Dragons, by whatever name, existed (at least in legends) in the past, in various cultures in various parts of the
world. But could some of the accounts relate to real living creatures? Please consider some of the descriptions
of dragons, then compare them with the dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
A long tail is common, as is a reptilian-like appearance. Some, but not all, dragons were drawn with four legs.
Some had wings. Evil and danger were associated with dragons of Europe, but not with those of China, where
they were held in a positive light. And gigantic were some dragons.
A sauropod dinosaur could be compared with a dragon, at least after we remove the wings but keep the four
legs. According to the fossils, sauropods are the largest land creatures to have lived on the earth.
What about a winged dragon that could exhale fire? Could such an animal have existed? Could it now exist?
Consider the ropen of Umboi Island. One eyewitness described the glow of the nocturnal creature as red, like
the glow from burning embers. The few witnesses who have seen a ropen in daylight mention an absence of
feathers or an appearance somewhat like a “lizard." Those descriptions could be compared with a fire-breathing
reptilian-like dragon. The mistake is in assuming that a bioluminescent glow is fire.
Greg Hedger is one of a number of Americans who have searched
for potential living pterosaurs in North America. He has looked
into the Brown Mountain lights of North Carolina. (Such flying
lights may be related to the Marfa Lights of Texas.)
Hedger is one of the earliest supporters of the expeditions of
Rex Yapi, a native in Papua New Guinea. Yapi witnessed the
ropen of Umboi Island years ago, and in recent years has been
looking for the large nocturnal flying creature that has been
described by cryptozoologists as a long-tailed pterosaur.
Copyright 2010-2021 Jonathan Whitcomb
ver-2021-01
Ropens
Dragons, Dinosaurs,
and Pterosaurs
Are “ancient” and legendary creatures somehow related?
Ropen sightings are worldwide
This is the most common form of these
featherless flying creatures: They have
long tails like Rhamphorhynchoids.
Sketch by the eyewitness Eskin Kuhn
The Marfa Lights of southwest Texas have been compared with the flying lights
of Papua New Guinea and with the Wawanar legend near southwest New Britain
Island. The Wawanar is believed by some cryptozoologists to be the same flying
creature that the natives of nearby Umboi Island call "ropen." As of late 2010,
there still seems to be no direct evidence for the Marfa-Light connection, but at
least a few cryptozoologists believe the ropen is a living pterosaur and the Marfa
Lights may be related.
Some of the circumstantial evidence relates to the apparent intelligent behavior
of the flying lights in this part of Texas. They sometimes will split apart and
separate horizontally before reversing direction and then coming back together,
a little like line dancing or square dancing.
Mysterious flying lights
in North America
Dragons in southwest Texas? If a new conjecture about Marfa Lights
is correct, a group of bioluminescent flying predators may live in these
mountains, visiting the Marfa area every few weeks, as part of a large
area that the predators cover in their hunting. One part of their diet
may be the big brown bat, although scavenging for dead animals, at
night, may be a part of their mysterious nocturnal behavior.
United States Marine Eskin Kuhn, in 1971,
saw two “pterodactyls” at close range, as
they flew near the coast of Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, in clear daylight.
He sketched what he had witnessed, with-
in a few minutes of the sighting, and has,
for decades, stood by his account of his
encounter with the two large long-tailed
featherless flying creatures. He has been
interviewed many times, often by phone,
by cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb.
Dragons, Dinosaurs, and Pterosaurs
By Jonathan David Whitcomb
Live Pterodactyls
Greg
Hedger
The only non-fiction book about live pterosaurs
reported across America, from Washington state
to Florida and from California to Maine, and many
states in between. It is now in its 3rd edition.
According to Dale Reeder, "If you have an interest
in cryptozoology you should read this." (comment
for the first edition)
Live Pterosaurs in America
Ropens
Dragons, Dinosaurs,
and Pterosaurs
Are “ancient” and legendary
creatures somehow related?
By Jonathan David Whitcomb
Dragons, by whatever name, existed (at least in legends) in
the past, in various cultures in various parts of the world. But
could some of the accounts relate to real living creatures?
Please consider some of the descriptions of dragons, then
compare them with the dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
A long tail is common, as is a reptilian-like appearance.
Some, but not all, dragons were drawn with four legs.
Some had wings. Evil and danger were associated with
dragons of Europe, but not with those of China, where
they were held in a positive light. And gigantic were some
dragons.
A sauropod dinosaur could be compared with a dragon,
at least after we remove the wings but keep the four legs.
According to the fossils, sauropods are the largest land
creatures to have lived on the earth.
What about a winged dragon that could exhale fire? Could
such an animal have existed? Could it now exist? Consider
the ropen of Umboi Island. One eyewitness described the
glow of the nocturnal creature as red, like the glow from
burning embers. The few witnesses who have seen a ropen
in daylight mention an absence of feathers or an appearance
somewhat like a “lizard." Those descriptions could be
compared with a fire-breathing reptilian-like dragon. The
mistake is in assuming that a bioluminescent glow is fire.
Live Pterosaurs in America
The only non-fiction book about live pterosaurs
reported across America, from Washington state
to Florida and from California to Maine, and many
states in between. It is now in its 3rd edition.
According to Dale Reeder, "If you have an interest
in cryptozoology you should read this." (comment
for the first edition)
Greg
Hedger
Mysterious flying lights
in North America
Greg Hedger is one of a number of Americans who have searched
for potential living pterosaurs in North America. He has looked
into the Brown Mountain lights of North Carolina. (Such flying
lights may be related to the Marfa Lights of Texas.)
Hedger is one of the earliest supporters of the expeditions of
Rex Yapi, a native in Papua New Guinea. Yapi witnessed the
ropen of Umboi Island years ago, and in recent years has been
looking for the large nocturnal flying creature that has been
described by cryptozoologists as a long-tailed pterosaur.
The Marfa Lights of southwest Texas have been compared with the
flying lights of Papua New Guinea and with the Wawanar legend near
southwest New Britain Island. The Wawanar is believed by some
cryptozoologists to be the same flying creature that the natives of
nearby Umboi Island call "ropen." As of late 2010, there still seems
to be no direct evidence for the Marfa-Light connection, but at least
a few cryptozoologists believe the ropen is a living pterosaur and the
Marfa Lights may be related.
Some circumstantial evidence relates to the apparent intelligent
behavior of the flying lights in this part of Texas. They sometimes
will split apart and separate horizontally before reversing direction
and then coming back together, a little like line dancing or square
dancing.
Dragons in southwest Texas? If a new conjecture about Marfa
Lights is correct, a group of bioluminescent flying predators
may live in these mountains, visiting the Marfa area every few
weeks, as part of a large area that the predators cover in their
hunting. One part of their diet may be the big brown bat,
although scavenging for dead animals, at night, may be a part
of their mysterious nocturnal behavior.
Sketch by the eyewitness Eskin Kuhn
United States Marine Eskin Kuhn, in 1971,
saw two “pterodactyls” at close range, as
they flew near the coast of Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, in clear daylight.
He sketched what he had witnessed, with-
in a few minutes of the sighting, and has,
for decades, stood by his account of his
encounter with the two large long-tailed
featherless flying creatures. He has been
interviewed many times, often by phone,
by cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb.
Copyright 2010-2021 Jonathan Whitcomb
ver-2021-01