: 304
Task: read a book with a close-up of eyes on the cover
How it Fits: Eye on the cover
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Giganotosaurus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Tyrannosaurus Rex
* Type of dinosaur: Theropod
* Size: 40 ft./12.3 m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

It says much about the popularity of this dinosaur that Tyrannosaurus Rex is one of the few dinosaurs to be known by its species name, rather than by the wider genus name.

In scientific terminology, a species name has two words, the first word being the genus (in this case Tyrannosaurus, meaning “tyrant lizard”); the second word being an identifying name (in this case, rex, meaning “king”).

T. rex is usually thought of as an apex predator, but it’s likely that the species was also at least partly a scavenger.

The skull of T. rex was heavily-built and its jaws suggest that it had a powerful bite force. The largest T. rex teeth were around 12 in./30 cm in length, including the root.

Although the forelimbs of T. rex were short, they were thought to be powerful. It is likely that they were used to prevent prey from escaping.

T. rex lived right at the end of the Cretaceous Period, and this famous dinosaur was likely one of the last dinosaurs to have lived.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book with a person's name in the title
2. read a book from the Popular Books that Annoy You list
3. read a book published in the 12th month or on the 30th day of any month
4. read a book where the MC is short (a child counts)
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#3 of 20)
Is the DNA (dinosaur name goes here)? Tyrannosaurus Rex
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Lost Stories Collection by Michael Scott
Date Read: 9/30/23
Pages: 356 pages
Task: read a book with a person's name in the title
How it Fits: Nicholas Flamel in the title
Task: read a book where the MC is short
How it Fits: Scathach is short
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: MPG historical fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

[Marla]

* Common name: Stegosaurus
* Type of dinosaur: Ornithischian
* Size: 30 ft./9m
* Period: Late Jurassic

Most people can identify a Stegosaurus due to the distinctive plates that run along the dinosaur’s back. The plates may have offered a means of defense against predators or played a part in keeping the dinosaur’s body at the correct temperature. Today, it is thought the plates’ most likely function is that they were used in display, to signify dominance and to attract a mate.

Even if the plates’ primary function wasn’t defense, Stegosaurus was by no means defenseless. Its tail was equipped with four long (up to 3 ft./1.5 m) spikes. In many specimens, the spikes are worn or damaged, suggesting that they were used in combat when the dinosaur was alive.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book where the MC uses a disguise to hide his/her identity
2. read a book from the Dishes on the Cover list
3. read a book with a season in the title (Spring, Summer, Fall, Autumn, Winter)
4. read the 4th book in a series
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#4 of 20)
Is the DNA Stegosaurus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Date Read: 10/14/23
Pages: 561
Task: read a book where the MC uses a disguise to hide his/her identity
How it Fits: Diana uses a disguising spell
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: historical fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Stegosaurus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Triceratops
* Type of dinosaur: Ornithischian
* Size: 30 ft./9m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Triceratops was a large, powerful, plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now North America. It is one of the most famous dinosaurs, and one of the most recognizable, due to its three horns (one on its snout, the other two at the top of its face), and the large bony shield that extends backwards from the back of the skull.

The horns and shield may have been defensive adaptations against predators (Triceratops lived alongside fearsome predators such as Tyrannosaurus Rex), but they may have been used for courtship or establishing dominance against other Triceratops.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book with a large or powerful MC
2. read a book from the Books with Fictional Vegetarian or Vegan Characters list
3. read a book with a three word title (including articles)
4. read a book with 'horns' or 'shield' in the text of the book
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical" or "Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#5 of 20)
Is the DNA Triceratops?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Deserves To Die by Lisa Jackson
Date Read: 10/18/23
Pages: 432
Task: read a book with a three word title
How it Fits: Deserves to Die
Task: read a book with 'horns' or 'shield' in the text of the book
How it Fits: horns ~ p. 41, 44, 112, 139, 256, 358, 381, 395
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Triceratops.

[Marla]

* Common name: Compsognathus
* Type of dinosaur: Theropod
* Size: 4.33 ft./1.32 m
* Period: Late Jurassic

Compsognathus was a small, bipedal, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Europe in the Late Jurassic.

An almost-complete Compsognathus fossil was found in Germany in the mid-nineteenth century. Scientists know the species is predatory because this specimen had the fossilized remains of a lizard in its stomach. A slightly larger Compsognathus specimen was found in France around 100 years later.

