Mutadons Unleashed: The Winged Nightmares of Jurassic World Rebirth

Jurassic Park was founded on the belief that dinosaurs can roam the earth once again with a bit of prehistoric DNA. In the first movie, we saw the rise of the T. rex, velociraptors, Brachiosaurus, and even Triceratops. As the franchise expanded, science and genetic mutation took over. This created unstable DNA, resulting in dinosaurs that were not just terrifying, but monstrous. In Jurassic World Rebirth, we’ll see the ultimate result of playing God with genetics: Winged Mutadons.

Big and Mean Velociraptors with Wings

Screenwriter David Koepp wasn’t joking when he said these mutadons would be terrifying. Jurassic World Rebirth portrays genetically mutated dinosaurs in a way we’ve yet to see. One is a cross between a velociraptor and pterosaurs, resulting in a highly efficient and evolved species. It would be capable of aerial strikes thanks to its massive wings, while still being able to rip apart its prey on the ground due to its predatory velociraptor DNA.

In an interview with Empire, Koepp says, “Those came from my strange mind. We saw in some of the previous Jurassic World movies that their experiments made dinosaurs bigger, meaner, scarier, and it occurred to me and Steven [Spielberg] that those can’t all have gone well.” Indeed, Jurassic World Rebirth is already shaping up to be a cult classic full of dinosaur carnage.

The Agility and Speed of a Pterosaur

Jurassic World Rebirth is rumored to feature failed mutations, including the highly anticipated Distortus Rex. However, even with its size and limb-tearing ability, it may not come close to the winged Mutadons. These will have the advantage of controlling the air due to their pterosaur DNA. Although they first appeared during the Triassic Era, they’re not considered dinosaurs. Pterosaurs share a common ancestor with them, but are actually flying reptiles. This historical accuracy adds even more intrigue to the mutation between pterosaurs and velociraptors, as it is a hybrid of two species with unique attributes.

Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to learn how to fly naturally. According to the American Museum of Natural History, they survived for roughly 150 million years and evolved to grow massive wings as long as 30 feet. This alone is staggering, as they were not a creature you’d want to see flying overhead. Fossils indicate that pterosaurs were mainly carnivores, consuming a diet of fish, squid, and crustaceans. Paleontologists say the squid finding was significant because it supports pterosaurs being night hunters. While their interest in humans would have been low, their nocturnal habits are concerning when combined with a natural-born predator like a velociraptor. In theory, this could create the perfect Jurassic hunter.

The Nature of a Velociraptor

Except for Blue, the velociraptors in the Jurassic Park franchise are vicious raptors. Her connection to humans, specifically to Owen, was likely due to the hybrid monitor lizard DNA used to create her species. That said, Blue is certainly not the norm, nor would she be if velociraptors were to appear in real life. Historically, velociraptors were only about the size of a turkey, despite their fierce appearance. It’s no secret that Jurassic Park has taken many liberties with the scientific accuracy of its dinosaurs. However, since many of them are genetically mutated, it makes sense that velociraptors could grow to three times their natural size.

In the movies, the nature of the velociraptor is somewhat accurate. While they wouldn’t have gone on voracious, single-minded hunts for specific humans, they were carnivores. Their diet consisted mainly of small animals, amphibians, and insects. Velociraptors were scavengers, which makes the thrill of the hunt even less likely. Their teeth could tear meat apart, and they had strong claws, but neither indicates highly aggressive behavior. Their scavenging nature, however, accurately portrays the sneaky intelligence seen in the movies.

Model (Dinosaur) Behavior

In Jurassic Park, screenwriters kept the velociraptor’s name but modeled the on-screen dinosaur after Deinonychus. This was a larger raptor, likely more capable of causing the damage inflicted by its on-screen cousin. Deinonychus was a species of maniraptor nicknamed “hand-robbers.” These dinosaurs were far more predatory and terrifying than smaller velociraptors. They had sickle-like claws, which paleontologists theorize were used to slash, with some experts believing they disemboweled prey. These claws were more likely used for climbing and shallow slashing.

Since Deinonychus and Velociraptor are so closely related, it’s not a huge stretch to use facets of both when creating dinosaurs for Jurassic Park. Interestingly, evidence supports that birds were descendants of theropods, closely related to dinosaurs like Deinonychus. Paleontologists theorize that raptors once had feathers, making the Jurassic World Rebirth hybrid with pterosaurs much more accurate. The combination of this DNA could potentially spell disaster for the Jurassic World Rebirth cast—and create the perfect Triassic predator.

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