do you think that dragons existed?

CaptainQuaser

This is a general opinion comment.

But do you think that dragons existed?

We have fossil evidence of large reptiles (dinosaurs)
there are some theories that they evolved into birds.

Could there have been some giant winged reptile in existence in early human times that survived as legend in so many cultures, and was perhaps hunted to extinction?

Sure, there is currently no fossil record of them, but that doesn't mean much as I am sure the majority of species in history have disappeared without leaving any fossil trace. And I don't think we can completely ignore human history and legends as sketchy as they can sometimes be.

light_bulb

like a cross between a terradactyl and a lizard? sure

J77

Fire-breathing? No.

Ivan Seeking

One interesting bit of speculation has been that in the days of old, dinosaur bones were sometimes found, and lacking any other explanation, these eventually led to the dragon myth. Others argue that it is hard to explain how different cultures such as those in early England and China evolved nearly identical myths.

arildno

While dinosaur may have BOLSTERED myths about dragons already existing, they would not at all, by themselves, have led to the idea of large FLYING reptiles (where were the wings). It could equally well, or better, led to ideas of large slithering serpents, or other huge land animals.

I believe that humans are primed to regard the power of flight as something "wondrous" whether or not they find any bones in the ground.

Thus, the idea of spectacular, large fliers is something that might predictably create awe in a story-teller's audience (if the story-teller is good, that is).

In essence, the dragon idea is as much dependent on wishful thinking (that we would like there to have existed such awesome creatures once) as on material remains of dinosaurs.

It is implausible that a dinosaur like the pterodactyl would have survived into human times.

Ivan Seeking

Teradachtyl bones could have accounted for the winged dragon myth.

I think the real qustions are: How similar are the descriptions of European and Asian dragons. Next, is there any way to account for this similarity?

Ivan Seeking

Something else that comes to mind are the hobbits - homoflorensis - who did battle with Komodo dragons that were twenty times their weight. Also, did travellers happen upon these beasts from time to time, and did these encounters evolve into myths?

arildno

The large, slithering European/Germanic serpents, like Fafnir, have in common with the Chinese dragons that they are wingless, whereas the Chinese dragon has in common the ability to fly with the Romanic batwing dragon.

I'm not sure if the Chinese dragon breathes fire, but neither did the adderwurms like Fafnir.

Now, apart from the wonderment that all people, wherever they live has felt about birds, another animal that is shrouded in myths, legends and tales in almost all cultures, is the serpent. (which can be found anywhere)

Thus, that roughly similar tales of huge serpentine, possibly flying, animals have sprung up in many different parts of the world might as well be because humans are humans and the same types of animals arise the same type of fascination in all humans, and thus prepares the ground for adept story-tellers to weave great tales about wondrous creatures to pay for his next meal.

wolram

The one i knew could not fly, was rather large and could breath fire
in buckets.

baywax

There's the possibility that some of the dinosaurs survived the bolide event of 65 million years ago. During the following 65 m years these remaining dinos may have evolved in many different ways with features like wings or gemlike hides on the underbelly.

It was speculated that the "breathing fire" illusion may have come from the fact that something as large as a dinosaur's digestive system would be constantly appearing to "smoke" out of the mouth because of the heat generated by digesting and fermenting food in the stomach.

The tales of humans challenging Dragons/dinos and/or befriending them could come from any age in our past. Then passed along and written in the timeframe of any age.

Encounters with these sometimes crafty, swift (mososaurus) and violent creatures would have spawned several inquiries into technologies that would rid humans of the menace once and for all. Doing so may have required some very interesting technologies that today are seen only as myths, like the dragons themselves.

matthyaouw

Where are the remains?

arildno

Again, fire is one of the most spectacular sights we know of from our natural surroundings. It is majestic, beautiful and terribly destructive when uncontrolled.

That command of fire would arouse awe and excitement in listeners is quite probable on this basis.

baywax

Spontanieous combustion.

SGT

Narwal incisives gave origin to the mith of unicorns.

raolduke

I remember watching a show about dragons existing - completely theoretical but it was very interesting. I don't know why it would be so awesome if a dinosaur could fly because in my opinion a lizard like that is the perfect human. They existed for millions of years independently of cars, concrete, and town hall meetings. I wish I was a dinosaur.

Moonbear

It's also not unreasonable to expect that someone finding dinosaur bones, even if it were not something with wings, may have embellished the story of their discovery as it was retold. We all know how modern day urban legends evolve to have different details and variants, so it's not unreasonable to think a story talking about this monster's bones would eventually be distorted to be about seeing the actual monster, and add more and more details about fangs, claws, wings, things to make it sound more exciting as it's retold over and again.

baywax

Give it a few more years