For many years, Compsognathus was famous for being the smallest-known dinosaur. However, several smaller dinosaurs have since been found.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book published in a year ending in '2' (2022, 2012, 2002, 1992, and so on)
2. read a book set in continental Europe
3. read a book that is tagged 'New Adult'
4. read a book by an author you have just discovered
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#6 of 20)
Is the DNA Compsognathus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
Date Read: 11/1/23
Pages: 464
Task: read a book published in a year ending in '2'
How it Fits: published 1/1/2012
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Compsognathus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Spinosaurus
* Type of dinosaur: Therapod
* Size: 56 ft./17 m.
* Period: Late Cretaceous

The first Spinosaurus was discovered in Egypt in 1912. Unfortunately, the specimen was destroyed when the museum in Germany in which it was being stored was bombed during the war.

Several more Spinosaurus fossils have since been found, also in North Africa.

Spinosaurus is one of the biggest land predators ever to have lived. Like other spinosaurids, it had elongated spines on its back. These are thought to have supported a sail made of skin.

Paleontologists are unsure of the purpose of the Spinosaurus’s sail. It may have helped to keep the dinosaur at the correct temperature, or have been used as a display to attract mates.

Another explanation is that it helped Spinosaurus move through the water while swimming. Spinosaurus’s long, thin jaws and sharp teeth suggest it was a fish eater.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book set in the Middle East or Northern Africa
2. read a book where the MC goes to a museum
3. read a book set during a war, battle, or conflict
4. read a book with 400+ pages
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#7 of 20)
Is the DNA Spinosaurus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Date Read: 11/13/23
Pages: 356
Task: read a book set in the Middle East or Northern Africa
How it Fits: travel to Palestine
Task: read a book set during a war, battle, or conflict
How it Fits: WWI
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: Historical fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Spinosaurus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Gallimimus
* Type of dinosaur: Theropod
* Size: 20 ft./6m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Gallimimus is well-known due to its appearance in the film Jurassic Park. In the film, paleontologist Dr. Grant and the grandchildren of park owner John Hammond are surrounded by a Gallimimus herd. Grant and the children take shelter behind a fallen tree as the herd is attacked by a T. rex.

Gallimimus, whose name means “chicken mimic”, was a fast-moving, herd animal with a large, toothless beak. Unlike the dinosaur in Jurassic Park, Gallimimus is thought to have had feathers. The structure of its beak suggests that the dinosaur was a herbivore that ate tough vegetation.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book that has been made into a movie
2. read a book where the MC has a grandchild(ren)
3. read a book where the MC gets attacked
4. read a book that you've been chicken to read (on your TBR list for over a year)
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#8 of 20)
Is the DNA Gallimimus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: The Ring of Wind by Chris Bradford
Date Read: 11/19/23
Pages: 346
Task: read a book where the MC gets attacked
How it Fits: by Wind Demon sea pirates, by sea samurai
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: Historical Fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Gallimimus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Ankylosaurus
* Type of dinosaur: Ornithischian
* Size: 26 ft./8m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Ankylosaurus is one of the most famous armored dinosaurs. It was the largest ankylosaurid, and the last of its kind – it is thought to have lived right up to the end of the Cretaceous Period.

The body of Ankylosaurus was covered in bony plates. It had a beak and teeth, and four horns that projected backwards from its head. Its tail ended in a club, which provided protection from predators. This would have been useful; Ankylosaurus lived alongside Tyrannosaurus.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read the last book in a trilogy or series
2. read a book published in 2000 (the last year of the 20th century)
3. read a book where you can only see the back of someone's head
4. read a book where the MC has an enemy
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#9 of 20)
Is the DNA Ankylosaurus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Escape from Falaise by John Flanagan
Date Read: 11/22/23
Pages: 272 pages
Task: read a book where the MC has an enemy
How it Fits: Lord Lassigny was awful
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: Historical Fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Ankylosaurus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Parasaurolophus
* Type of dinosaur: Ornithischian
* Size: 31 ft./9 m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Parasaurolophus is one of the most famous hadrosaurid, or “duck-billed”, dinosaurs. Its name, which means “near/almost crested lizard”, refers to its being a close relative of Saurolophus. (Saurolophus, another hadrosaurid, appeared around 3 million years after Parasaurolophus.)

