āOf all the creatures roaming Earth today, I would
have never guessed that birds are the dinosaursā
closest relatives. I always assumed that lizards and
iguanas carried the family torch, but on a recent
visit to a farm, it finally made sense to me. Look
into the eyes of a chicken and tell me you donāt see
the shadow of a velociraptor.ā
By examining dinosaurs and the asteroid that made
an impact on their lives, Alex and the Dinosaur
Prints explores the personal process of growing up,
finding oneās voice and seeking a meaningful life. It
features facts (all dinosaurs laid eggs),
speculations (is the T-Rex the dinosaur version of
Rambo?), and a ruined pair of pants (pockets are
not for storing tree sap).
āOf all the creatures roaming Earth today, I would
have never guessed that birds are the dinosaursā
closest relatives. I always assumed that lizards and
iguanas carried the family torch, but on a recent
visit to a farm, it finally made sense to me. Look
into the eyes of a chicken and tell me you donāt see
the shadow of a velociraptor.ā
By examining dinosaurs and the asteroid that made
an impact on their lives, Alex and the Dinosaur
Prints explores the personal process of growing up,
finding oneās voice and seeking a meaningful life. It
features facts (all dinosaurs laid eggs),
speculations (is the T-Rex the dinosaur version of
Rambo?), and a ruined pair of pants (pockets are
not for storing tree sap).
Alex Mika and the Dinosaur Prints would be a decent band name, wouldnāt it? We could write a song called āRock Starā about the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs (sung, of course, from the perspective of the asteroid). Other titles included would be āThe Pterodactyl Shuffle,ā āBenny and the Rex,ā and we would always warm up with dinosaur scales. Our influence on modern culture would be unparalleled, and we would instantly be admitted into the pantheon of pop idols, residing beside The Eagles, The Beatles, Flock of Seagulls, and the rest of The Animals.
Small carnivores were probably the smartest dinosaurs. Thatās scientific speculation, not anti-vegetarian propaganda.
The Flinstoneās car ran on running feet. It probably didnāt run on fossil fuels because they didnāt want to upset their pet, Dino.
Iāve stayed up many nights wondering what sounds the dinosaurs emitted. Films like Jurassic Park feature roars and rumbles, screams and screeches, but what if the mighty Brachiosaurus peeped? Did the velociraptors howl at the moon in packs as they rustled through the swaying ferns on their hunting expeditions? Did the perched pterodactyl sing like a thrush in the trees before its massive body broke the branches? What if the T-Rex nervously cooed and clucked as it rested on its nested eggs, thumping its tail on the ground as it waited to hear a ācrack?ā
I started keeping a kind of journal recently. I call it my āmouse nest.ā On these legal pads, one would find the mental equivalents of plastic bag bits, seed cases and chewed-up aglets. These are thoughts, half-thoughts, single firings of a neuron, snippets of conversations, musings, eavesdroppings, ideas, lines of verse, lines of prose, lines crossed out and pen marks smudged. If to be more accurate, this journal acts more like a bog than as a nest. I collect these fragments, and most of them decay before settling at the bottom of the bog. Some lucky bits of peat reach that sacred place. The pressure of nearing deadlines turns these fragments into lignite, and I begin to sift through the yellow pages, hoping to find within this deposit pieces of coal. Once found, they are processed and heaved into the fire, one by one.
Of all the creatures roaming Earth today, I would have never guessed that birds are the dinosaursā closest relatives. Knowing this now, it makes sense to me. Look in the eyes of a chicken and tell me you donāt see the shadow of a velociraptor.
Feathers evolved from scales similar to those found on alligators. Although dinosaur feathers were not as complex and branched as modern bird feathers, these proto-feathers developed from evolutionary pressures to preserve body heat. As the feathers became more intricate and asymmetrical, they began to aid in the flight of winged dinosaurs, from which birds eventually evolved.
Why do so many people reject the hypothesis that the T-Rex may have had feathers? Truth be told, I donāt actually know how many people refute this, or if this is even a hot-button issue amongst amateur dinosaur enthusiasts, but I think it is safe to assume that a feathered king of the dinosaurs is not what the huddled masses imagine. They picture the massive, leathery beast portrayed in films, images and cartoons, and any mention of feathers immediately results in a cognitive dissonance. Itās like the T-Rex is this sort of prehistoric Rambo. If Rambo could have his pecs out while wasting away his enemies, it makes sense to assume that the T-Rex was similarly bare-chested in its hunt. But why does adding feathers suddenly make the creature less intimidating? Why are feathers considered a sign of weakness? Have these people never had an angry emu chase after them?
Alex and the Dinosaur Prints is a one-of-a-kind book.
The author Alex Mika has pulled out of his āmouse nestā (a term he coins for his ideas journal) a modern-day renaissance book ā a personal essay meets science facts meets illustrations meets dinosaur humor all combined to make a fun work of creative non-fiction
The story is the journey of the author's various āencountersā with dinosaurs starting from when he was a young boy. Complete with TV sightings, museum visits, and Australian trivia, the story takes us through the most pressing/most random contemplations and questions that plague an amateur dinosaur enthusiast about the prehistoric world. The writing is funny, informative, and nostalgic at the same time. Elements of the authorās creative process come in, and the writing comes alive with poems and recipes and funny little illustrations.
I did not expect to learn the things I learned from Alex and the Dinosaur Prints and it's that randomness that makes it so interesting. However, I found the ending a bit abrupt, and I had to double-check to make sure I had the whole book. I believe the authorās writing style and this story can potentially become a fictional series for children.
The book is a thoroughly enjoyable short read and is perfect for that dinosaur enthusiast or creative writing aficionado in your life.