--- title: Most Dinosaurs Couldn't Stick Out Their Tongues description: Despite how they're depicted in movies, a new study shows that most real-life dinosaurs including T. Rex could not stick out their tongues canonical: https://time.com/5318414/dinosaur-tongues-study/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-06-21T14:00:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:21.300Z article:section: Science og:title: Yet Another Study Says 'Jurassic Park' Was Very Wrong About T. Rex og:description: Images of dinosaurs with their tongues out are most likely not accurate og:url: https://time.com/5318414/dinosaur-tongues-study/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt878d3cb474c0eed0/69893392fb4eac6c28896ed7/dinosaur-tongue.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4567 og:image:height: 2569 og:image:alt: World's Biggest Winged Dinosaur Presented In Bavarian Museum og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Yet Another Study Says 'Jurassic Park' Was Very Wrong About T. Rex twitter:description: Images of dinosaurs with their tongues out are most likely not accurate twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt878d3cb474c0eed0/69893392fb4eac6c28896ed7/dinosaur-tongue.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Yet Another Study Says _Jurassic Park_ Was Very Wrong About T. Rex > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=62246a54-66d7-4298-b5ff-b212ba67e249&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Final Trailer [Watch (HLS stream): Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Final Trailer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cT6svrR6.m3u8) (2:30)  _Published 2018-05-02. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Final Trailer_ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 21, 2018 2:00 PM UTC  Visitors walk past a representation of a Tyrannosaurus rex in front of the Altmuehltal Dinosaur Museum on March 21, 2018 in Denkendorf, Germany. Visitors walk past a representation of a Tyrannosaurus rex in front of the Altmuehltal Dinosaur Museum on March 21, 2018 in Denkendorf, Germany. Andreas Gebert—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 21, 2018 2:00 PM UTC Most dinosaurs including T. Rex could not stick out their tongues, according to a new study. The report, which comes ahead of a new [_Jurassic Park_](http://time.com/5318237/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-review/) movie, upends the popular depictions of dinosaurs that show them with mouths open wide and tongues hanging out. According to the study, published in [PLOS One](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198078) on Wednesday, most dinosaur’s tongues were anchored to the bottom of the mouth, much like alligators. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered the tongues were most likely unable to extend out by comparing hyoid bones, which are the bones that support and anchor the tongue, from modern birds and crocodiles with dinosaur fossil specimen. Scientists said popular imagery of dinosaurs that show them with sticking out their tongues is wrong. “They’ve been reconstructed the wrong way for a long time,” study co-author Julia Clarke said in a [statement](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2018-06/uota-trc061918.php). “In most extinct dinosaurs their tongue bones are very short. And in crocodilians with similarly short hyoid bones, the tongue is totally fixed to the floor of the mouth.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] . She's drained. Okay okay come on . >> Okay. Are you okay ? >> I'm okay. [ SOUND ]. [ SOUND ] How many can you save? Eleven species. Blue is the last of her kind. You'll never capture her. We thought you might know someone who could help. A rescue op, what could go wrong. [ SOUND ] Hey Blue. You know me. Come with me. You know you can't stay here. [ SOUND ]. Back your men up right now. [ SOUND ]. [ NOISE ]. [ NOISE ]. It was all a lie. The man that proved raptors can follow orders. You never thought how many millions a trained predator might be worth? They will sell them. Not Blue they need him for something else. What is that thing. They made it. This is the most dangerous creature that ever walked the earth. [ SOUND ] I say we shut this whole thing down. [ MUSIC ] Hey girl, you think what I'm thinking? [ MUSIC ] Genetic power have not been unleashed. You can't put it back in the box. [ MUSIC ] Blue. [ MUSIC ] If I don't make it back, [ SOUND ] remember you're the one who made me come here. I'll be all right. [ MUSIC ] These creatures were here before us. And if we're not careful, [ SOUND ] They're gonna be here after [ SOUND ] Welcome to Jurassic World. 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