Clash of the Dinosaurs

• Sauroposeidon (model reused for Alamosaurus, Last Day of the Dinosaurs only)
• Ankylosaurus
• Parasaurolophus (model reused for Charonosaurus, Last Day of the Dinosaurs only)
• Deinonychus (model reused for Saurornithoides, Last Day of the Dinosaurs only)
• Quetzalcoatlus (a non-dinosaur pterosaur)
• Triceratops
• Tyrannosaurus

{{Episode table|background= |overall=5 |title=17 |airdate=10 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Extreme Survivors

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2009|12|6}}

| ShortSummary = In the first episode the survival strategies of the late-Cretaceous sauropod Sauroposeidon are contrasted with those of Tyrannosaurus rex. The primary distinction drawn is the difference between Sauroposeidon's speculated r selector method of reproduction (i.e. many offspring with no parental care) versus T. rex's proposed K selector method (i.e. few offspring with very invested parental supervision and care). This conception of T. rex as a nurturing parent borrows from popular depictions of the animal from the past decade, including Universal's The Lost World: Jurassic Park and the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs series.

The program also highlights the differences between the brains and senses of T. rex and Sauroposeidon, contrasting T. rex's large brain size and well-developed senses of sight and smell with Sauroposeidon's supposedly rudimentary brain and sensorium. This comparison is mostly supposition, as no Sauroposeidon skulls have ever been unearthed. Indeed, the specimen is known entirely from a set of four neck vertebrae, which have identified the species as a sauropod of the family Brachiosauridae, from whose more completely described members Sauroposeidon's anatomy is conjectured.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Perfect Predators

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2009|12|6}}

| ShortSummary = This episode tells how predators such as Tyrannosaurus, Deinonychus and Quetzalcoatlus caught their prey.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = The Defenders

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2009|12|13}}

| ShortSummary = The defenses used by Sauroposeidon, Parasaurolophus, Ankylosaurus and Triceratops against predators are featured here.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Generations

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|2009|12|13}}

| ShortSummary = In this final episode, the dinosaurs' reproduction habits and evolution into birds is discussed.

}}

}}

The show premiered on December 6, 2009, with "Extreme Survivors" and "Perfect Predators" airing back-to-back.{{cite web|title=Witmer to appear on Discovery Channel series|url=https://www.ohio.edu/outlook/Witmer-199.cfm|date=2009-12-03|publisher=Ohio University|accessdate=2016-09-01}} "The Defenders" and "Generations" followed on December 13.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/tv/clash-of-the-dinosaurs|title=Clash of the Dinosaurs: Season 1|accessdate=2016-09-01|website=IGN}}{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-06-la-ca-tvdino6-2009dec06-story.html|title='Clash of the Dinosaurs' on Discovery|date=2009-12-06|newspaper=L.A. Times|access-date=2016-09-01}}

Smithsonian was disappointed with the program, citing reckless conjecture and repetitive CGI segments.{{cite magazine|title=Dinosaurs Clash on the Discovery Channel|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaurs-clash-on-the-discovery-channel-58642914/?no-ist|last=Switek|first=Brian|date=2009-12-04|accessdate=2016-09-01|magazine=Smithsonian}}{{cite magazine|title=Clash of the Dinosaurs, Updated on DVD|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/clash-of-the-dinosaurs-updated-on-dvd-79401706/|last=Switek|first=Brian|date=2010-08-24|accessdate=2016-09-01|magazine=Smithsonian}}

After the series aired, paleontologist Matthew Wedel (who was interviewed for the series) strongly criticized the program, as he had been quote-mined. He was talking about the glycogen body of sauropods, mentioning the invalid theory that it served as a second brain and that its purpose is still uncertain. However, in the actual program, most of what he said had been removed, making it look like he supported the theory that it served as a second brain.{{Cite web

|last=Wedel|first=Mathew|date=15 December 2009|url= http://svpow.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/lies-damned-lies-and-clash-of-the-dinosaurs/|title=Lies, damned lies, and Clash of the Dinosaurs|work=Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week|accessdate=22 May 2011}} When Wedel contacted the show's creators, Dangerous Ltd., his dissatisfaction with their "non-apology" response led him to contact Discovery directly, who responded by mandating that the scene be removed from future broadcasts as well as DVD and Blu-ray releases.{{cite web|last=Wedel|first=Mathew|title=Clash of the Dinosaurs: The Discovery Channel steps up|url=http://svpow.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/clash-of-the-dinosaurs-the-discovery-channel-steps-up/|work=Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week|accessdate=3 December 2011|date=17 December 2009}} Smithsonian called Dangerous Ltd.'s behavior shameful.{{cite magazine|title=Scientist, Filmmakers Clash Over Dinosaur Documentary|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientist-filmmakers-clash-over-dinosaur-documentary-59823594/|last=Switek|first=Brian|date=2009-12-21|accessdate=2016-09-01|magazine=Smithsonian}}

Wedel was also critical of the program's wild conjecture: there was no evidence to support that Quetzalcoatlus could see in ultraviolet (as some birds are known to do) nor that Parasaurolophus could use ultrasound defensively.

• List of films featuring dinosaurs

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|1266003|Clash of the Dinosaurs}}

Category:2000s American television miniseries

Category:2009 American television series debuts

Category:Documentary television series about dinosaurs

Category:Discovery Channel original programming