November 22, 2023

Our favorite dinosaurs in media

It’s no secret that here at Fernbank we love dinosaurs and we even have our very own mascot -  Giggy the Giganotosaurus. Characters like Giggy bring the past to life, inspire us to learn and view the world in a new perspective. So, let’s go back in time and visit some our favorite dinosaur characters many of us grew up on!

Dino – The Flintstones / Hanna-Barbera / Warner Bros. Entertainment

The Flintstones was created by Hanna-Barbera in 1960 and follows a suburban family in the Stone Age. Dino is a made-up species called a Snorkasaurus. He is the family pet portrayed as a friendly dog eager to see his owner come home from work.

Littlefoot – The Land Before Time / Universal Studios Home Entertainment

The Land Before Time came out in 1988 and is a movie about a young Apatosaurus named Littlefoot. After losing his mom he makes new friends and leads them on a quest to reunite with their families. Littlefoot gives us hope as he and his friends fight for survival.

Yoshi – Super Mario Brothers / Nintendo

Yoshi first appeared in the 1990 video game Super Mario World. He is one of Mario’s companions, often helping on adventures. In his featured game, Yoshi’s Island, Yoshi finds baby Mario lost and sets out to get him home to his parents no matter what obstacles are in his way.

Photograph by D@LY3D is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Barney – Barney & Friends / Mattel

The Barney and Friends TV show premiered in 1992 and starred a purple Tyrannosaurus rex named Barney. He sang, danced and played games, teaching us many valuable lessons along the way.

Rex – Toy Story / Pixar / Disney

The first movie in the Toy Story series came out in 1995. Among this secret life of toys, we meet a T. rex named Rex. He aspires to be scary and ferocious – as many T. rexes are thought to be – but is goofy and clumsy. Despite being a worrywart, he still takes risks to help his friends. 

Here’s to 2024 bringing more dinosaurs to life on the screen!