Over the years, I've worked with my fair share of dinosaurs. I'm talking about behind-the-times colleagues, of course, not the real ones that died off 65 million years ago — although some of the dinosaurs' characteristics might have helped them easily adapt to the OR environment. Come to think of it, perhaps some of them evolved recognizably into the surgical team members of today. I did a bit of paleontological research to find out.

Tyrannosaurus rex. The "tyrant lizard." The bark is bad, and so is the bite. She waits for you to make just one mistake, then she shows off those huge, sharp teeth. Don't be fooled by the tiny forearms: They hold the struggling prey right before she bites their heads off. The binocular, stereoscopic vision, common among predators, is ideally suited for glaring at you over her mask.

Stegosaurus. Proudly displays an array of thin plates up her back. Some researchers have speculated that those may have played a role in warming and cooling the body. That would actually come in handy considering those (not so) climate-controlled ORs we work in. (Can't seem to put on enough clothes to stay warm and, fortunately for those we work with, can't consider taking off enough to cool down.)

Tro??don. Six feet tall and about 110 pounds of smart supervisor, she walks upright and in your face. Those close-set binocular eyes can spot you all the way down the hall, making a break for the dressing room at 1500. There she is, standing there with those stumpy little arms across her chest, eyeing you. You're the prey, and you're going to stay.

Ankylosaurus. Those armor-like plates provide a thick skin, and she can come at you like a tank. Those qualities could add to her survival skills when she's working with a Dr. T. Rex. The only place he could attack would be her belly, and that's all bound up in Spanx shapewear.

Apatosaurus. This is the dinosaur formerly known as "Brontosaurus." His long neck serves him well for peeking over the surgeon's shoulder to see what's taking him so long. This species was once believed to have spent much of its time grazing in swamps and marshes, which makes it a perfect match for doing arthroscopies.

Velociraptor. The "swift plunderer." Here's about 30 pounds of pure predator meanness. Her small size belies her quickness and agility at jumping, running and hunting. She'd be an excellent choice for procedures that demand staffers to do a million things all at once. She's a calculating and intelligent circulator. She's also known for eating small prey: hence, the infamous nurse that eats the young. Want some OR entertainment? Put her in a case with the T. Rex.

Gecko. OK, so it's not a dinosaur, but it's my favorite of the distant lizard cousins, whether he's a surgeon, nurse or tech in the OR. Is it because he's cute and sociable? Or is it the voice that television advertisements have trained us to expect from him? (What female can resist a man with an accent?) Being able to lick his eye with his tongue has nothing to do with it, I'm sure. But being steady on his feet makes him valuable in a variety of situations. He tends to have sticky fingers, though, so maybe you'll be able to find your long-lost instruments and hoarded supplies in the room where he's working.