Terrible Lizards

Recorded live at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2026, Iszi Lawrence and Dr Dave Hone tackle questions from the audience on everything from Spinosaurus salt glands and Jurassic World to feathered pterosaurs, Troodon taxonomy, AI in palaeontology and where the next great dinosaur discovery might be hiding. Questions featured in this episode include:
• Could pterosaurs perch, hover or even fly backwards?
• Did Spinosaurus have salt glands?
• Has the Jurassic World franchise helped or harmed public understanding of dinosaurs?
• Should amateur fossil collecting be restricted?
• Is Troodon formosus valid again?
• Do you need a PhD to work in palaeontology?
• How little fossil material is needed to name a new species?
• What made Troodon teeth so unusual?
• What prehistoric animal would Dave and Iszi dress up as?
• Has anyone tried reconstructing pterosaur calls?
• Is AI useful in palaeontology?
• Are pterosaur pycnofibres really feathers?
• Why are Triassic ornithischian fossils so rare?
• Where might the next big dinosaur discovery come from?
• Have Dave or Iszi found any fossils recently?
 Support Terrible Lizards on Patreon: https://patreon.com/terriblelizards
Iszi Lawrence NEW audiobooks (release date: 25-06-26) https://www.audible.co.uk/author/Iszi-Lawrence/B0865T388B
https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/domesday-cows-9781801999274/
Find out more about the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival: https://fossilfestival.com/
Watch this episode on youtube  (Search iszitube) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lujwm8nrvRA

Mary Anning is one of the most important figures in the history of paleontology  but how much do we really know about her?
Recorded live at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, Iszi Lawrence and Dr Dave Hone are joined by Kieran Satchell from Lyme Regis Museum to explore the life, discoveries and legacy of the pioneering fossil hunter who helped transform our understanding of prehistoric life. From ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs to the early days of fossil collecting on the Jurassic Coast, this episode dives into the science, history and myths surrounding Mary Anning.
If you love paleontology, fossil hunting, history, dinosaurs, marine reptiles or the story of science, this one's for you.
Support Terrible Lizards on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/terriblelizards
Watch this live on our Patreon or on youtube
https://youtu.be/gtlA6kp58KA
Find out more about the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival:
https://fossilfestival.com/

Were dinosaur horns brightly coloured? And is there really such a thing as a "top predator"? In this extract of a Terrible Lizards bonus we recorded last year, we tackle two surprisingly big dinosaur questions from our listeners. First: what colour were dinosaur horns and frills? Could horned dinosaurs like Triceratops and other ceratopsians have had vivid displays like modern birds? We explore colourful toucans, puffins, flamingos, and even vultures that deliberately dye themselves red to ask whether dinosaurs may have been much brighter and stranger than we usually imagine. Then an argument with sharp teeth: is T. rex really a "top predator"? If killer whales sometimes hunt great white sharks, are sharks apex predators? Is the whole idea of a "top predator" actually misleading?
Support the podcast, ask questions and get all the full bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards
You can watch this episode on patreon or on youtube here: https://youtu.be/EVSC9hQckrI

Can you make a prehistoric documentary without relying on T. rex? We chat to Tim Haines, the man behind Walking with Dinosaurs and the new series Surviving Earth about mammal-like reptiles, giant extinctions, documentary trickery, CGI dinosaurs, weird prehistoric noises and how you make audiences emotionally invest in creatures that may or may not have peed. From gorgonopsians to giant climate shifts, this is a deep dive into both prehistory and documentary filmmaking.
Want bonus episodes and extra Terrible Lizards goodness? Head to https://patreon.com/terriblelizards
Watch the series in USA THURS 6/11 NBC and peacock.
#Dinosaurs #Paleontology #Documentary #WalkingWithDinosaurs #SurvivingEarth

In this short discussion, palaeontologist Dave Hone and Iszi Lawrence chat with podcaster Suzy Buttress about the strangeness of bird eyes... from iris colour and pupil shape, to owls, crocodiles and the frustrating problem of soft tissue in fossils.
Could dinosaurs really have had the slit pupils made famous by Jurassic Park? Or have we been picturing dinosaur eyes all wrong? Expect: birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, giant marine reptile eyeballs, weird owl anatomy, and some surprisingly unsettling turkey dissection stories.
This is an extract from Series 5 Episode 4 with Suzy Buttress from the Casual Birder podcast. 
You can watch the footage of this recording here: https://youtu.be/czcOPj8_jC8
Support the show and grab extra content: https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards