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Much has been said about the lack of feathered dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises, but this lack of detail has an easy explanation that renders these criticisms moot. Recent advancements in paleontology have surfaced proclaiming that dinosaurs were, in fact, supposed to be covered in feathers and not scales like in the films. Nevertheless, the decision to give the dinosaurs armor-looking scales was not only something intentional but the correct decision by John Hammond's team of scientists.
When Steven Spielberg captured the magic of dinosaurs in his 1993 classic, Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs appeared to have scales, which made them look amphibious or reptilian. During the first act of the film, the scientists explain that they had to fill in several missing pieces of the dinosaur's DNA. Their appearance is further explained when the scientists reveal that they had to use frog DNA to finish filling in the dinosaur's genetic code in order to bring the prehistoric creatures to life, which explains their amphibious appearance.
The impact Jurassic Park had on the public's perception of dinosaurs is unparalleled. Therefore, it's understandable that criticism emerged against the filmmakers for not portraying dinosaurs correctly. However, at the time, the public's perception of dinosaurs was built on outdated information. Audiences used to think that dinosaurs were giant reptiles, not feathered birds, so of course, the film's scientists created dinosaurs to match the idea the public had about their appearances. Instead of trying to create the most scientifically accurate depiction of dinosaurs, it had to be a balance between that and the view most people held of them, which explains their scales and lack of feathers.
