Here at Queensland Museum, we love to see the fascination visitors of all generations have with dinosaurs. The prehistoric creatures that roamed Earth millions of years ago have captured our imaginations and ignited our curiosities, spurring countless adaptations on the silver screen and beyond.

From ferocious carnivores that dominated the food chain, to the gentle giants that grazed the plains and the lighting-quick raptors that prowled the land, many have been brought to life through the magic of cinema.

The dinosaurs that feature in Dinosaurs of Patagonia are famous for many reasons. Claims to fame include “biggest dinosaur ever found” and “among the oldest dinosaurs to have ever lived”, so naturally, many have reached stardom status on-screen as well, including:

Patagotitan

Patagotitan is the biggest dinosaur ever discovered, with the most complete fossil discovery made only recently in 2010. While giant sauropods have starred in many films ranging from the Jurassic Park film franchise to the millennial memory trip that is ‘The Land Before time’, Patagotitan has a spotlight of its own alongside world renowned naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough on BBC, featuring in documentaries like ‘Nature: Raising the Dinosaur (BBC Earth) with Sir David Attenborough’ and ‘Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur’.

Tyrannotitan

Tyrannotitan was a fierce predator and scavenger. In fact, more than fifty Tyrannotitan teeth were found in the same area as Patagotitan fossils, suggesting that it scavenged the giant’s remains as well as likely hunting the young and old individuals. Tyrannotitan’s reputation has earned a feature in the Jurassic World Evolution game series and its very close relative Giganotosaurus starred as the blood-thirsty villain in the Jurassic World Dominion film.

Carnotaurus

Famous for its unique skull structure defined by two horns like a bull, Carnotaurus meaning “carnivorous bull” has been an extremely popular character, famously starring in two of the Jurassic World films ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ and ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’. It was also recreated for the Prehistoric Planet series narrated by David Attenborough appearing in Episode 5 and animated as the villain in Disney’s ‘Dinosaur’ film.

Condorraptor

While not the exact same species as Blue, Echo, Delta and Charlie the raptors from the Jurassic World movie series, Condorraptor has an equally intimidating appearance and characteristics. This 5-metre long theropod lived in the Jurassic period, around 165 – 180 million years ago in central Patagonia and sprinted after its prey on strong hind legs.

Fun fact: Condorraptor is the inspiration for Queensland Museum’s new roof inflatable, named ‘Roary the Raptor’.

These are just some of the dinosaurs immortalised by pop culture. Don’t miss seeing these prehistoric dino-stars and many more in Dinosaurs of Patagonia, on Level 3 of the museum until 2 October 2023.

Don’t forget to share your visit with us on social media by tagging #PatagoniaQM and @qldmuseum.

BUY TICKETS