Jurassic Park made Dilophosaurus famous… but not exactly accurate. In this episode of Diggin’ Up Dinos, we separate the Hollywood monster from the real Early Jurassic predator.

We dig into where Dilophosaurus lived in ancient Arizona, what its world looked like, and why its famous frill and venom were pure movie magic. We also explore what the fossil evidence does tell us—its size, agility, diet, powerful forelimbs, and even the possibility of protofeathers. Plus, we talk social behavior, and how a major 2020 study helped clarify where Dilophosaurus fits on the dinosaur family tree.

Thanks for listening to Diggin’ Up Dinos — and remember: the fossils always tell a better story.

Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for over 160 million years. Trillions of animals lived, hunted, and died—so why do we only find a tiny fraction of their remains?

In this special concept episode of Diggin’ Up Dinos, we’re digging into fossilization: the rare, often unforgiving process that decides what survives deep time and what is lost forever.

From rapid burial and low-oxygen environments to erosion, tectonic forces, and pure bad luck, we explore why fossils are so uncommon—and why complete dinosaur skeletons are almost nonexistent. Along the way, we break down how paleontologists preserve fossils, why museum skeletons are often composites, and how entire species can be defined by a single specimen called a holotype.

We’ll also look at famous fossil sites around the world, how plants fossilize differently than animals, and why dinosaurs like Spinosaurus seem to “change” as new discoveries are made.

This episode isn’t about one dinosaur—it’s about the process that shapes everything we know about prehistoric life.

Because fossils don’t represent the past as it was…
they represent the past that survived.

Triceratops is one of the most recognizable dinosaurs of all time—but how much of what we think we know actually comes from fossils, and how much comes from Hollywood?

In this episode of Diggin’ Up Dinos, host Brad digs into the real Triceratops, separating movie myths from fossil evidence. We explore its massive horns and iconic frill, self-sharpening teeth, skin and scales, diet, behavior, herd structure, and the environment it lived in during the Late Cretaceous.

From its encounters with Tyrannosaurus to the famous Jurassic Park portrayal, this episode takes a deep dive into what Triceratops was really like—and why the real animal is even more impressive than the movie version.

Thanks for listening, and remember: the fossils always tell a better story.