Parasaurolophus was a plant eating browser, able to walk on either two or four legs. It had a large, backwards-curving crest on the back of its head. Tubes ran from the nostrils to the crest, which may have been used to produce sounds.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book set in Australia (where the duck-billed platypuses are)
2. read a book with all the letters of ALMOST in the title
3. read a book from the Half a million ratings to a million ratings list
4. listen to an audio book
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#10 of 20)
Is the DNA Parasaurolophus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Date Read: 11/26/23
Pages: 158
Task: listen to an audio book
How it Fits: Listened to audiobook
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Parasaurolophus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Troodon
* Type of dinosaur: Theropod
* Size: 6.5 ft./2 m
* Period: Late Cretaceous

Troodon means “wounding tooth”, a name that comes from the dinosaur’s serrated teeth. The teeth were the first Troodon specimens to be found.

Most paleontologists believe that Troodon was a predator, with large eyes and one of the biggest brains in relation to body size of any dinosaur.

An opposing view is that Troodon’s serrated teeth were used to slice through leaves rather than meat, and that the dinosaur was an omnivore.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book the MC gets physically wounded
2. read a book with something on the cover that has a jagged edge (serrated)
3. read a book where the MC is considered intelligent
4. read a book from the Polar Opposites list
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'


Completion Post (#11 of 20)
Is the DNA Troodon?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: City of Thieves by David Benioff
Date Read: 11/29/23
Pages: 258
Task: read a book the MC gets physically wounded
How it Fits: gets beaten up in fight
Task: read a book where the MC is considered intelligent
How it Fits: Lev is a talented chess player
Task: read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'
How it Fits: tagged Historical & Historical Fiction
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Troodon.

[Marla]

* Common name: Brachiosaurus
* Type of dinosaur: Sauropod
* Size: 75 ft./23m
* Period: Late Jurassic

First discovered in Colorado, United States, Brachiosaurus is a sauropod from the Late Jurassic period. It can be distinguished from other sauropods by its extra-long front legs, which gave its body a downward-sloping appearance.

The genus name Brachiosaurus, which means “arm lizard”, refers to the dinosaur’s long front legs.

Brachiosaurus is likely to have held its neck erect and would have been capable of reaching foliage around 50 ft/15 m above the ground.

Brachiosaurus appears in this list of famous dinosaurs because it appears in two notable scenes in Jurassic Park. It is the first dinosaur seen by paleontologists Drs Grant and Sattler. Later in the movie, a Brachiosaurus sneezes over one of the children.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book set in Colorado, USA
2. read a book where the MC has long legs or is very tall
3. read a book that was first published over 50 years ago (1972 or earlier)
4. read a book where the MC is a doctor of some kind
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or 'Historical Fiction'

Completion Post (#12 of 20)
Is the DNA Brachiosaurus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher
Date Read: 12/24/23
Pages: 445
Task: read a book where the MC has long legs or is very tall
How it Fits: Istvhan & Clara are both tall and long legged
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Result: I'm sorry. The DNA isn't from the Brachiosaurus.

[Marla]

* Common name: Diplodocus
* Type of dinosaur: Sauropod
* Size: 79 ft./24 m
* Period: Late Jurassic

A sauropod dinosaur, Diplodocus was typical of its type, being a huge, four-legged, plant-eating animal with a long neck and whip-like tail.

Diplodocus may have had a row of triangular spikes running along its back.

The structure of the peg-like teeth of Diplodocus suggest that it grasped a branch in its mouth, then moved its head up or down to strip foliage from the branch.

With a center of gravity located near its hips, Diplodocus is likely to have been able to rear up on its hind legs, using its tail as support. This would have allowed the dinosaur to reach foliage located high up in the trees.

To identify this dinosaur, complete one of the following:
1. read a book with '4' in the page count
2. read a book from the Literary Love Triangles (Non-YA) list
3. read a book with UP or DOWN in the title (can be part of a word)
4. read a book with trees on the cover
5. read a book tagged 'History', 'Historical' or "Historical Fiction'

🦖 Completion Post (#13 of 20)
Is the DNA Diplodocus?
Marla's Dinosaur DNA Lab
Book/Author: Never Tell by Lisa Gardner
Date Read: 1/12/24
Pages: 414
Task: read a book with '4' in the page count
How it Fits: 4 in page count
DNA Verification Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

🦖 Result: 🦖
Well done, Dr, Grant. You have successfully identified the mysterious DNA as being from the Diploducus.

Thank you for all your hard work. (And aren't you glad that you didn't get eaten by one of the escapee dinosaurs? :)

Would you like to stop the challenge now, or would you like to finish examining the rest of the dinosaurs?

[Marla]

🦖 I wish I had started with the herbivores instead of the carnivores who were much more dangerous to collect samples from! I won't be submitting any more samples.

Thank you for the interesting and informative challenge!!