When making models or films about Prehistoric animals etc how do they know the colours of their skin?

Answer 1

The actually have no idea. In fact we are not even sure of the texture of the skins of pehistoric animals. There are a few instances of the surface patterns of animals skin being stored in the geologic record. Such patterns have been kind of pebbly looking. As far as the color, it is all supposition and extrapoliation (assumptions based upon environment and what animals living in that environment today look like.) Since we have never seen these extinct animals, we must make assumptions as to how they looked and behaved.

Answer 2

Thats the thing - no-one knows. People have previously just used examples of creatures that have survived from the era of the dinosaurs (smaller lizards, crocodiles etc) and taken that as a basis.

Since no-one was around when the dinosaurs existed, they'll not know if they were right, or whether they were actually bright purple with yellow spots. Chances are though, the assumptions made will probably be very close to the truth.

Answer 3

It's impossible for anyone to know the color of animals such as dinosaurs since they all have been extinct for at least 65 million years. All we can do is take an educated guess to what color their skin might have been. Of course some prehistoric animals are much easier to tell since some hair fibers have been found for mammoths, saber tooth cats, etc.

Answer 4

Films that do their research do their best to figure out the most likely colors and patterns, consulting with experts on environmental factors of the past and biological characteristics of the present.

Some films pick what "looks best" to either their production team or a chosen focus group.

Other films either guess or just make it up.

Answer 5

well most of the time u can find the color and kind of skin by observing the habitat of the animal, so like when u see a lizard running around your back yard look around u .. dont u notice the lizard blends in with its habitat

Answer 6

its all a guess based on the color of modern animals (most lizards are green) but sometimes we do find actual pieces of colored tissue in the well preserved animals. i remember reading that at a science conference a few years back they served wooly mammoth steak from a creature that was preserved in ice for 1000s of years.

Answer 7

this is a great question i allways wondered too ! as i know they know what they were like through skeletons etc and what they ate by their teeth but how would they know this ? and the thickness and texture of the skin too i guess its partly guessing it has to be i suppose they look at what animals there are now and what they were like and do it that way prehaps good question and interesting star for you and ill blow you a goodluck kiss mwah x

Answer 8

they guess. i read in a book about dinosaurs once that scientists don't actually know what color dinosaurs were, so they just assumed green or brown like most lizards today.. for all we know they could have been bright pink!

Answer 9

they dont