Summary

• A Redditor fan theory suggests that the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are not real dinosaurs, but genetically engineered creatures made to look like dinosaurs for profit.
• The theory is supported by the film's scientific inaccuracies and the mention of frog DNA, indicating that the dinosaurs are a mix of DNA from various species.
• The sequels further expand on the idea of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the introduction of gimmick dinosaurs and the possibility of human-dinosaur hybrids.

Released nearly 30 years ago, the original Jurassic Park is a landmark in filmmaking and an iconic part of the 1990s. Showing audiences the wonder and terror of revived dinosaurs on the big screen, the film is, in many ways, the ultimate blockbuster. Since its release in 1993, Jurassic Park hatched tons of sequels, tie-ins and merchandise and gained just as many fans. Those devotees have their own Jurassic Park theories about the movie's timeline, including one that could change everything.

One particularly twisted idea is that the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park aren't dinosaurs at all but merely genetically engineered "things" made to look like dinos. This would paint John Hammond as an even more amoral character than he already is while also changing the very heart of the world's biggest dinosaur franchise. Here's why the theory might actually have some weight to it, especially considering the sequels.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on March 22, 2024: Much like its prehistoric subject matter, The Jurassic Park franchise lives on, with a fourth Jurassic World film officially in the works. The film promises to set up a new era for the beloved franchise, but one particularly dark theory suggests that the Jurassic Park movies are built on lies. Much to audiences' surprise, this theory suggests that there are no dinosaurs in Jurassic Park at all.

A Fan Theory Explains Jurassic Park's Scientific Inaccuracies

A Reddit thread theory, started by user Brownra04, suggests the dinosaurs first seen on screen in Jurassic Park are not dinosaurs at all. Rather, they are simply the results of unchecked genetic experimentation made to look and "act" like dinosaurs in order to make a distracting and spectacular profit. The idea stems from some of the film's criticisms, which automatically come up once suspension of disbelief is thrown out of the window. For one thing, it'd be pretty hard to somehow extract the DNA for various dinosaur breeds from a mere mosquito, which is how John Hammond and InGen supposedly created the creatures in the park.

This DNA would degrade over time, not to mention the fact that the DNA samples would likely have mosquito genes mixed in them, as well. On top of that, the dinosaurs in the movie, and most of their species' portrayals beforehand, are now known to be wildly inaccurate to how they actually were eons ago. For instance, the iconic T-rex species had feathers, velociraptors were much smaller than in the films, and the Dilophosaurus in the movie had completely made-up traits.

A Jurassic Park theory has an explanation for all this. These dinosaurs are merely a Frankenstein's monster mishmash of genetic material from reptiles and amphibians, all of whom are made to put on the illusion of being dinosaurs as people expect them to act. This Jurassic Park theory at first sounds ridiculous, but is backed up by the first movie, the first book, and several sequels.

Were Jurassic Park's Dinos Actually Dinosaurs?

The dinosaurs of Jurassic Park are mentioned as having bits of frog DNA, which later explains their sex-changing and eventual breeding. As suggested by the aforementioned Jurassic Park theory, however, the truth is that they're mostly frog and reptile DNA combined into a fun dinosaur package that will sell park tickets and merchandise. After all, Hammond isn't really doing any of this for the scientific exploit but merely to be a showman. He compares it to a more tangible version of a flea circus he once put on, showcasing how it's all about theatrics. The book further backs up this mentality, with Hammond having once highlighted the "wonders" of genetic engineering by showing off a miniature elephant. The pachyderm in question was actually just a dwarf elephant, but it shows how Hammond would pull the wool over the eyes of others for funding.

All Six Dinosaurs That Appear In Jurassic Park (1993)

The book also has Hammond specifically request that the dinosaurs' behavior be made to imitate the general population's idea of dinosaurs, going against the suggestions of Dr. Wu, who wanted to make them more docile. Not only is this once again proving that it's all just a show for Hammond, but also that the dinosaurs are more akin to living holograms than to true dinosaurs brought back to life. If their behavior is so easily manipulated, the accuracy to the real deal is highly suspect, which the Reddit Jurassic Park theory suggests.

Jurassic Park's Sequels Expanded Upon Its Darkest Concept

Of course, there are also the sequels to take into account with this Jurassic Park theory. Jurassic World truly introduced the concept of genetically engineered "gimmick" dinosaurs made from scratch, and of course, the whole idea was nothing but spectacle. The gimmick of the wholly fictional Indominus rex, however, only works in a world where other "fake" creatures have been sold as real dinosaurs. Wu would even state in the movie that nothing about the creatures was real and that instead of reality, audiences simply got a "dinosaur" with more teeth. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom also had human cloning introduced, so genetic engineering as a whole was the inevitable goal.

That's not to mention the human-dinosaur hybrids planned for an unmade Jurassic Park IV, which again proves that InGen truly only ever wanted controllable, genetically engineered weapons. There's ultimately nothing concrete in any of the movies to really disprove this theory, so in the end, Doctor Grant may have been right in Jurassic Park III when he stated that what John Hammond made were merely theme park monsters.

Keep in mind that the unused ideas for Jurassic Park IV also involved a fictional species of dinosaur. This creature was originally called the Diabolus Rex, but the name was eventually changed to the Malusaurus. Its bizarre aesthetic fusion of different dinosaur traits was the ultimate fruition of the series' concept, though it wasn't supposed to be genetically engineered. Instead, it was an original species created for the unmade movie that was "discovered" during the story in China. Given that this was at one point planned for the franchise, it's not too hard a stretch to think that in the universe of Jurassic Park, the "dinosaurs" are also made up.

With Jurassic World 4 kicking off a new era for the franchise, now would be a perfect time for filmmakers to reveal the truth about its dinosaurs. The upcoming film can finally confirm that these creatures aren't animals at all, but rather scientific abominations that should never have been created in the first place. This would set up a more serious battle between humans and the so-called "dinosaurs," giving the franchise plenty of new stories to explore.