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HOUGHTON – Tyrannosaurus rex may not have been the fearsome predator that’s stalked imaginations for decades.
The huge dinosaur with the massive teeth and stunted arms may in fact have been a scavenger, or perhaps an opportunist that found its dinner several different ways, Joe Kchodl, better known as PaleoJoe, told about 50 children and family members during a “Fizz, Burp, READ… the Science of Dinosaurs” program at the Portage Lake District Library on Tuesday.
“In order to be a super-predator, you’ve got to have good eyesight,” Kchodl explained, then showed a model of a T. rex skull. “T. rex had tiny little eyes.” A velociraptor, which was a successful predator, had huge eyes, he showed on another fossil model.
He then showed a computer-modeled tyrannosaurus brain, with an olfactory lobe – used to identify scent – as big as the rest of the brain put together. The brain shape was essentially the same as that of a vulture, he noted, which uses its sense of smell to identify carrion from far above.
Essentially, he said, “scientists are now thinking T. rex was more like a vulture.”
Kchodl is a freelance paleontologist and author who splits his time between digging for and analyzing dinosaur bones, developing exhibits for natural history museums and presenting programs for children at schools and libraries. He’s also written a series of five dinosaur-related mystery books for young readers.
His presentation, he said, isn’t just about teaching and correcting misconceptions about dinosaurs. It’s also about inspiring kids to dig deeper and do some learning on their own.
“A lot of what I do is try to compare things to what’s alive today,” Kchodl said. “That will spark their interest.”
He’s also not above using a few scientifically valid props with special appeal for the younger set, such as 7-year-old Emerson Landsparger’s favorite part, “the dinosaur doody.”
Fossilized feces are important for paleontologists, Kchodl said. Not only do they show that something once lived there, they’ve also given scientists important lessons in how fossils form.
Brian Rajdl, a parent and science teacher who watched the presentation with a critical eye, said he was impressed that Kchodl was able to keep younger kids engaged for the entire hour and in how he presented opportunities for continued learning.
“He did a good job of leaving some ends open,” Radjl said. “You can do this, or this…”
Even after learning it might not have been as fearsome as she’d first thought, Myrica Rajdl, 8, could imagine herself as a dinosaur.
“I would want to be T. rex,” she said.Kchodl also brought a box of his books – chapter books intended for intermediate readers – to the program. He sold some to families and also donated a complete set to the library. PLDL Community Programs Director Chris Alquist said she’d get them up on the shelves as quickly as possible for kids whose interest had been piqued.
“One of the ways you learn is by reading,” she said. “Reading is a natural connection to anything else.”
To learn more about dinosaurs and Kchodl’s work, go to PaleoJoe.com.
Alquist said there are two more children’s events coming up quickly as part of the library’s summer reading program. From 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, kids will have the chance to make their own kites at the library, in an event held jointly with Big Brothers Big Sisters. On Aug. 2, the library will host the Bergonzi String Quartet for its annual children’s concert, part of the Pine Mountain Music Festival.