At times our cultural fascination with dinosaurs seems a bit absurd. Dinosaur books are probably more common than actual dinosaur fossils, but new ones are published at an ever-escalating rate. Dinosaur-themed documentaries are obligatory for any self-respecting television channel. And, in our digital age, websites that focus on the prehistoric past are as easy to find as online gaming sites or celebrity-themed blogs. So it is understandable that I was a bit skeptical when first approached by Steve Walsh, an educator and software designer who wanted my opinion of his new digital resource, Dinosaur DataDig. As a dinosaur researcher with a specialty in carnivorous theropods—the sexiest and most hyperbolized dinosaurs of them all—I am frequently contacted by publishers, producers, and others in the media. When Walsh asked me to critique his new software program, billed as an accessible and comprehensive resource on dinosaurs, I was wary. After all, claims like this are common in the over-saturated world of dinosaur media, and could Dinosaur DataDig really compete with the numerous other products on the market? But in the name of empirical science I decided to take a look and give this program a chance, and I'm glad that I did.
Steve Brusatte, PhD student at Columbia University/American Museum of Natural History More about Steve

The easiest one-word description of Dinosaur DataDig is "database," but this new resource is so much more than a cold and mechanical digital library of facts. From the first click of the mouse it is clear that Walsh's three decades of experience in education have shaped the program. Instead of an encyclopedia jumble of dinosaur statistics—the usual scope of similar programs that have tried and failed in the past—Dinosaur DataDig is an educational tool. It is user friendly, drawing one's attention with a colorful layout and background "dinosaur soundscapes" that really strike a Mesozoic mood. Hundreds of accurate and vivid illustrations liven up the text. Most importantly, the overall theme is one of user-driven experience. This isn't a single narrative about dinosaur evolution that tells the user a story, but an adaptive platform that lets the user explore a whole maze of entries and activities at his or her own pace. In other words, this isn't a textbook but rather a fieldtrip.

The meat of the program is a set of detailed records of 100 different dinosaur species, chosen to represent the panoply of different subgroups, time periods, and geographical areas of dinosaur. Two variations are provided: a summarized record of "key data" for that dinosaur and a much more comprehensive "all data" record that includes facts ranging from the basic (where the dinosaur lived, what it ate, how big it was) to the uber-advanced (how intelligent it was, what its likely metabolism was, what its closest relatives were). Both variations are extensively cross-linked to a vast glossary that includes profiles of famous paleontologists, definitions of important anatomical features, descriptions of major dinosaur subgroups, and even smaller profiles of other dinosaurs that didn't make the "top 100" cut for a full profile.

With this basic explanation out of the way, I can address the three major questions that first popped into my head when contacted by Steve Walsh. First, is the information in the program accurate? Second, does this program provide information or an educational experience that isn't already available? Third, what are the goals of this software and does it fulfil them?

First, from an accuracy perspective, it looks like Dinosaur DataDig is pretty much spot on. This is unsurprising, as dinosaur researcher Scott Hartman has acted as scientific consultant. Although I haven't had a chance to verify the gritty details of every profile, I did take a close look at the record for a dinosaur that I know very well: Carcharodontosaurus, a giant meat eater that I have studied and described in the scientific literature, and a genus for which I recently named a new species. Other than the fact that the entry is a bit outdated (it does not mention my new species, which was only recently named, but this is a minor issue since the program will be constantly updated (since added - ed.)) I have very little to complain about. The classification, size, age, and habitats of Carcharodontosaurus are all accurate, and the list of known specimens is surprisingly detailed, to the extent that it listed a few that I didn't even know about! My biggest qualms concern some of the descriptions of behavior, which are purely speculative but may be perceived by less-knowledgeable users as fact, as well as some anatomical descriptions that use reference to close relatives to describe bones that are currently unknown in Carcharodontosaurus (such as the arms and hands). But these are minor issues, especially since the user is encouraged to use the entries as a platform for further reading and learning on the species in question.

Second, does Dinosaur DataDig provide any new information or experience not already available in the competitive world of dinosaur media? And, more to the point, does this program (which requires a subscription fee) provide information that is not available for free elsewhere? The answer to these questions is yes. There are many comprehensive dinosaur websites that provide free databases of basic information: mostly sizes, ages, geographical occurrences, and photos of dinosaurs. But Dinosaur DataDig, as mentioned above, is not such a program. This is more of a learning tool, and boasts smooth design and an easy user interface, which few websites can claim. Most importantly, this also separates DataDig from what may be its closest competitors: the overflowing avalanche of dinosaur encyclopedias. DataDig is priced similar to most comprehensive dinosaur books, but plays to a different set of strengths: interactive and user-driven learning.

And this is where I segue into the third question: what are the aims of this program and does it achieve those goals? First and foremost this is a learning tool—an alternative to textbooks and encyclopedias shaped by the experience of Walsh, a veteran educator. The content is not dumbed down, but the unpretentious prose and extensive glossary make this program accessible to a wide range of users: from preschool dinosaur fanatics to teenagers that may be more serious about studying paleontology and evolution. Walsh's perspectives on user-driven education and active learning are well explained on the Dinosaur DataDig website, and I will not repeat them here. But, suffice to say, this program is designed to take a subject that is immensely popular (dinosaurs) and mold it into a top-notch educational tool. No other software that I know of has succeeded so well at these goals.

When I was growing up and first became interested in dinosaurs, my passion was stoked by several exceptional books. It seems like many other paleontologists share similar stories, and the dinosaur encyclopedias and picture books of authors like Mike Benton, Dave Norman, and Robert Bakker are especially fondly-recalled. But the world has changed. Children are accustomed to the sensationalism and interactive experience of video games, and all sorts of information (from the accurate to the inaccurate to the downright despicable) is a mouse click away. Against the backdrop of modern society I think that active learning methods like Dinosaur DataDig will play an increasing role in education, especially with younger children. I heartily recommend Walsh's new program, and think it is a great investment for primary schools as well as households with young children. I suspect that several years down the road, when my career in paleontology is waning, some of my younger colleagues will trace their first spark of interest to computer programs like Dinosaur DataDig.

Visit the Dinosaur DataDig product page