Is Godzilla a dinosaur?

Question

Is Godzilla a dinosaur? Is he related to the dinosaurs of the Triassic-Cretaceous period moreso than just a random lizard of today?

Answer 1

The Wikipedia page states this about his origins:

Although his origins vary somewhat from film to film, he is always described as a prehistoric creature, who first appeared and attacked Japan at the beginning of the Atomic Age. In particular, mutation due to atomic radiation is presented as an explanation for his size and powers.

It also states that the design of Godzilla has been largely inspired by a number of dinosaurs, although the ones listed there span the Late Jurassic through Late Cretaceous periods, some 50 million years or more after the Triassic period:

Godzilla's approximate appearance, regardless of the design of the suit utilized for the creature, remains the same general shape, which is instantly recognizable: a giant, mutant dinosaur with rough, bumpy charcoal-grey scales, a long powerful tail, and jagged, bone-colored dorsal fins. Godzilla's iconic character design is a blended chimera inspired by various prehistoric reptiles, gleaned from children's dinosaur books and illustrations from an issue of Life magazine: Godzilla has the head and lower body of a Tyrannosaurus, a triple row of dorsal plates reminiscent of a Stegosaurus, the neck and forearms of Iguanodon and the tail and skin texture of a crocodile.^1,2

1. William M. Tsutsui (2003). Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 23.
2. Gojira Classic Media audio commentary

In-universe, the movie Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) shows that Godzilla mutated from a Godzillasaurus, a species of therapod which had survived on Lagos island until World War II. An incident with a nuclear submarine irradiated it, creating Godzilla.

Based on the above, Godzilla would be more related to prehistoric dinosaurs than lizards of today.

Answer 2

No.Conventional wisdom states."Dinosaurs were neither aerial or aquatic." The evidence of finding 200 m.y.o. sand and a trilobite,suggests that Godzilla,(Godzillasaurus),is a thecodont,now called crurotaris. They are thought to be the common ancestor of dinosaurs,crocodiles,and birds. Theses crurotaris were known to be at least semi-aquatic from tests of oxygen isotope ratios on their teeth. They had two or more rows of armored plates on their backs, and have mistaken of true dinosaurs.Godzilla is the perfect example of "Parallel Evolution".

Answer 3

In the 1954 film, an apparently live trilobite is discovered in one of Godzilla's footprints. Given that the last trilobites died out 252 million years ago, before there were dinosaurs, it certainly establishes the big guy has direct connections that go way back. There's talk in later movies of some cataclysm driving the dinosaurs underground, where they await improved surface conditions, but the series never developed a consistent origin theory along those lines.

Answer 4

The original Godzilla is more gorilla whale than dinosaur. Look at the way he stands somewhat upright with a long tail. Spines down his back not unlike a Dimetrodon which is a distant relative of mammals. The sheer size of Godzilla is enormous which whales are also way larger than any dinosaur has ever been. Look at the face of Godzilla he has a wide fully toothed jaw With larger canines in the front. with a blunt nose with nostrils and eyes that point to the front of the face. Dinosaurs have Large teeth that are usually the same throughout the mouth and nostrils (which can be somewhat close together are usually on each side of the face. The eyes are usually on each side as well.

Dinosaurs were not great swimmers even though there were aquatic reptiles bigger than some dinosaurs on land. Whales however are aquatic but have to breathe also. Again Godzilla is a mutant of many species he could be part fish and amphibian which is well known in evolution that both mammals and reptiles had to come from.

Godzilla's legs are very muscular, but he is not a toe walker like most dinosaurs that walked on two legs. Toe walkers look like their knees are backwards but what people think is a knee is actually a heel. The knee is farther up towards the body. Being so large and not a toe walker Godzilla is much slower than a dinosaur style monster. The 1998 Godzilla (Zilla) is a reptile style monster and was very fast. Did you ever see the original Godzilla go faster than a casual walk?

The skin on Godzilla is a mutation but is not scale like in the sense of a dinosaur it is rough and some areas are bone like the fins on the back. Dinosaurs have similar in the bone to scale design, but scales are uniform where Godzilla's skin is not.

Now Godzilla lays an egg to reproduce yes he does do that. He is also asexual which means only one needs to procreate. Zilla laid several eggs because that one was reptile like. Godzilla lays one huge egg which is more Platypus like. Godzilla takes care of his offspring and is always protecting it. Zilla is similar to crocodile in that aspect it watches the nest makes sure they are ok then will leave the nest after a while.

The movies say Godzilla is a mutation of a dinosaur a Godzillasaurus that was to please the American public. Godzilla is also suppose to be invincible due to the G cells that can regenerate any part of him. Of course the Americans can beat him with conventional weapons, When the Japanese could not touch him. The 2014 movie fixed the problem with that.

All in all think what you want, but the original Godzilla is more a Gorilla whale design than any dinosaur design.

Answer 5

Godzilla is clearly based off of dinosaurs due to his stance, his largely relatable appearance to the Tyrannosaurus-Rex (Facial Features) and the 'Spinosaurus' (the spikes on his back.) Now, in the original Japanese Godzilla he is a dinosaur frozen and mutated due to nuclear bomb testing making the original Godzilla a dinosaur.

                        /\
                  Simple Answer