Imagine biting into a juicy piece of dinosaur meat—straight from the prehistoric past, more thrilling than any theme park ride! But could we really do it, and if so, what flavor adventure might it bring? Stick around, because we're about to dive into a wild culinary thought experiment that blurs the lines between science fiction and reality. And here's the part most people miss: modern animals we're familiar with might hold the key to unlocking dinosaur dining secrets.
In many ways, we're still surrounded by dinosaurs today. Birds, for instance, are direct descendants of these ancient creatures (as explored in this fascinating piece from IFLScience: https://www.iflscience.com/do-we-still-live-in-an-age-of-dinosaurs-77284). But they're not the only living relatives that can give us insights. Crocodiles also share a close evolutionary connection, helping scientists bridge the gap to our extinct reptilian giants.
The full exploration continues beyond this point, but since this is behind a paywall, let's imagine you're in on the secret for now. Dinosaurs, birds, and crocodiles all belong to a group called Archosauria, which translates to 'ruling reptiles.' This clade consists of diapsids—reptiles with two openings on each side of their skulls, just in front of the eyes. To simplify for beginners, think of it as a family tree branch where these creatures evolved from a common ancestor. Scientists use a method called phylogenetic bracketing to infer details about dinosaurs by studying their living cousins. (Check out this review of Prehistoric Planet for more on that: https://www.iflscience.com/review-prehistoric-planet-combines-pioneering-science-and-hollywood-effects-for-incredible-portal-to-the-past-63725). This approach helps reconstruct how dinosaurs might have looked, sounded, or even behaved. But what if we applied it to something far more everyday—and delicious? What if we're just curious about the flavor profile of these beasts? (For comparison, scientists have already tinkered with mammoth meat using DNA, turning it into meatballs—read about that here: https://www.iflscience.com/australian-firm-obtains-mammoth-dna-sequence-makes-mammoth-meatballs-68184).
So, is it feasible to chow down on dinosaur meat? I reached out to someone deeply immersed in dinosaur mysteries: Professor Steve Brusatte, a renowned palaeontologist, author, and consultant for the Jurassic World films (you can learn more about him at https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/steve-brusatte/, and his Jurassic World ties at https://www.iflscience.com/jurassic-world-dominion-exclusive-palaeo-advisor-reveals-species-making-their-debut-in-the-epic-finale-63998). Admittedly, asking a dino expert about eating the subject of his life's work felt a bit cheeky, but he embraced the idea wholeheartedly.
"I'm confident that dinosaur meat would be edible, and for many species, it could be downright delicious," Brusatte shared. "Sure, there might be a rare dinosaur with toxic qualities or unappetizing flesh, but overall, humans today consume a wide variety of animals without issue. I see no barrier to enjoying dinosaurs back in the day—and likely savoring them."
He pointed out that the most flavorful meats today often come from herbivores that munch on grasses or leaves. So, plant-munching dinosaurs like Brontosaurus, Triceratops, or Stegosaurus could have been particularly mouthwatering. In our current world, birds and crocodilians are common on dinner plates, with only a few risky exceptions. Take the hooded pitohui from New Guinea, a bird that's genuinely poisonous (dive into that story at https://www.iflscience.com/in-new-guinea-theres-a-bird-that-can-poison-you-with-its-feathers-77487).
These pitohuis carry a potent steroidal alkaloid neurotoxin in their feathers. As researcher and bird specialist Jack Dumbacher explained in a California Academy of Sciences video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjTOJ6zIbys), even touching them can cause tingling, numbness, and in severe cases, paralysis, heart failure, or death. Gram for gram, it's one of nature's deadliest toxins. The source? Their diet. Pitohuis feast on Choresine pulchra beetles—nicknamed 'nanisani' (https://www.calacademy.org/blogs/birds-and-mammals-research/where-is-paradise)—which harbor the poison. When the birds consume these insects, the toxin builds up in their bodies harmlessly to them but acts as a defense against predators, possibly even deterring attacks on their nests (https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/hooded_pitohui). Studies indicate (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC528779/#:~:text=The%20present%20results%20suggest%20that,for%20toxic%20New%20Guinea%20birds.) that these beetles might also be the origin of batrachotoxins in other New Guinea birds, similar to how poison-dart frogs get their lethal edge (https://www.iflscience.com/poison-frog-tadpoles-must-survive-cannibalistic-battle-royale-to-reach-adulthood-63122).
But here's where it gets controversial: poisonous birds aren't just rare oddities. For example, the world's largest wild goose is also toxic—something uncovered by the fun, quirky podcast How Many Geese (https://howmanygeese.podbean.com/), which hilariously debates how many wild animals you could defeat in a brawl. If even geese can be dangerous, imagine the debates over resurrecting dinosaurs for food—would we dare, and at what risk?
Assuming we steer clear of any dinosaurs with potentially poisonous diets, what might their meat taste like? If you're dreaming of T. rex-flavored candies, prepare for disappointment (though cruelty-free T. rex handbags might be on the horizon—check out https://www.iflscience.com/t-rex-handbags-could-soon-be-a-thing-in-surprising-approach-to-cruelty-free-leather-78991).
"The best-tasting animals nowadays are often herbivores grazing on greens, so I'd bet plant-eaters like Brontosaurus, Triceratops, or Stegosaurus would be scrumptious," Brusatte noted. "But carnivores like T. rex or Velociraptor? Probably tough and gamey—not so inviting." For a modern parallel, consider how scientists once cooked up a stew with 50,000-year-old bison meat (https://www.iflscience.com/it-had-a-strong-pleistocene-aroma-in-1984-scientists-ate-a-50000-year-old-bison-in-a-stew-80973)—a testament to ancient edibles.
And this is the part most people miss: our fascination with dinosaur dining raises bigger questions about ethics, science, and survival. Would bringing back extinct species for the plate be a triumph of technology or a moral misstep? Do you think harvesting dinosaur meat could ever become a reality, ethically speaking? Share your opinions in the comments—do you agree it's possible, or does the idea make you uncomfortable? Let's discuss!
