NEW YORK (AP) — Here’s a test of your dinosaur knowledge: Did Tyrannosaurus rex stand upright, with its tail on the ground?
The answer: No. But a lot of young people seem to think so, and the authors of a study are blaming toys like Barney and other pop influences for that misconception.
Researchers found evidence that a lot of college students and younger people wrongly think T. rex stood upright, even though museums and popular books have correctly shown a more horizontal posture for decades. Even the “Jurassic Park” movies got it right.
But the authors say plenty of pop culture items like Barney toys have gotten it wrong. And they think that’s where young people have soaked up the wrong idea.