Terrible Lizards

With another Tyrannosaurus rex making headlines at auction, we're revisiting this discussion from 2020, recorded just after the famous sale of Stan.
Iszi Lawrence and Dr Dave Hone explore why the sale stunned palaeontologists, what it could mean for museums and scientific research, and whether record-breaking prices change the fossil market forever.
 This is an archive discussion, but many of the questions it raises remain just as relevant today. If you'd like to hear more, we'll have a brand new episode on 29th July looking at the sale of large fossils, the ethics of collecting, and how these extraordinary specimens end up in museums and/or private hands.
Support the podcast and get bonus episodes at: https://patreon.com/terriblelizards
If you enjoy Terrible Lizards, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with a fellow dinosaur fan. It really helps us keep making new episodes.

In this 2021 clip from Terrible Lizards, Iszi and Dave discuss the fossilised Oviraptor nest that made headlines around the world. Was this really evidence that dinosaurs sat on their eggs like birds, or was the story more complicated?
 Discover what embryos inside the eggs reveal about dinosaur parenting, asynchronous hatching, brooding behaviour, and why some palaeontologists think male Oviraptors may have guarded the nest. Along the way, the conversation explores ostriches, crocodiles, chickens, and how scientific discoveries can change as new evidence comes to light.
Support Terrible Lizards and get bonus content at: https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards
Watch this episode as a video on iszitube: https://youtu.be/55ppw-nPhno
 #Dinosaurs #Palaeontology #Oviraptor #Fossils #SciencePodcast

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