Could a \u2018Jurassic Park\u2019 ever work? JV Chamary takes a look <\/p>
The original Jurassic Park<\/em> film featured iconic species like Brachiosaurus<\/em>, Triceratops<\/em> and T. rex<\/a><\/em>. Would these really be the best candidates if science could recreate dinosaurs for a wildlife park?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> Before adding fauna, we need flora \u2013 prehistoric plants to produce energy for a sustainable ecosystem and self-replenishing resources so that animals could feed themselves, instead of relying on zoo keepers. <\/p> This results in a food chain with nourishment levels in the form of a pyramid. At the base are producers \u2013 plants that feed consumers, herbivores like Triceratops<\/em>, which in turn feed one or two levels of carnivores and omnivores, with apex predators<\/a> like The next step is to pick a geological period. In a park with a Triassic (252-201 MYA) theme, many plants are leftovers from the Carboniferous period (359-299 MYA) \u2013 giant horsetails and seed ferns with woody trunks up to 12m tall. Feeding on their leaves we have the early sauropod Plateosaurus<\/em> (\u2018broad lizard\u2019) that, unlike its more familiar descendants, was bipedal with a short neck. <\/p> Our \u2018Triassic Park\u2019 has quadrupedal, long-necked sauropods too \u2013 like Antetonitrus<\/em> (\u2018before thunder\u2019, named because it lived before the \u2018thunder lizard\u2019 Brontosaurus<\/em>). The meat-eaters include early theropods like the dog-sized Coelophysis<\/em> (\u2018hollow form\u2019), Eodromaeus<\/em> (\u2018dawn runner\u2019) and our park\u2019s top predator, the terrifying Herrerasaurus<\/em> (\u2018Herrera\u2019s lizard\u2019).<\/p> But what about an actual \u2018Jurassic Park\u2019 (201-145 MYA)? First, we need plants at a variety of heights. At ground level, the period had ferns and cycads whose cones were pollinated by insects such as beetles.<\/a> <\/p> There were primitive, mid-size trees like gingko and ancient conifers like monkey puzzle. The forest canopy consisted of tall, coniferous trees such as the Wollemi pine. <\/p> Having vegetation at various heights helps prevent competition between herbivores \u2013 it\u2019s what allows gazelle and giraffes<\/a> to live side-by-side on the African plains today, with the short species grazing on grasses and the tall one browsing from trees. The animals exploit different resources within the same space, occupying separate niches.<\/p> \u2018Niche partitioning\u2019 explains the huge diversity of sauropods in the Jurassic (one rock formation in the Western USA contains seven to eight species in one place). In our park, we have plants for different species. Leaves from treetops are stripped by a high browser, the 30m-long Brachiosaurus<\/em> (\u2018arm lizard\u2019).<\/p> <\/p>What would be needed for a real Jurassic Park?<\/h2>